I have been experiencing a printing issue for the last few weeks. I am receiving an error stating that the Print Spooler service has been closed, which prevents me from adding printers or printing at all. It states the Data Execution Prevention has stopped the service. I can restart the service and I can then see the printer to install, however after a minute or less the service is stopped again.

I have researched online quite a bit, and found some things but nothing has really worked. If anyone has any experience with this issue, I would love to hear!

 

I would start by removing all printer drivers, reboot, then reinstall printer drivers.

If that doesn't work then you may need to run a repair from the XP install disk. Make sure that the XP install disk matches the service pack of your PC.

 

is it an HP printer? Have a couple HP Printers at work and drivers seem to always crash the spooler.

 

Open the command prompt and type sfc /scannow
You'll probably be prompted to put in your windows install disc to replace bad system files.

Check the system or application log event viewer for any error code and check online, Microsoft may have a fix-it utility that you can run that may fix it.

 

I will give this a try, thanks. Although the install disc is way old and not the same service pack. And I must have been having a small brain fart, the OS is vista, not xp.

I used to have an HP printer when it happened. I removed all hp software and registry entries, etc. I am trying to use a wireless epson printer now. I can't even install any new printers.

I tried this, it just finds the fact that the print spooler is stopped. It starts it and I can begin to add a printer, but 15 seconds into it the spooler gets stopped and the process fails.

Thanks all!

 

Scan now definitely found corrupted files, but stated that it could not fix all of them. I did have the windows disc in but it never prompted for it or used it, to my knowledge. I looked at the cbs.log it created and there were a lot of spooler entries listed, but it wasn't really that helpful to read.

 

If you have checked for virus/spyware and nothing came up then I'd do a WinXP repair install with the disc.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XP...install.htm#RI

 

Start up the print spooler and then once it quits again check the system log in event viewer for any "Service Control Manager" errors and look into whatever error code it gives you.

 

Get a new computer.

:#1stunna:

 

Ha thanks! I will try that stunna, although I did look at the event logs and they just state the service was stopped.

Just as a test I reinstalled windows and added the printer and it worked fine, so something is obviously jacking it up in the previous install. I then reimaged it back to the existing install and started uninstalling any programs I didn't need which were installed in 2011 which is when the issue started, but no luck.

I am thinking this might be the time to upgrad Vista to Win 7, I have been wanting to for a long time and just didn't have a reason, maybe this is it!

 

Yeah I am an idiot, I put XP in the title....it is vista! Damn vista cd does not give that option, only to repair startup issues. Thanks though.

 

If you put in the vista disc and choose upgrade install thats the same as a "repair install" on XP, your files and apps should still be there.

 

 

Turns out it was a damaged .net component. Thanks all.