CAN NOT ADD PRINTER: Print spool service not listed in service list.

Hi, I have recently adquired a new Dell laptop with Core 2 processor and Windows 7 Home Edition (64 bits) installed from factory. I have this problem: I can not add any printer to the system, because when I try to do it the following message: "Windows can not open Add printer. The local print spooler service is not running. Restart the administrator or the system".
Trying to being smart and not to bother you guys with an already known way to solve the problem I have search a lot of forum in where I found a lot of persons with the exactly same problem. The solutions that other persons gave to the problem does NOT work in my case. I mention here the principal ones:
1) Use "Fix it" tool from Microsoft

Does not work, the tool can not restart the printer spooler service.

2) Go to the Control Panel -> Services ( or, equivalent, Execute: service.msc) and check that Spooler Service is running, if it is not: make it start and check
"automatically"

The service "Print Spooler" IS NOT IN THE LIST OF SERVICE SO IT IS COMPLETY MISSING!!

Going futher, I saw a post of other forum (Print Spooler Service is missing) in where a guy suggest to modify the registry so to fix the problem of the missing service and gives a complete list of modifications. Before doing that attemp I check that all the fields in my registry differ in some way of the modification suggested and I see that my registry seems to be fine. So I DO NOT modify my registry, because of the reason explained and because modifying registry is a risky task.

3) Some post from forums suggest to Execute: "net stop spooler" and then "net start spooler"
Does not either

4) Of course, I have checked that spoolsv.exe exists, and yes is a real file located on \Windows\system32 folder.


So, in this way I am completly lost, out of idea, blank, zero inspiration, nada, nothing to say.

(System restore may help)

Try:


1.

Printing problems and printing errors

1) Click Start, Control Panel
2) In the Control Panel, click System and Security
3) In the System and Security window, under Action Center, click Troubleshoot common computer problems
4) In the Troubleshoot computer problems window, click a specific task to automatically diagnose and fix a problem.


+


With 7 DVD in your drive, Start => type sfc /scannow and wait for the operation to complete




If it didn't help, then try 2





2.

Start => Accessories => Command prompt => type net stop spooler => press "Enter" => type net start spooler=> press "Enter"


If it didn't help, then :

Start => Accessories => Command prompt => type net stop spooler => press "Enter",

then type del /Q /F /S "%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers\*.*" => press "Enter",

finally type net start spooler => press "Enter"

Reinstall the printer now

Dear cybercore,
The proposals for solving the problem that you give are little bit naive (no offense), and I have mentioned to try them before in my post.

A)
Examing proposal number 1 of you (Description: 1) Click Start, Control Panel / 2) In the Control Panel, click System and Security /3) In the System and Security window, under Action Center, click Troubleshoot common computer problems) is very like the same idea that "Fix it" tool I have mentioned (number one of list of the things I have tried). Just for giving it another chance, I do what you mentioned and the result is that a window appears telling this:
" Problems found:
The print spooler sevice is not running
You need administrator permissions for the folowing repairs"
And a button telling:
"Try this repairs as administrator"
Of course I click that, I give permission to continue and then the expected happen: the troubleshooting program tries to initialize the printer spooler service without sucess, and gives me a window confessing: Not solved
The only thing I haven`t tried yet is to
"With 7 DVD in your drive, Start => type sfc /scannow and wait for the operation to complete"
because I do not have RIGHT NOW the DVD with me, I have to come back to my house to grab it and to give it a try to that. Perhaps, that will work but I am not very optimist.

B)
The proposal number 2 of you, (Description: Start => Accessories => Command prompt => type net stop spooler => press "Enter" => type net start spooler=> press "Enter" If it didn't help, then : Start => Accessories => Command prompt => type net stop spooler => press "Enter",), is very like the number 4 of thing I have tried. Just for giving that a second opportunity, I again execute "net stop spooler" and "net start spooler" in command prompt and the print spooler service is still not running and not listed in the service list. I also checked that "%systemroot%\System32\Spool\Printers\*.*"
is an empty folder ( I never have the opportunity to install a printer, so it is logical to this folder to be empty. Also what you said about "Reinstall the printer now" is tells that you suppose that in the past I have managed to install a printer when the reality is that I HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH A CHANCE!!

If trying the DVD thing has no succes, I will be in the same sittuation. Help!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Windows 7 Services Information - Print Spooler

Registry Settings (.reg):

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler]
\\"DisplayName\\"=\\"@%systemroot%\\system32\\spoolsv.exe,-1\\"
\\"Group\\"=\\"SpoolerGroup\\"
\\"ImagePath\\"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,70,00,6f,00,6f,00,6c,00,73,00,76,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
\\"Description\\"=\\"@%systemroot%\\system32\\spoolsv.exe,-2\\"
\\"ObjectName\\"=\\"LocalSystem\\"
\\"ErrorControl\\"=dword:00000001
\\"Start\\"=dword:00000002
\\"Type\\"=dword:00000110
\\"DependOnService\\"=hex(7):52,00,50,00,43,00,53,00,53,00,00,00,68,00,74,00,74,00,\
70,00,00,00,00,00
\\"ServiceSidType\\"=dword:00000001
\\"RequiredPrivileges\\"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\
00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,\
72,00,73,00,6f,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,\
00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,\
72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,\
00,61,00,6e,00,67,00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,\
00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,\
6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,\
00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,61,00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,\
50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00
\\"FailureActions\\"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler\Performance]
\\"Close\\"=\\"PerfClose\\"
\\"Collect\\"=\\"PerfCollect\\"
\\"Collect Timeout\\"=dword:000007d0
\\"Library\\"=\\"winspool.drv\\"
\\"Object List\\"=\\"1450\\"
\\"Open\\"=\\"PerfOpen\\"
\\"Open Timeout\\"=dword:00000fa0

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler\Security]
\\"Security\\"=hex:01,00,14,80,78,00,00,00,84,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,\
  00,1c,00,01,00,00,00,02,80,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,\
  00,00,02,00,48,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,8d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
  05,0b,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,\
  20,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,fd,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,\
  01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



I should suggest you do try this:

The only thing I haven`t tried yet is to
\\\"With 7 DVD in your drive, Start => type sfc /scannow and wait for the operation to complete\\\"
because I do not have RIGHT NOW

Dear cybercore,
The modification of the registry proposed by you was already tried before as I state in my first and original post. It is the number 2 of the tried solutions. May I selfquote:

I saw a post of other forum (Print Spooler Service is missing) in where a guy suggest to modify the registry so to fix the problem of the missing service and gives a complete list of modifications. Before doing that attemp I check that all the fields in my registry differ in some way of the modification suggested and I see that my registry seems to be fine.

No offense, but try to suggest me things that I haven`t tried before, please!
By the luck I am having right now, the DVD thing won`t work either! Start thinking another ideas!!!

Do you have ANY printers currently installed? I have seen a situation where a corrupted printer Queue would keep the service from running. Are you using 64 bit drivers?

You say you do not show a print spooler, so that means in Task Manager, you do not show a Spooler service and in msconfig.exe, you do not show a print spooler option under services. You do not have a spoolsv.exe file in the Windows\System32 folder, or in your case maybe the 64 bit version of System folder. Doing a search might find one.

As a last resort, I always feel if something is not working as it should, perhaps a repair install would correct the problem. If you eventually decide to do that, let us know.

And if I offer something you have already tried, don't fuss at me, just ignore it.......

Quote "With 7 DVD in your drive, Start => type sfc /scannow and wait for the operation to complete"
because I do not have RIGHT NOW the DVD with me, I have to come back to my house to grab it and to give it a try to that. Perhaps, that will work but I am not very optimist.""
Have you managed to get back to your house yet? Cybercore's suggestion is often a common remedy for this problem, and certainly not naive.as it can sometimes rewrite corrupted or missing files.

Dear donfisico,

no offence, did you check if other required services are running, as explicitly described in the article that I suggested:


Windows 7 Services Information - Print Spooler

Dependencies:

What service Print Spooler needs to function properly:

• HTTP (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• Remote Procedure Call (RPC) (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  
  • DCOM Server Process Launcher (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  • RPC Endpoint mapper (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
  
  

What other service require Print Spooler to function properly:

• Fax (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
• LPD Service (HB, HP, P, U, E)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


If nothing helps and if you don't want to modify your registry, then:



1. Try the repair option:

Repair Install - Windows 7 Forums

How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7

What are the system recovery options in Windows 7?



2. Consider reinstalling your system

Saltgrass:
M intention is not to buzz the persons that repeat solutions that I have tried before ( I am not stupid, I know what it is convinient to me!), but I have to point out when that happens for the good reason that it is a possibility that is not good for solving my problem and I want to solve it of course! You asked my if I have had any printer already instaled and I have to answer you : No, I haven`t , I couldn`t ever do it because of the problem mentioned (printer spooler service not running, and printer spooler service not listed also in the services list so no way to check it and make it run). Saying it so, nothing else to answer you. Thanks anyway and please, please if you have any suggestion come here to write it. I would be very grateful!

Rak, and cybercore:
I have arrived to my house and tried the DVD thing (executing sfc /scannnow) but I have had a little problem: in the prompt/command window appears the folowing message after (trying) executing sfc /scannow: "You have to be an administrator with an active console to be able to use the utility sfc". But it turns to be that I am of course administrator of my laptop (I wouldn`t have been able to do a lot of stuff if I wasn`t!). So the question remmaining now is how do I run an command console window as and administrator so to be able to run sfc command! I need to know that before proceeding to other suggested solutions to problem. Help!

Use an administrative command prompt by going to Start menu, all programs, accessories, command prompt and right clicking and select "Run as Admin"