Print Spooler

The Print Spooler (Spooler) service manages all local and network print queues and controls all print jobs. The print spooler communicates with printer drivers and input/output (I/O) components, such as the USB port and the TCP/IP protocol suite, and it is the center of the Windows printing subsystem.

If the Print Spooler service stops, you cannot print or send faxes from your local computer. When the Print Spooler service stops on a server that runs Remote Desktop Services, the Easy Print feature will not work correctly.

The Printer Pruner feature of AD DS relies on the Print Spooler service. For the Printer Pruner to operate across the organization and allow orphaned queues to be scavenged on an unmanaged basis, every site in the organization must have at least one domain controller that runs the Print Spooler service.

This service is installed by default in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, and its startup type is Automatic. If you configure the service startup type to Disabled or Manual, it does not automatically start when print jobs are submitted.

When the Print Spooler service is started in its default configuration, it logs on by using the Local System account, and it is allowed to interact with the desktop.

The Print Spooler service is dependent upon the following system components:

  • HTTP
  • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
  • DCOM Server Process Launcher
  • RPC Endpoint Mapper

The following system components are dependent upon the Print Spooler service:

  • Fax
  • LPD Service

Related content