# spoolsv.exe service crashes instantly. Running out of ideas.



## slartie (Aug 10, 2006)

Hi all,

First things first. I'm trying to get a Windows 2003 Server to coorporate with me, but the print spooler service keeps crashing. My eventlog gives me the following error:

"Faulting application spoolsv.exe, version 5.2.3790.1830, faulting module tcpmon.dll, version 5.2.3790.1830, fault address 0x0000414b."

I have searched the net for quite a while and have been trying a number of different things in the quest for solving this problem. Currently, there are no printers connected to the server, so this is not "critical", but I would really like to get the spooler up, so I can promote the server to print server and relieve our old NT 4.0 server from another task (one step closer to its retirement)

I have gone through the following registry entries and cleared out any non-default entries. 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Print/Environments/

Environments is basically blank now apart from "winprint" in the "Windows NT x86 branch" as instructed by a Microsoft article

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Print/Monitors/

Only Local Port, Standard TCP/IP Port and USB Monitor are left on this one.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Print/Printers/

Printers is empty.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/Print/Providers/

Checked Providors for any non-standard entries, but it was clean.

c:\windows\system32\spool\printers

This folder is empty

c:\windows\system32\spool\prtprocs\w32x86

This folder has three files: hpzpp041.dll, lmpclnpp.dll and sfmpsprt.dll

I haven't been able to figure out whether or not it is safe to delete these, so I haven't touched those yet.

c:\windows\system32\spool\drivers\

this folder is empty apart from a subfolder called "color" which holds a single file: "srgb color space profle.icm"

I've tried the spooler tools from rktools.exe (2003 server toolkit) but obviously none of them will run since the service won't run.

I have tried to find articles describing how to reinstall the print spooler or something to that effect, but without much luck.

ANY help from you guys is greatly appreciated!


With kind regards,

Lars Wiberg


----------



## bilbus (Aug 29, 2006)

sounds like a bad driver, go into server properties (in printer's window click file, server properties)

Go into drivers tab, and delete all the drivers. There is a KB about this topic, but i cant find it


----------



## Cellus (Aug 31, 2006)

A good thing to try first before attempting the answer below is to run the System File Checker to check for corrupt system files (having a corrupt spooler service would answer that question) by going into the command prompt and type "sfc /scannow".

The file hpzpp041.dll is actually part of the printer driver for a HP LaserJet, which suggests you still have remnants of an old printer driver on the machine.

Microsoft has an entry in the Knowledgebase that may help with this problem that involves going through the registry. I should note this KB entry refers to Windows XP, however it looks like it can be adopted (the areas in the registry it refers to are solely for printing). Try this last:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324757


----------

