Print Spooler No printers problem

[sdf777]

Each time I try to optimize the auto start manager, I get some kind of printer problem. The first few times it was no printer spooler found. The next time when I went to print, there were no printers listed to print to. I'm not using expert mode and all my removals seem to be from software vendor names. Any thoughts? Thx.

[Aneesh]

Each entry listed in the 'Auto-Start Manager' can be disabled/enabled; so if you are running into problems after disabling an entry, all you need is to re-enable it, provided you have not deleted the entry itself.

If the issue occured after running the 'Clean System Registry', then you can possibly solve the problem by re-integrating the deleted entries. By default, the backups are made in your 'Documents' folder under 'Ace Utilities Backups'. The backup files are named by the date and time when they were created. Find the appropriate file and double-click it to merge the entries with the Registry. Afterwards, you need to run the 'Clean System Registry' tool again, isolate the entry which, when deleted, is causing the problem, right-click it and choose 'Highlighted Item -> Exclude Always' to exclude it from future scans.

[sdf777]

It is just disabling & enabling. Doesn't a disable only take effect after a reboot? If so testing each one of 20 or so items after a reboot would take considerable time. Also, if I'm not doing anything with Microsoft, how can this affect printing?

[Aneesh]

The 'Auto-Start Manager' does not only do a simple enable/disable of start-up entries; it can be used to disable/enable device drivers, services, shell extensions, browser help objects etc. So one has to be careful while using it. Disabling an essential service/driver can interfere with proper working of your Windows. Though many entries, esp. those related to Windows, are same for different user, the rest are different and depends upon the various software/devices installed on a particular pc. Unfortunately, a little bit of trial and error is the way to go here. You need to enable all those entries you disabled while optimizing the start-up entries and then narrow down the suspect entry.

Meanwhile, generate a report of the start-up entries and attach it in your next post. To create a report, go to the 'Auto-Start Manager' tool; In the 'Categories' list on the right side, click 'All'; Go to 'File -> Report' and save the entries to a text file. Before that, disable the 'Hide Microsoft Entries' in the 'Options' to include those entries in the report as well.

[sdf777]

I guess I don't understand. You made it sound like auto start manager will update the removal of services real time. I did uncheck the apps and services I didn't want and my registery monitoring program showed their removal. I could still print. However, after rebooting I get a no print spooler found message when I try to print.

[Aneesh]

No, almost all changes will take effect only on the next restart.

You may need to uninstall your printer and let Windows detect it again. Go to 'Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services' and make sure that the 'Printer Spooler' service is enabled. If you still experience trouble, check the following resources:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... -us;324757

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

[sdf777]

Thanks. That article did it. It was an old Lexmark service. I haven't had a Lexmark printer in years, but apparently removing it was the problem.