Printer properties cannot be displayed. The print spooler service isnot running.

[yawnmoth]

When I right click on a particular printer and try to view the
Properties of it, I get the following message:

Printer properties cannot be displayed. The print spooler service is
not running

Problem is, it is running, as going to Administrative Tools ->
Services in the Control Panel verifies.

One of the "printers" I have installed is "Send To OneNote 2007". I
can right click on that just fine - just not this other printer.
Would I be able to do that if the print spooler wasn't running?

Indeed, if I do disable the print spooler, *all* the printers in
"Printers and Faxes" disappear. So the fact that I'm even seeing them
in the first place suggests to me that the printer spooler is running.

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

Is the (real) printer in question installed on your own PC or on a network?

If you try and start the Print Spooler, what is the message on the screen?

http://www.coribright.com/windows/Article_Nine.htm

 

[yawnmoth]

Is the (real) printer in question installed on your own PC or on a network?

It's a "Local printer attached to this computer" connected via a
"Standard TCP/IP Port". Personally, I think such a printer ought to
be called "A network printer, or a printer attached to another
computer", but that's the terminology the "Add Printer Wizard" uses.

If you try and start the Print Spooler, what is the message on the screen?

http://www.coribright.com/windows/Article_Nine.htm

I don't currently have access to the computer, however, I'm not really
sure of the applicability of that URL. The printers disappeared
because I *did* disable the Print Spooler. That they reappear when I
reenable it goes without saying. The reason I mentioned it is to
establish that, near as I can tell, the Print Spooler *is* running.

 

[yawnmoth]

This problem of your windows XP a gap of 'Print Spooler'
(http://www.utilitiessoftware.org/print-spooler). please visit 'Print
Spooler | Utilities Software'
(http://www.utilitiessoftware.org/print-spooler)

C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\PRINTERS is empty. It's empty when the
Print Spooler is running and it's empty when it isn't.

Also, I was unable to install KB896423 since I'm running SP3. Trying
to install it got me the following:

Setup has detected that the Service Pack version of this system
is newer than the updates you are applying.

There is no need to install this update.

 

[yawnmoth]

It's a "Local printer attached to this computer" connected via a
"Standard TCP/IP Port".  Personally, I think such a printer ought to
be called "A network printer, or a printer attached to another
computer", but that's the terminology the "Add Printer Wizard" uses.



I don't currently have access to the computer, however, I'm not really
sure of the applicability of that URL.  The printers disappeared
because I *did* disable the Print Spooler.  That they reappear when I
reenable it goes without saying.  The reason I mentioned it is to
establish that, near as I can tell, the Print Spooler *is* running.

The message I get is as follows:

Windows is attempting to start the following service on Local
Computer...

Print Spooler

The green bar advances and then the window disappears after the Print
Spooler has been activated.