spoolsv.exe is a runner

[Antoine]

Running win2k 500.2195 SP3

SpoolSv is using +50% of processor and climbs to around
138MB of mem usage, which in turn crashes the puter. I
have done the following:
1. Uninstalled all printers and removed all driver refs
from the registery
2. Replaced spoolsv.exe from the original win2k CD
3. Unable to stop the process as the OS will not allow me
to
4. installed latested drivers for my printers downloaded
from web -- HP1100 and Ricoh 3800c

All to no avail

This problem is well reported on the web - but no
solutions seem to be available besides the ones listed
above. Does any boffin have an idea on how to resolve
this please:>

Regards

 

[Paul Baker [MVP, Windows - SDK]]

I don't know if I'd call myself a boffin, but I'll give it a try.

There may be other third party components used by the Print Spooler that are
impacting it negatively. This is not just printer drivers. It is also:
- Print providers. These provide different types of printers other than
local, network and HTTP.
- Port monitors. These provide different types of ports other than the
standard ones.
- Language monitors. These interface between drivers and the port monitor.
- Network providers. These let different types of networks act as Windows
print servers.

Do you think you have any of these? Is a network involved and, if so, what
type? Did the problem start happening after installing anything in
particular?

The HLKM\System\CurrentControlSet\control\print registry key and its subkeys
list all the third party components the Print Spooler could use, except
network providers.

I wouldn't advise copying Spoolsv.exe from the Windows 2000 CD, because you
might be downgrading it from a version installed by a Service Pack or
Windows Update. For example, you should have Service Pack 4 which may have
upgraded it. By doing that, you could cause an incompatibility between
versions of dependant components. This can be resolved by reinstalling
Windows.

Paul

 

[Paul Baker [MVP, Windows - SDK]]

Antoine,

Spoolsv.exe was upgraded by Service Pack 3.
http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/fileversion/moreinfo.asp?Id=242856

If you had Service Pack 3 or Service Pack 4 and you overwrote Spoolsv.exe
with the one on the Windows 2000 CD, you created an unsupported
configuration.

I said that reinstalling Windows would correct this. I guess I should be
more specific. Reinstalling Service Pack 4 would correct this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/default.asp

Paul

 

[Antoine]

As an update to the issue which "appears" to have resolved
it :

I ommitted to mention in the original post that I am
running a Novell Client. An upgrade from 4.80 to 4.83,
coupled with disabling the service (Spooler) from starting
automatically, and starting it manually after boot appears
to work.

The issue evidently has something to do with the way the
new printer drivers, W2k and Novell Client interact.

Paul: Thanks for your reply and assistance, and your
quite correct note that by restoring the original file
from the installation CD would create an unsupported
version of 2k. As i quite happily had renamed the orginal
file as a back up - it has been restored to its place on
honour .

May the sun shine on your head, and may you be wearing a
hat :>

 

[Paul Baker [MVP, Windows - SDK]]

Antoine,

That was a smart move to keep a backup of Spoolsv.exe

Whenever you have a problem with the Print Spooler that can occur even when
you're not printing, it makes sense to think about third party software that
you have installed, especially network providers, print providers and port
monitors.

Paul