spoolsv.exe won't start

[bob]

Dell laptop, user hit the print button when no printer was
connected. Since then, when he starts pc the message
spoolsv.exe has generated errors and is being shut down.
When he looks in the printers area, there is nothing there
except "add a printer" . He usually has about 10 printers
listed.
He installed SP-4, no change. He can go in and manually
click on spoolsv.exe and then all the printers appear, but
the error comes up again as soon as he clicks on one of
them. ???

 

[Tom]

Check the event log for details of why it crashed.
Usually it's a corrupt driver. Once you see the printers
there, right click and delete them. Then try to re-add
them with the correct driver.