Amazingly bad customer service

Sorry to hear about your troubles!! As this is a user to user forum there isn't much we can do to help you with Dell. However, if you post your problem, along with the system, printer and OS in the Peripherals/Printer forum there is an extemely good chance the good folks there can help you fix the problem.

Give it a shot.

Jeff :emotion-22:

Wow, $5000 for a computer?

click on the start button. in the search box type services.msc. on program will show up. click on the program name. The services window will pop up. scroll down to the print spooler listing. Double click on this service listing.

In the window that opens make sure the Start up type is set to Automatic. if now click on down arrow and select automatic.

Click on the start button and see if that starts your service

Hello All,

Thanks for the replies.  While I was on hold with DELL I did some net searches and tried the services fix you listed.  I made sure the spooler and all dependent services were set to automatic.  I could also manually start the spooler, but when I try to install a printer or start a print job the spooler automatically stops.  I am able to use the printer with my other computers, so I haven't tried any more troubleshooting yet.  DELL has not released new drivers for the printer in years, but I was considering trying to reinstall the driver at some point.

I think at this point it might help if you mentioned the printer you are trying to install. Perhaps this it a issue with older drivers not being compatiable with win win 7

Funny thing is it used to work fine.  The only change I can think of recently is an update to my video driver.

Printer is a Dell Photo AIO 966.  I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.  Intel Core i7 CPU.  12 GB ram.  The printer has a wireless function, but since that has never been reliable, I always plug it in by UBS to print.  I tried several different USB ports.

Still no luck.  I used a different troubleshooter that applied print spool fixes as administrator, then I uninstalled the DELL AIO printer software, then restarted and attatched the printer, then let Windows 7 search for and install drivers.  Test page won't print, and pdf gives an error of the document failed to print (no pages selected) when I try selecting either all pages or pages 1-3.

Scanned for malware lately?

Maybe you should use System Restore to go back to last date available before you updated the video driver.

Does Win 7 have built-in drivers specific for this printer? Most of the time, you have to install the printer drivers from the printer's installation CD and connect the printer to the PC when the installation process tells you to connect it. Maybe by connecting the printer first and allowing Win 7 to install drivers, it's actually installing the wrong drivers... ??

Ron

Thanks, Ron.  The malware check is a good idea.  I use McAfee but a malware scan could help.

Win 7 does not have specific drivers.  I reinstalled drivers using Windows net search, then again from DELL's site.   However, these have not been updated since 2007.  I find it strange that it USED to work, but now the print spooler keeps stopping.

Malware check comes up clean.

Have you tried a System Restore to a date before all these problems started?

It may be time to run a repair of Win 7 using your Windows disk.

Ron

I haven't tried a system restore.  I have so many programs and settings (ex. updated video driver) that I'd rather not be able to print than have problems with other software.

I tried the repair disc twice but have been unable to boot with it.  The first time it gave an error code, the second time it gave the blue Microsoft background and I could move the cursor but there was no boot or login and Cntrl-Alt-Delete gave no response.

I've tried scanning with the printer.  Sometimes it works OK, other times it just hangs after about 5 minutes and there is no way to cancel or shut down the process using the cntrl-alt-delete system manager.

Win 7 does not have specific drivers.
* Here is the Windows 7 64bit driver. Is that the one you tried?

Thanks, Chris. :emotion-21:

Ron

Yes Chris, I have uninstalled an reinstalled that driver at least 3 times.  I cannot print a test page or print a .pdf or a word document.