Printer spooler will not start Error 1053

jamesy3000,

A couple of things to try.

First thing to to run Delete Print Jobs, this will clear out any print jobs and restart the print spooler. I don't think this will solve the issue, so here's something else to try.

Make sure you have the latest Java Download Latest Java

I would try disconnecting the printer, then uninstall the printer. I would use start, control panel, programs and features. You could also use start, all programs lexmark, your printer and use the uninstaller there.

Restart your computer.

Make sure the printer is removed. Manual Printer Driver Removal

Go to Lexmark's Website for the drivers. I would download the     Driver for Windows XP 64bit, Vista 64bit for the Lexmark X4550 Printer. After you download the drivers from Lexmark's Website, then try installing the drivers in the compatibility mode. You could try the Vista or the XP compatibility mode. Since the drivers work for both, you might want to try Vista first and if it doesn't work, remove the printer, restart the computer and try again with the XP compatibility mode.

Right click on the drivers file, left click properties, left click compatibility. Change the compatibility to Vista. Then right click on the drivers, left click run as administrator.

***To install drivers, sometimes the file unzips and does nothing. You have to look for the setup.exe file, right click on it, then left click run as administrator***

Keep the printer disconnected. Install the drivers. You'll get a message, the printer is not connected. Connect the printer at this time(powered on) Please use a 6ft or smaller USB Cable.

This work well for Dell's Inkjet Printers. Dell's Inkjet Printers were made for Dell by Lexmark.

Let me know how you make out.

Rick 

Hi,

I have tried all the steps you suggested but still can't get the printer spooler to start. I'm still getting the same failed to start error. Now I'm also getting another error from the print spooler saying .Also after uninstalling the Lexmark drivers I cannot reinstall Win 7 or Vista drivers, they all require the printer spool to be functioning before they will install.

 From what Ive read online it would seem that a large number of people are having this issue with Windows 7 and no one seems to have found a fix for it. Might be time to bite the bullet and format my laptop and just start  from scratch.

Unless somebody knows of an actual fix for this problem.

Cheers

James

James,

Since no one know much about these error codes, I would suggest that you try posting in the Windows 7 Forum.

Rick

Hello James,

I too am having the same problems as yourself.

Our Epson, which I had only just successfully managed to connect up to our wireless network at home, after a bloody long battle, packed in.

We packed it up and it is ready to go to the repair centre under warranty.

We got the old HP Officejet 7310 down from the loft and my wife carried on using that via USB.  My laptop was further away so I didn't bother with the printer, I just sent her what I needed printing on the odd occasion via email.

I had a feeling that I was going to have problems because although I hadn't uninstalled it, the Epson was now "decommissioned", I started getting messages on start up saying it couldn't find the drivers for the Epson.  I disregarded it because the printer was out of use anyway.

I have now come to install the drivers for the HP.  Nearly 2 hours to download the drivers for the Windows 7 version!  The CDROM was the old XP version.

When I tried the installation I got the same problems as you.  I contacted HP first, but they said it was an operating system fault and passed me back to Dell, who don't want to know unless I feed them £69.00 to have a look!

I can't afford this.  I only bought the computer from Dell at a cost of £650 two months ago.  They will only support the hardware.  The hardware won't work without the software and they won't support that unless you pay more money, which i can't afford on my meagre pension.  I find it quite appalling frankly!  So much for Dell service!

Anyway, have you found a solution yet?

I would be most interested.

I have been trying to chase a solution to this for several days now and not really getting anywhere.

I am a home user and a pensioner.  I spent all my readies (£650) on the new computer and none left for paid support.  Nobody seems to be willing to help unless you give them a substantial amount of money.  Even then it doesn't guarantee the errors will not return as they are most obviously inherrent bugs in Windows 7.

I have phoned MS Tech support today and they have given me a website address to use.

www.support.microsoft.com/ukget

Unfortunately it doesn't work!  I phoned back to check if I had heard them correctly (and I had!), and when I told them I couldn't get to the website, (i.e. the link didn't work), they said that were issues with the site and that I would have to wait an indeterminate period for it to get up and running.

I am fast losing confidence in Microsoft - does anything of theirs actually work and can you rely on it?

Just out of interest, when I was unsure of what I was typing into my URL initially, I entered this:

www.support.microsoftsupport.com

I got a website offering error code fixes!  My eyes lit up but were quicly extinguished when I tried to download the first link - I got an alert from my McAfee Virus/Spyware!

Anybody else got anything useful? 

I've tried everything except formatting my computer and starting again. I don't know why Microsoft don't have an actual fix for this, they just refer you back to Dell. You've only got to type Print Spooler into google to find about 1000+ posts of people with the same issue. As yet I havent found a thing that works.

I've seen both your posts on the windows 7 forum and it doesn't look like you had much luck there either. When I've finished doing my format I'll let you know how it went and if the problem goes away. As no one seems to know why it happens I don't have much faith in this being a permanent solution...

Hi James,

I have to say I have difficulty finding my recent posts and replies on these forums, I end up marking them as favourites so that i can back to them.

There doesn't seem to be an option where you can review your own posts and replies within any of the forums, (like there is say in Yahoo Answers).

I am hanging on waiting to see for the moment.  My printer need is not that urgent although it has to come, it is inevitable!

With so many posts about this problem, I cannot understand why MS haven't offered anything, it is obviously a an inherrent bug, i.e. a fault in the operating system, which the responsibility lies firmly at the door of Bill Gates.. It should not be upto us to start paying for ssupport when it is clearly MS' fault.

Have you tried a system restore?  I have been reading Andy Rathbone's "Windows 7 for Dummies" and he makes it all sound very straight forward, although he hasn't provided any insight into these errors.

I have managed to email him and actually got a reply asking for more information.  I've sent him more but no answer yet.

It is worrying, and it does get to you.  If you are like me, you want everything running perfect and if anything goes wrong, you don't just want it fixing you want to know why it has happened and is there any chance of it happening again.  Having only bought this all singing and dancing computer (from Dell I might add), at the princely sum of £650, I expect everything to be working properly at 100%.

If you do get anymore information please let me know.  It might be an idea if there is a growing number of us to formally exchange email addresses rather than go through the forums - what do you think? 

Barneyboy48 you are a legend - that fix worked a charm. My print spooler is up and running at last!!

 I changed the original spoolsv.exe to spoolsv.bak as you said but I couldn't change the permissions for the spoolsv.exe.org file and it wouldn't let me edit it so I copied it to another location and changed the name there, then pasted it back into system32 as spoolsv.exe. That .org file is still in system32 though, not sure if it'll affect anything. The main thing is that the print spooler restarted without error.

I can confirm to everyone else on here that the fix worked for me and may well sort everyones problem. Definately give it a go.

Thanks again Barneyboy48!!

 jamesy3000,

If this works, Then could you mark as answer Barneyboy48's post. I will then add this to the forum stickie. This way if other members have the same problem, I will link this thread to the members so they can see what you did to get this working.

Thanks to jamesy3000 and Barneyboy48 for this great find.

Take care,

Rick

I am not the legend - I cannot take the credit for this!

I do not know one end of a computer from the other!

I will however pass on your praise to encro.  He/she is the legend!

I would be very interested in every detail - I will go through the procedure just as soon as the Epson comes back, so because I don't know one end of a computer from the other, I shall be relying on you and the others to get me through!

So glad we have found something that works at last!

Hi James,

Will you do me a favour?

After reading your post again, I understand that you still have a minor concern about the .org file.

How do you feel about posting this report of yours, (reworded of course, because as I have stated, Encro has come up with this solution - I do not deserve any credit for that), on the Microsoft Answers forum in a response to Encro's fix.

He may be able to tell us how to clean things up and also answer any of your questions about possible affects of the .org file still residing in System32 and what to do about it.

I feel that since you have gone through the exercise already, it would be better coming from you.

My printer is still down so I'm not going to start anything that I can't see through yet.

Here's the link to the area of the forum, if you scroll around you'll find me and encro:

 http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7hardware/thread/78fa30f1-78d0-408c-b9d9-3a3584728c41/

Hi James,

Your post on MS Answers is noted!

Lets wait and see what our friend Encro comes up with!  Truly he/she is our best hope and well worth hanging on to the shirt tails of!  I hope he/she doesn't mind.

Hopefully our systems will be as good as new soon.

Did you read his earlier posting as to the reason why it happened in the first place, (and did you understand it)?

I would like to understand this in the very likely event that it may go awry again and is always better to understand the cause and effect in my opinion, rather than to just blithly apply the fix, don't you agree?

Cheers! 

Hi James,

I've had a notification this morning of someone else who is having problems.  It came through on MS Answers from someone calling themselves "lizaveta".

This is the gist of it:

Hello,  I ran into the same problem a couple of days ago. Now I am dead in the water unable to print anything.  Uninstalled the printer HP Lasejet 1018, I don't have any traces of it.  Check System 32 folder.  I have spoolsv.exe 545 KB  in System 32 folder and spoolsv.exe.mui 2kb in size in System 32.en-us folder.  Could you please recommend what to do next.  It looks like I have the right spoolsv.exe but I am still getting the spooler error when trying to install the printer over again.

Thanks.

Does this ring any alarm bells with you.

No response from encro yet - he might be on his holidays!