I can't get any printer too work with Windows XP anymore.
I can't get any printer to work with my computer that's using Windows XP. I checked with the Printer companies and it's not a driver problem. Moreover, these printers all work on other computers that are using Windows XP. In addition, they have worked
on my computer for years up until a few weeks ago. I've been told by the Printer Techs who checked my computer to verify that it wasn't a "driver problem" that it's a Microsoft XP problem. It seems the part of XP that runs the print divers is corrupt. The
print job will go to the print spooler but it is never sent too the printer. Anyone have any clues how too fix this? Is there an XP patch that might do the trick? By the way, I tried a "System Restore" to several different points and that didn't fix it.
Pick one printer and work on getting that working.
From the Printers and Faxes window, do you see a printer that is online with a Status if 'Ready" and are able to print a test page (right click, Properties, Print Test Page).
If there is a jammed up print job in the XP print queue, nothing will print until the jam is cleared.
To empty the print queue, stop the Print Spooler service and remove all pending print jobs/files.
You cannot delete any queued print jobs while the Print Spooler Service is running.
To stop the Print Spooler Service, click Start, Run and in the box enter:
services.msc
Click OK to open the Services Applet.
Locate the Print Spooler Service, right click it and choose "Properties" and then click the "Stop" button to Stop the Print Spooler Service if it is running.
The Print Spooler Service Properties "Startup type" option is usually set to "Automatic" (now is a good time to check it).
If the "Startup type" is not set to "Automatic", set the "Startup type" to "Automatic" if that is your desire (now is the time to check it).
Do not try to Start or restart the Print Spooler Service just yet. You need to remove any backed up print jobs first...
Next, delete all the spooled up and pending print jobs from XP. If they did not print before, you will have to send the to the printer again.
Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the following folder (assuming Windows is installed on your C drive):
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\PRINTERS
Delete all the queued print jobs (select and delete all the files) in the folder so the folder is devoid of pending print jobs. The folder should be empty when you are done.
Restart your system and check the Print Spooler Service again to be sure the Print Spooler Service restarts automatically on reboot (since the Startup type is set to Automatic).
After rebooting, check the Print Spooler Service again and the "Status" column for the Print Spooler should read "Started".
See if you can print a Test Page now.
Resubmit any failed print jobs.
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