What to Do When Windows 11 Print Spooler Fails to Start

Updating Printer Drivers Through Windows Update

Updating printer drivers through Windows Update 🔃 lets you download stable printer software directly from Microsoft without visiting manufacturer websites. Windows checks for certified hardware packages automatically through the system settings menu, ensuring your printer communicates properly with Windows 11 without risking downloaded files from third-party sites.

One thing to know first: driver updates are usually listed as optional. Windows will not always install them on its own, so you need to look for them yourself.

1. Open Settings by pressing the Win and selecting the gear icon, or by pressing Win+I.

   

2. Select Windows Update 🔃 from the left sidebar. The update page opens on the right.
3. Click Advanced options to view additional system update categories.

   

4. Select Optional updates to expand the list of available driver packages and extra updates. If you do not see this entry, Windows has no optional updates waiting. Click Check for updates 🔃 on the main page and look again.
5. Click Driver updates to view hardware-specific software waiting for installation.
6. Check the box next to your printer manufacturer’s driver update.
7. Click Download & install to apply the update to your system. Windows shows the progress next to the update.
8. Restart your 🔄 computer if prompted to finalize the driver installation.

If no printer driver appears in the list, Microsoft has nothing newer for your model. Move on to the next method.

Using Device Manager to Update Printer Drivers

Using Device Manager to update printer drivers forces Windows to scan your system and online databases for newer hardware software. This built-in tool helps you bypass automatic update delays by letting you target your specific printer queue directly and install missing files immediately.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager (requires administrator privileges).

   

2. Scroll down the hardware list and click the arrow next to Print queues to expand the section.
3. Locate your printer in the expanded list, right-click it, and select Update driver.

   

4. Click Search automatically for drivers to let Windows scan your computer and the internet for the newest available software. You need a working internet connection for this step.
5. Follow any remaining on-screen prompts, then close Device Manager and test your printer.

If Windows says the best drivers are already installed, that only means it found nothing newer in its own sources. The manufacturer's website may still have a newer version, so try the next method.

Downloading and Installing Drivers Manually From the Manufacturer

Downloading and installing drivers manually from the manufacturer provides the newest features and diagnostic tools when automated Windows updates fail. Visiting official brand websites like HP, Canon, or Epson ensures you get the exact software package needed to fix stubborn printer connection errors.

1. Open your web browser and navigate to the official support website for your printer brand, such as HP, Brother, Canon, or Epson.
2. Locate the support or download section and enter your exact printer model number into the search field. The model number is usually printed on the front or back of the printer.
3. Select your operating system version if the website does not detect it automatically. Choose Windows 11, and pick the 64-bit version if you are given the choice.
4. Download the recommended full feature software package or basic driver executable. The basic driver is smaller and enough if you only need the printer to work.
5. Double-click the downloaded file (usually ending in .exe) from your Downloads folder (requires administrator privileges).
6. Follow the manufacturer setup wizard instructions to unpack and install the driver files.
7. Restart your PC once the installation completes.

Driver download sites run by third parties often bundle unwanted software.

Removing Old Printer Drivers Before Updating

Removing old printer drivers before updating clears out corrupted files that cause print loop errors and failed installations. Deleting outdated driver packages through Windows settings or the Print Management tool forces a clean installation state, giving your new printer software a fresh start.

Print Management is only included in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. On Home, remove the printer in Settings and use the Command Prompt method in the next section.

1. Open Settings and navigate to Bluetooth & devices, then select Printers & scanners.
2. Click on your printer, select Remove, and confirm the deletion.

   

   The printer disappears from the list.
3. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box, type printmanagement.msc, and press Enter to open Print Management (requires administrator privileges).
4. Click All Drivers in the left panel. The installed drivers are listed in the middle.
5. Right-click the old driver package you want to remove and select Remove Driver Package.
6. Confirm the removal by selecting Remove driver and driver package, then click OK.

If Windows says the driver is still in use, make sure you removed the printer in step 2 first. Restart the PC and try again. Once the old driver is gone, reinstall the printer with one of the earlier methods.

Managing Printer Drivers via Command Line

Managing printer drivers via command line lets advanced users view, add, or delete driver packages using text commands in Command Prompt. This administrative method uses tools like PnPutil to handle stubborn printer software that refuses to uninstall through standard Windows menus.

Be careful with the delete command, because it removes the package you name and nothing asks you to double-check.

1. Type cmd in the Windows search bar, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator (requires administrator privileges). Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission.
2. To view all installed printer drivers, type pnputil /enum-drivers and press Enter. Windows prints a list of driver packages.
3. Locate the published name of the printer driver (such as oem12.inf) from the list. Match it against the provider and driver description so you pick the right one.
4. To delete a specific driver package, type pnputil /delete-driver oem12.inf /uninstall and press Enter, replacing oem12.inf with your actual driver file name. A message confirms when the package is deleted.
5. Close the Command Prompt window once the process finishes.

Troubleshooting Common Printer Driver Update Failures

Troubleshooting common printer driver update failures usually involves restarting the Print Spooler, which is a background service that manages print jobs. When this background service freezes, it blocks new driver installations, and restarting it through the Services app clears the stuck queue so updates can finish.

1. Type services.msc in the Windows search bar and press Enter to open the Services app (requires administrator privileges).
2. Scroll down and locate Print Spooler. The Status column shows Running if the service is active. If it is blank, the service is stopped.
3. Right-click Print Spooler and select Stop. If Stop is greyed out, the service is already stopped, so go on to the next step.
4. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, then delete all files inside this folder to clear stuck print jobs. Delete only the files, not the folder itself. If Windows asks for administrator permission, click Continue.
5. Return to the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, and select Start. The Status column should change to Running.
6. Attempt your driver update process again.

If the spooler stops again right after you start it, or Start returns an error, double-click Print Spooler and check that Startup type on the General tab is set to Automatic. A bad driver is the usual cause of a repeated crash, so remove it with the methods above and install a fresh one.

What to do next

Test your printer by printing a test page from the printer properties menu to verify that the updated software communicates correctly with your hardware. If issues persist, check your network connection settings or configure your firewall rules to allow local print traffic.

1. Open Settings, go to Bluetooth & devices, and select Printers & scanners.
2. Click your printer, then select Printer properties.
3. On the General tab, click Print Test Page. A page should come out of the printer within a few seconds.

If the test page prints, the spooler and driver are working. If it does not, check that the printer is on and connected, and that the Print Spooler service still shows Running. For a network printer, confirm the PC and the printer are on the same network, and check that your firewall is not blocking local printing traffic.