Printer server crash - unable to do anything as spooler keeps stopping

[SteveB_NI]

I attempted to update a driver today for one of our network printers (HP4700) and the process stopped / terminated mid way with an error message.

 

Now all printers deployed by the server won't work, and the printer spooler service on the Server keeps stopping immediately after being started.

 

As such I can't actually get into the Printer server properties to remove the corrupted printer / driver.

 

Any ideas how I can get the spooler service to keep active long enough to allow me to do this?

 

Thanks

[fredbayker]

have tried deleting the files in the system32\spool\prtprocs & drivers folders?

[howartp]

I'm not an expert on this, but I believe you can go into C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers and find the drivers you've just half-installed (by modify or create date?) and delete them.

 

Or, delete the whole subfolder and restore it from backup?

 

Peter

 

(Snap!)

[fredbayker]

I'm not an expert on this, but I believe you can go into C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers and find the drivers you've just half-installed (by modify or create date?) and delete them.

 

Or, delete the whole subfolder and restore it from backup?

 

Peter

 

(Snap!)

 

Great minds?

[howartp]

Great minds?

Yeah, you beat me to the 'post' button by a minute. :-)

 

Peter

[SteveB_NI]

Thanks guys - already done that. Spooler service still wont stay started. As soon as I then go into Start > Printers it stops. As soon as I click "server properties" to remove the driver from there, it won't let me into that as local spooler service isn't running.

 

I can also see the driver in Windows > System 32 > driver store > File repository, but I can't delete the folder as it's denied and I need permission to remove the item. I'm logged on as admin.

[SteveB_NI]

Ok - so I removed print services role from the server.

 

I got an error stating

 

"Print Services: Removal succeeded with warnings

: Deleting network printers failed with error 1722. The RPC server is unavailable No printers or ports were deleted. Please delete your network printers manually using Printers in Control Panel.

The following role services were removed:

Print Server

LPD Service

"

 

Any ideas short of an OS re-install?

[gds64]

Use Print Management to access the drivers and either right click > remove driver package, or set isolation.

[SteveB_NI]

Every time I opened print management the spooler will immediately stop & almost crash the server. If I tried to open print management with the spooler stopped it would complain and require spooler to be started. Rinse & repeat.. nightmare!

[gds64]

What OS are you using? You should be able to access the printers via Print Management console without having the spooler service running.