Printer Spool, what is it?

What is a 'Printer Spool'? The reason I ask is becasue mine doesn't work and it says it's becasue the 'Spool' cannot be loaded.

 

Thanks for the link PeteC. I'm using Windows XP Home Editon.

 

Just before you posted that, I was looking there. Anyway, it says it's set to automatic and that it has been stopped. I click start, but then it brings up a dialog box saying Error 1068:

 

I have been looking for information using Google and I found this site with people who have had similar problems, unfortunately, I don't understand it all:

Error 1068

Perhaps a more advanced user could explain to me what it is I have to do. I did have a Lexmark printer installed before the Epson C42UX. Uninstalled before using the Epson, maybe some fragments have been left over and caused conflict?

 

It's a little bit vague as to when I installed the Epson, but, at a guess, I would say roughly a year or so ago. I uninstalled the Lexmark, installed this, and everything worked fine. One day I needed to replace the ink cartridge, so I bought one, came back, printed of my C.V., worked fine. Few days later I needed to print something else then the 'Spool' problem started. However, I was disconnected from the Internet sometime and went to Start>Run>MSCONFIG>Startup tab and unchecked some things I thought wasn't necessary as I wasn't going to be going on the Internet, so is there a possibility I have unchecked something here?

 

Here is a quote from that site I posted:

'1. The original cause of the error is related to uninstall of older Lexmark printer software. When installed, the Lexmark software added it's own print spooler service (LEXBCEs) and forced the Windows Spool Service dependent upon the Lexmark Spool Service by inserting a key entry into the Spool portion of the System Registry.

2. I located and removed this entry using REGEDT32.EXE and then copied "Known/Good" SPOOLSS.DLL and SPOOLSS.EXE files (from another workstation)into the C:\winnt\system32 directory. I could have also copied these files from the NT 4.0 installation CD.

3. Rebooted the system. All print services working fine.'

I searched my PC for Lexmark and found a folder full of Lexmark things called 'w32x86'. In that is a 'lexmarklexmark_z23_z7fe8' folder. There is a also 'epsonstylus_c4259c8', a folder called '3' which I think has both printer software in it. A 'SETUP32.DLL' for Epson, 'EPUPDATE' and a 'lxaiw2k' which is Setup Information. Don't know if any of this is going to be useful to you, just thought it may help. Also, a lot of things in this folder has been compressed by Windows.

 

Unfortunately, I don't know what exactly was and wasn't checked. But I have checked the majority, and I still get teh problem?

 

I used RegSeeker and cleaned up the registry, tried to install the printer again and I get this message;

[img=http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5080/portsetting8xh.th.jpg]

... Then it says this after a few minutes;

[img=http://img313.imageshack.us/img313/4176/notconnected6dt.jpg]

So I click retry and the same happens. Windows makes that 'ping' noise when it connects to the computer so it's definately connected.

 

PeteC, I have solved the problem. After clicking 'Stop Searching', it then began the copy files from the CD to System32, and then informed me that the printer was set to USB Port 1. I have just tested the printer now and it works fine. I think the problem was the registry sub-entry;

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\DependOnService

... Which was saying something to do with Lexmark. I assume it was depending on it, hence the name and because I don't have Lexmark anymore, it couldn't load the Spool. Thank you very much PeteC for pointing me in the right direction.

 

Me too! Thanks again.