General Information
If this service is disabled, printing to a local or network printer will not work or any applications that use the printing sub-system (like PDF converters). If this does not fit your needs, disable it. Your printers will still be “installed” if you disable this service, but not visible in the printers folder. After restarting Print Spooler, they will reappear and be available for use. I place this service into manual mode and only start it up when printing is required. In manual mode, the service will not automatically start at boot time. However, if you do a lot of printing, Automatic is the best bet for convenience.
Windows 8
Default Description
Loads files to memory for later printing.
Additional Information
None at this time.
Default Startup Type
| OS | SP0 |
|---|---|
| Windows 8 x86 | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 8 x64 | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 8 Pro x86 | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 8 Pro x64 | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 8 Enterprise x86 | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 8 Enterprise x64 | Automatic (Started) |
Service Names
Service Name (registry): Spooler
Display Name: Print Spooler
Default Path and Command Line Options
C:\Windows\System32\spoolsv.exe
Log On As
Account: Local System account (Allow service to interact with desktop checked)
Dependencies
Note: No dependencies are listed for any service in the WDP build I used to draft this information.
Windows 7
Default Description
Loads files to memory for later printing.
Additional Information
This service uses between 6MB and 10MB depending on system RAM.
Default Startup Type
| OS | SP0 | SP1 |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 7 Starter | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 7 Home Basic | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 7 Home Premium | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 7 Professional | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 7 Ultimate | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Windows 7 Enterprise | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
Service Names
Service Name (registry): Spooler
Display Name: Print Spooler
Default Path and Command Line Options
C:\Windows\System32\spoolsv.exe
Log On As
Account: Local System account (Checked – Allow service to interact with desktop)
Dependencies
What service Print Spooler needs to function properly:
- HTTP (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
-
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)(S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
- DCOM Server Process Launcher (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
- RPC Endpoint Mapper (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
What other service require Print Spooler to function properly:
- Fax (S, HB, HP, P, U, E)
- LPD Service (HB, HP, P, U, E)
Windows Vista
Default Description
Loads files to memory for later printing.
Additional Information
This service uses between 6MB and 16MB of RAM.
Default Startup Type
| OS | SP0 | SP1 | SP2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Home Basic | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Vista Home Premium | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Vista Business | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Vista Ultimate | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| Vista Enterprise | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
Service Names
Service Name (registry): Spooler
Display Name: Print Spooler
Default Path and Command Line Options
C:\Windows\System32\spoolsv.exe
Log On As
Account: Local System account (Allow service to interact with desktop)
Dependencies
What service Print Spooler needs to function properly:
- HTTP (HB, HP, B, U)
-
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)(HB, HP, B, U)
- DCOM Server Process Launcher (HB, HP, B, U)
What other service require Print Spooler to function properly:
- Fax (B, U)
- TCP/IP Print Server (HB, HP, B, U)
Windows XP Pro x64
Default Description
Loads files to memory for later printing.
Additional Information
You will save about 3.8 MB by making this service go away.
Default Startup Type
| OS | SP0 | SP1 | SP2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| XP Pro x64 | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
Service Names
Service Name (registry): Spooler
Display Name: Print Spooler
Default Path and Command Line Options
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
Log On As
Account: Local System Account (Allow service to interact with desktop)
Dependencies
What service Print Spooler needs to function properly:
What other service require Print Spooler to function properly:
Windows XP
Default Description
Loads files to memory for later printing.
Additional Information
Queues up print jobs for later printing. This service is required if you have printers, even if they are network printers, or use any applications that use the printing sub-system (like PDF converters). If this does not fit your needs, disable it. You will save about 3.8 MB by making this service go away. Your printers will still be “installed” if you disable this service, but not visible in the printers folder. After restarting Print Spooler, they will reappear and be available for use. I place this service into manual mode and only start it up when printing is required. In manual mode, the service will not automatically start at boot time. However, if you do a lot of printing, Automatic is the best bet for convenience.
Default Startup Type
| OS | SP0 | SP1 | SP2 | SP3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XP Home | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| XP MCE 2005 | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| XP Pro | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
| XP Tablet PC 2005 | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) | Automatic (Started) |
Service Names
Service Name (registry): Spooler
Display Name: Print Spooler
Default Path and Command Line Options
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
Log On As
Account: Local System Account (Allow service to interact with desktop)
Dependencies
What service Print Spooler needs to function properly:
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC) (H, M, P, T)
What other service require Print Spooler to function properly:
- Fax (H, M, P, T)
- TCP/IP Printer Server (H, M, P, T)
Additional Reading
None at this time.