Discussion:
Spoolsv.exe problem
(too old to reply)
VFP Developer
2008-10-30 17:22:06 UTC
Permalink
I am running Win/2000. Suddenly I could not send anything to the printer
and when I looked in the control panel, I found that my printer drivers all
disappeared! When I tried to add one in the control panel, I received a
message about no resources available. I rebooted the machine and when the
machine restarted, I received this message:

Program Error
Spoolsv.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will
need to restart the program.
An error log is being created.

I don't know what this means or how to access the error log. Can you
suggest how I can correct this problem? Many thanks.
Alan Morris [MSFT]
2008-10-31 00:29:34 UTC
Permalink
did you recently add a printer, install an application that has a software
printer, or update a printer driver?


look for the drwtsn.log file under \winnt directory (or whatever the windows
directory is named)

Look for FAULT in the log.

Most spooler failures are caused by faulty or corrupted print drivers

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm
--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Post by VFP Developer
I am running Win/2000. Suddenly I could not send anything to the printer
and when I looked in the control panel, I found that my printer drivers all
disappeared! When I tried to add one in the control panel, I received a
message about no resources available. I rebooted the machine and when the
Program Error
Spoolsv.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will
need to restart the program.
An error log is being created.
I don't know what this means or how to access the error log. Can you
suggest how I can correct this problem? Many thanks.
VFP Developer
2008-10-31 14:26:18 UTC
Permalink
Hi Alan,
Thanks for your reply.
I am very confused about how to proceed. I did a cold reboot and the
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
did you recently add a printer, install an application that has a software
printer, or update a printer driver?
No, nothing changed in at least a year.
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
look for the drwtsn.log file under \winnt directory (or whatever the
windows directory is named)
Search shows no file by this name anywhere on the entire machine

After the cold reboot (the computer was off for a few hours), I see the
following:
1. when I rebooted, I did not get the error message I mentioned below
2. In the control panel applet, all the printer drivers now appear
3. In Task Manager, I see that spoolsv.exe is running
4. When I send something to the printer (either from Word or from an
application), I do not receive an error message as I did yesterday, but
nothing is sent to the printer.
5. When I look at the printer queue, I can see the files I sent, but their
Status is blank and they are not being moved to the printer. One thing that
may be significant: the port is blank. I think it should be LPT1 because
the printer is connected to the machine by the parallel port.
6. Yesterday, I could not create reports to file that used printer
drivers. Today I can. So apparently some problem got corrected by the cold
boot. However, I still can't get anything out of the computer to the
printer.

I thought that perhaps this could be a hardware problem. I have a printer
sharing box so I tried to remove it by wiring the computer directly to the
printer but I could not do this because the printer requires a cable that is
different from a parallel port cable. I have such a cable that goes between
the printer sharing box and the printer but I can't hook the computer
directly to the printer.

Does this further information give you any ideas on how I can proceed?
Thanks!
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
did you recently add a printer, install an application that has a software
printer, or update a printer driver?
look for the drwtsn.log file under \winnt directory (or whatever the windows
directory is named)
Look for FAULT in the log.
Most spooler failures are caused by faulty or corrupted print drivers
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm
--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Post by VFP Developer
I am running Win/2000. Suddenly I could not send anything to the printer
and when I looked in the control panel, I found that my printer drivers all
disappeared! When I tried to add one in the control panel, I received a
message about no resources available. I rebooted the machine and when the
Program Error
Spoolsv.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will
need to restart the program.
An error log is being created.
I don't know what this means or how to access the error log. Can you
suggest how I can correct this problem? Many thanks.
Alan Morris [MSFT]
2008-11-03 16:58:37 UTC
Permalink
the filename is this
drwtsn32.log


Open the printers property and verify that the printer Port configuration.

Open Device Manager and verify the LPT port is still working.

You will need the proper cable configuration in order to connect the printer
to the computer.
--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Post by VFP Developer
Hi Alan,
Thanks for your reply.
I am very confused about how to proceed. I did a cold reboot and the
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
did you recently add a printer, install an application that has a software
printer, or update a printer driver?
No, nothing changed in at least a year.
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
look for the drwtsn.log file under \winnt directory (or whatever the
windows directory is named)
Search shows no file by this name anywhere on the entire machine
After the cold reboot (the computer was off for a few hours), I see the
1. when I rebooted, I did not get the error message I mentioned below
2. In the control panel applet, all the printer drivers now appear
3. In Task Manager, I see that spoolsv.exe is running
4. When I send something to the printer (either from Word or from an
application), I do not receive an error message as I did yesterday, but
nothing is sent to the printer.
5. When I look at the printer queue, I can see the files I sent, but their
Status is blank and they are not being moved to the printer. One thing that
may be significant: the port is blank. I think it should be LPT1 because
the printer is connected to the machine by the parallel port.
6. Yesterday, I could not create reports to file that used printer
drivers. Today I can. So apparently some problem got corrected by the cold
boot. However, I still can't get anything out of the computer to the
printer.
I thought that perhaps this could be a hardware problem. I have a printer
sharing box so I tried to remove it by wiring the computer directly to the
printer but I could not do this because the printer requires a cable that is
different from a parallel port cable. I have such a cable that goes between
the printer sharing box and the printer but I can't hook the computer
directly to the printer.
Does this further information give you any ideas on how I can proceed?
Thanks!
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
did you recently add a printer, install an application that has a software
printer, or update a printer driver?
look for the drwtsn.log file under \winnt directory (or whatever the
windows
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
directory is named)
Look for FAULT in the log.
Most spooler failures are caused by faulty or corrupted print drivers
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm
--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
I am running Win/2000. Suddenly I could not send anything to the printer
and when I looked in the control panel, I found that my printer drivers all
disappeared! When I tried to add one in the control panel, I received a
message about no resources available. I rebooted the machine and when
the
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
Program Error
Spoolsv.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You
will
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
need to restart the program.
An error log is being created.
I don't know what this means or how to access the error log. Can you
suggest how I can correct this problem? Many thanks.
VFP Developer
2008-11-04 04:47:36 UTC
Permalink
Hi Alan,
I found out what the problem was with help from a Lexmark technician.
There was a file in the printer queue which, for some reason, would not
print and it was holding everything else up. It was very difficult to
delete it. I had to cancel it several times and then reboot. Finally it
disappeared and then I was able to print. So it turned out to be some quirk
in the operating system rather than a corrupt printer driver.
Thanks for your help with this!
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
the filename is this
drwtsn32.log
Open the printers property and verify that the printer Port configuration.
Open Device Manager and verify the LPT port is still working.
You will need the proper cable configuration in order to connect the printer
to the computer.
--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Post by VFP Developer
Hi Alan,
Thanks for your reply.
I am very confused about how to proceed. I did a cold reboot and the
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
did you recently add a printer, install an application that has a software
printer, or update a printer driver?
No, nothing changed in at least a year.
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
look for the drwtsn.log file under \winnt directory (or whatever the
windows directory is named)
Search shows no file by this name anywhere on the entire machine
After the cold reboot (the computer was off for a few hours), I see the
1. when I rebooted, I did not get the error message I mentioned below
2. In the control panel applet, all the printer drivers now appear
3. In Task Manager, I see that spoolsv.exe is running
4. When I send something to the printer (either from Word or from an
application), I do not receive an error message as I did yesterday, but
nothing is sent to the printer.
5. When I look at the printer queue, I can see the files I sent, but their
Status is blank and they are not being moved to the printer. One thing that
may be significant: the port is blank. I think it should be LPT1 because
the printer is connected to the machine by the parallel port.
6. Yesterday, I could not create reports to file that used printer
drivers. Today I can. So apparently some problem got corrected by the cold
boot. However, I still can't get anything out of the computer to the
printer.
I thought that perhaps this could be a hardware problem. I have a printer
sharing box so I tried to remove it by wiring the computer directly to the
printer but I could not do this because the printer requires a cable
that
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
is
different from a parallel port cable. I have such a cable that goes between
the printer sharing box and the printer but I can't hook the computer
directly to the printer.
Does this further information give you any ideas on how I can proceed?
Thanks!
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
did you recently add a printer, install an application that has a software
printer, or update a printer driver?
look for the drwtsn.log file under \winnt directory (or whatever the
windows
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
directory is named)
Look for FAULT in the log.
Most spooler failures are caused by faulty or corrupted print drivers
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm
--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
I am running Win/2000. Suddenly I could not send anything to the printer
and when I looked in the control panel, I found that my printer
drivers
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
all
disappeared! When I tried to add one in the control panel, I
received
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
a
message about no resources available. I rebooted the machine and when
the
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
Program Error
Spoolsv.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You
will
Post by Alan Morris [MSFT]
Post by VFP Developer
need to restart the program.
An error log is being created.
I don't know what this means or how to access the error log. Can you
suggest how I can correct this problem? Many thanks.
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