Can't print - Spooler SubSystem App stopped working and was closed

[Itsaplane]

Since June of this year, I've been unable to print with my Dell laptop with
Windows Vista installed. When I push print I get a message telling me to add
a printer (I DID have one installed). So, trying to add a printer I get:
"Windows can't open Add Printer. The local print spooler service is not
running. Please restart the spooler or restart the machine." The machine
has be restarted many times since then.

Also, all the time I have an application window open that says "Spooler
SubSystem App stopped working and was closed." If I close this window, it
comes back in a few minutes.

Dell support gave me two options: 1) nuke the computer and reinstall
Windows Vista (all my apps and set-ups gone) or 2) wait until service pack 1
was released "in September" and the problem was solved. I'm still waiting
for the second solution and still very reluctant to pursue the first.

What's frustrating is that, clealy, other people are having this problem --
yet I've been unable to solve it, even after many months. Errrr...

[Mick Murphy]

Get the right Vista Driver(if there is one) from the printer's manufacturers
website; download it and save it to your desktop.

Run the updated driver!!

If necessary, uninstall existing printer software completely, and then
install updated driver

[Paul Randall]

Depending on your computer expertise and the accumulated pain of not having
a usable printer for so long, perhaps you should consider this:

Check with Dell and your manual to see if you can easily replace the hard
drive yourself. My HP laptop's drive is easily replaced. Purchase a
replacement drive - cost possibly less than $100 (probably doesn't have to
be from Dell), install Vista on it, then the printer, and make sure it
works. Then decide, perhaps with help from Dell or this newsgroup, on how
to get all your stuff working with the printer.

[Gallman.]

Does this solve the problem?

[Itsaplane]

I don't know - I didn't follow through with this because:
1) it's completely different from the Dell tech support advice (install SP1
when it comes out IN OCTOBER)
2) even if I uninstalled/installed new driver software, my computer still
won't let me run "add printer"
3) I have more to do in life than manage my laptop's Vista - so I print from
another machine on the network and put up with an error message window
perpetually minimized on my computer. You can sense my frustration...

[christis73]

"christis73" - I have a Windows Vista Home Premium Computer and I use my
computer for printing pictures ALL DAY, EVERYDAY! (I'm a mom of 3 little
angels)
Well now I'm getting "SPOOLER SUBSYSTEM APP STOPPED WORKING AND WAS CLOSED"
-WHAT??- It also says "microsoft visual C++ Runtime Library" AND "Program
C:/windows/system32/spoolsv.exe" Can anyone out there help me fix this or
have any advice on how to fix this because Christmas is here and I know that
I'll be taking over 100 pictures of the family. Thanks, Christi