Printers have become indispensible computer devices for today’s businesses and to an extent many homes. Acknowledging this need, most computer manufacturers are offering a bundled package to their PC customers, which include a printer as well. A lot of people today are totally dependent upon printers for accomplishing their critical tasks. A printer error can therefore cause a serious disruption in work and most people seek immediate resolution of these problems.
It is possible to troubleshoot printer errors on your own with the help of the internet, if you are aware of the step-by-step approach to problem identification and possible resolution methods. However, it is easy to get lost while seeking information on the internet as the information available may not be properly organized or authentic.
This article addresses this problem by systematically identifying some of the common causes of printer errors and their fixes.
- Print Spooler Filled Up with Temporary Files: When you send a print job to your printer, the job is spooled and the information is saved in print spooler files. In Windows XP these files are stored in the C:\Windows\system32\spool\Printers folder by default. These files are deleted after the print job is complete. If you notice that the printer spooler process file spoolsv.exe is consuming a large amount of CPU resources, it might indicate that the printer spooler folder is not emptying. To resolve the issue in this case, navigate to the spool folder and manually delete the print spooler files from it.
- Printer Driver is Corrupt or Obsolete: All hardware and peripheral devices connected to your computer require device drivers to be able to communicate with Windows and applications installed on it. Printer errors may occur if the driver of your printer is either corrupt or obsolete. To fix the errors in this case, it is best that you visit the Web site of your printer manufacturer and look for updates for your printer driver. If you find one, download and install it to resolve the printer error caused by a bad driver.
- Problems in the Windows Registry: All device drivers are registered in the Windows registry. This is why if there is a problem with the printer registry entries or if the registry of your computer is damaged or corrupt, you may encounter printer errors. To fix the issues in this case, you need to thoroughly scan the registry for errors and repair them. Now, because the registry database has a complex structure, it is not easy to perform the task manually. This is the reason why the best way to resolve the issue in this case is to scan your registry using a robust, advanced registry tool, such as RegGenie and fix all the detected errors.
- Virus and Spyware Infections: Virus and spyware infections are a cause of several computer errors. These malicious programs may infect printer driver files and cause them to generate errors when you try to send a print job. The best way to resolve the issue in this case is to use efficient virus and spyware scanner tools to thoroughly scan your computer for infections and eliminate them.
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