Puzzling PrintService Error in Event Log

Hello again,

I nailed the problem. I just printed a "Windows Printer Test Page" and it printed just fine and no error event was logged.

What I Did

I ran the Autoruns program from Microsoft Sysinternals and selected the Print Monitors tab.  I looked at the list and noticed there was an entry under the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors key labeled "HPCLJ2600LM."  From the name I assumed that this was my printer.  There was an image path, but no "Description" and "Publisher" listed.  Furthermore, the entry was highlighted in pink, so I knew something was wrong.

The application help was of no use, so I consulted the Windows Sysinternals Administrator's Reference and I read that the DLLs listed in this tab are loaded into the Spooler service.  Furthermore it said that "One of the most common problems that affects the print spooler is misbehaving or poorly coded third-party port monitors."

I read on. Under the Autoruns and Malware section it said that one of the telltale signs that can point to malware is "Entries with an image path pointing to a DLL or EXE that is missing Description or Publisher information (unless the target file is not found)."

Aha, I disabled the entry, rebooted and viola, it worked.

Thank you very much...

Try to delete the driver from the system and restart,then reinstall the driver from this link,just make  sure do not connect the printer until the program tell you to do so.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=446154&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=446153&swLang=8&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2093#1130

Click on the Start button and select Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. Locate Print Spooler in the list. Check that it has started and that the StartUp type is Automatic.

I suspect that it has stopped and that just starting it will not solve the problem.

You may need to show hidden files. Type Folder Options in the search box above the Start button and select View, Advanced Settings and verify that the box before "Show hidden files and folders" is checked and "Hide protected operating system files" is unchecked. You need to scroll down to see the second item. You should also make certain that the box before "Hide extensions for known file types" is not checked.

Now access Windows Explorer and select c:\windows\system32\spool\printers. Normally this folder should be empty but there is a problem when files with “spl” and “shd” extensions stick there. Delete the files and restart your computer. This may resolve your immediate problem.