HOW DO I LOCATE OR OBTAIN A PRINTER SPOOLER MISSING FROM MY 'ADMISTRATIVE TOOLS- SERVICES' LIST?

Your problem with your printer (and probably additional problems) are most likely caused by the use of AVG Tune-up or PC Matic.   Such problems may also be caused by overly-aggressive malware removal tools (you didn't say what malware you had or how you removed it).

From PA Bear, a frequent contributor in the Windows Update section of these forums:

If you ever again think your Registry needs to be cleaned, repaired, boosted, tuned-up, cured, tweaked, fixed, maximized, "swept" or optimised (it doesn't), read*http://chris.pirillo.com/are-registry-cleaners-safe-to-use/* and/or*http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/04/why-i-dont-use-registry-cleaners/* then draw your own conclusions.  Related =>*http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2563254*

With respect to your virus and malware attack, you should seriously consider moving on from Windows XP.  XP has not been supported by Microsoft since April 2014, and is increasingly vulnerable to such attacks.

Now that you've been properly chastised, let's see if we can fix the printer problem.

Print Spooler is not in the list of Administrative Tools.  It is in the list of Services.  You can open the Services applet by either:

1.  Click Start, click Run, type "services.msc" (without quotes) in the "Open" box, and click OK

2.  Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, click Services.

Either method 1 or method 2 will result in opening the Services applet, which looks like this:

If by your "list of administrative tools" you actually meant that you had opened the Services applet as in method 2 above and didn't find "Print Spooler" there AND if you have Windows XP with Service Pack 3, you can get the Print Spooler back as follows:

Back up the Windows Registry using a tool such as free ERUNT.

Open Notepad (Start > Run > notepad.exe > OK)

Copy the lines between the ***** and paste into the Notepad window

Save the file on your Desktop (or elsewhere where you can find it again) and name it something like RestoreSpooler.reg  (don’t forget the .reg at the end)

***************************************************

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler]

"DependOnService"=hex(7):52,00,50,00,43,00,53,00,53,00,00,00,00,00

"Description"="Loads files to memory for later printing."

"DisplayName"="Print Spooler"

"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001

*"FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,e8,47,0c,*

00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

"Group"="SpoolerGroup"

*"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,*

*74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,*

00,70,00,6f,00,6f,00,6c,00,73,00,76,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00

"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"

"Start"=dword:00000002

"Type"=dword:00000110

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Parameters]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Performance]

"Close"="PerfClose"

"Collect"="PerfCollect"

"Collect Timeout"=dword:000007d0

"Library"="winspool.drv"

"Object List"="1450"

"Open"="PerfOpen"

"Open Timeout"=dword:00000fa0

"WbemAdapFileSignature"=hex:bd,83,ab,a6,1e,8a,cc,c8,d9,ff,b8,69,f2,94,18,ce

"WbemAdapFileTime"=hex:00,20,7c,22,cb,2b,c1,01

"WbemAdapFileSize"=dword:00023c00

"WbemAdapStatus"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Security]

*"Security"=hex:01,00,14,80,90,00,00,00,9c,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,*

*00,1c,00,01,00,00,00,02,80,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,*

*00,00,02,00,60,00,04,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,8d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,*

*05,0b,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,9d,01,02,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,*

*23,02,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,*

*02,00,00,00,00,14,00,fd,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,*

00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler\Enum]

"0"="Root\LEGACY_SPOOLER\0000"

"Count"=dword:00000001

"NextInstance"=dword:00000001

***************************************************

Close Notepad, double-click the file and answer Yes when asked to permit the registry to be modified.

Reboot.

Check the Services applet (Start > Run > services.msc > OK) to confirm that the Print Spooler is back, set to start Automatically, and is Started.

NOTE:  I've assumed, both in the prior post and this one, that you are using Windows XP sp3.  If that assumption is not correct, you shouldn't follow the steps in the previous post.

Stopped in what way?  Any error message?

An inability to download files or problems installing software may indicate that you've suffered more damage to your system than just the printer problem that you noticed.

Backing  up your registry is a precaution that's prudent before making changes to the registry.  Incorrect changes to the Windows registry can severely damage your system, and there's no "are you really sure you want to do this" warning or "undo" feature. 

Instead of using ERUNT to make a registry backup, you can create a manual restore point.  See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948247

If you create a problem editing the registry and can open Windows, you can recover by using a restore point.  However, if things are so damaged that you can't even open Windows, it's easier to recover if you used ERUNT. 

It's doubtful that you'll have a problem -- let alone a problem that's so severe Windows won't start -- if you carefully follow the directions in my earlier post.  The suggestion to use ERUNT was a just a precaution for the rare case that something went disastrously wrong.

When you run the reg file created by following the instructions in my previous post, it will insert the registry structure shown in the image below, i.e., the Spooler key, its 4 sub-keys, and all of the data in each of those keys and subkeys.  You can take a look at your own registry structure before making any changes.  The entire Spooler key may be missing or perhaps just some pieces of the structure may missing or incorrect.  If you right-click on the Spooler key itself and select "Export," you'll create a file that can be used to restore your current registry (at least the Spooler key and its sub-keys, etc.).  That's what I did (on a working XP sp3 system) to create the file shown in my earlier post.

This is how you would look at and/or make a backup of the current contents of your registry that pertain to the Print Spooler:

• Open the registry editor (Start > Run > regedit > OK)
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler
• Right-click on "Spooler" and select "Export"
• Give the file a name, such as OldSpoolRegKey and save it some place you'll remember

ERUNT.

I appear to  be stopped at getign this tool to download and execute.

I have an Epson All-in One  WF3540

There is curerntly no Print Spooler in my list of administrative tools

I have used AVG Tune up and Previously used PC Matic.

A previous Epson printer was installed but no printer is currently showing as installed

I have also had a virus and malware attack and removed the viruses.

Do you mean that you got in touch with Tech Support for some unnamed printer manufacturer and were told that they couldn't fix your printing problem because you don't have the Print Spooler Service?

What is the make and model of your printer?

When you try to install it, what happens?  If you get an error message, please provide the complete text of the error message.

What version of Windows, including service pack, is installed?

Do you have ANY printers that are installed?  If yes, do they work?  If not, what happened to your system between the time you were able to print and now (e.g., power failure, used a registry cleaner or system tune-up program, installed software, including Windows Updates, malware attack, removed malware, etc.).