Print error 0x000006ba

Question

Hello Team and many thanks in advance as the handful of times I've come here the support team has always been helpful.

I have experienced a print spooler problem twice now, I fear it was a wayward Microsoft upgrade went wrong.

I say this because we have 2 laptops with the same problem, the first laptop I researched and followed all of the Microsoft guidelines for spooler problems to no luck (about 1 hour spent trying to fix), so I painfully had to reset windows on the admin account with a local account tied to it. That was 5 hours and now completed. Print jobs work again.

Now, today we found my wife's laptop has the same problem and I really hate to have to go entirely reset that laptop so here I am.

I provided the error # but it may be that the answer is to follow what I already have which means a rest...but I figured it can't hurt to ask before I take the reset leap again.

PS I did follow all of the steps Microsoft recommends for spooler errors.

Thanks

Jeff

Answer 1

Hi Jeff Sinks, I completely understand how frustrating this must be you’ve already spent hours fixing one laptop and now the same print error appears on another. Resetting Windows every time feels like a huge waste of time and effort especially when you just want your printers to work reliably.

To resolve print error 0x000006ba without resetting Windows, reset the spooler and clear the print queue via Command Prompt using net stop spooler, delete files in %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS* and net start spooler verify spooler dependencies like RPC and HTTP Service in services.msc repair system files with sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth remove outdated printer drivers via printui /s /t2 and reinstall the latest from the manufacturer clean up orphaned printer entries in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers uninstall problematic Windows updates if the issue started after a patch and configure Print Spooler recovery options to automatically restart the service after failures.

When you restart the Print Spooler service manually does it stay running or stop again after a few minutes and did this issue appear right after a Windows update?

Best regards

Lucky Charm

Answer 2

The error code 0x000006ba typically indicates an issue with the Print Spooler service, which is responsible for managing print jobs in Windows. Since you've already followed Microsoft's guidelines for spooler problems without success, here are some additional troubleshooting steps you can try before considering a full reset of the laptop:

1. Restart the Print Spooler Service:
   • Open the Services application by typing "services" in the taskbar search box.
   • Find Print Spooler in the list, right-click it, and select Restart.
2. Clear the Print Queue:
   • Stop the Print Spooler service as mentioned above.
   • Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all files in that folder to clear any stuck print jobs.
   • Restart the Print Spooler service again.
3. Check for Driver Issues:
   • Ensure that all printer drivers are up to date. Sometimes, outdated or incompatible drivers can cause issues with the Print Spooler service.
4. Check Group Policy Settings:
   • If applicable, verify that no Group Policy settings are disabling the Print Spooler service, as this can affect its operation.
5. Run Windows Troubleshooter:
   • Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters and run the Printer troubleshooter.
6. Check for Conflicts:
   • Ensure that no antivirus or third-party software is conflicting with the Print Spooler service.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to consider more extensive measures, but hopefully, one of these solutions will help you avoid a full reset.

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References:

• Troubleshoot printing issues caused by Print Spooler service not running
• Printer isn't responding

Answer 3

Response to AI-

Those steps I already performed but some of your guidelines appear to be old.

1. Completed.
2. No files in that folder.
3. Cannot locate any new drivers.
4. I do not see any group policy.
5. That is not the correct path AI provided. It starts at "System" > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters > Printer. I did run the troubleshooter as recommended.
6. The 3rd party software is HP Smart and this software has always worked for many years.