Why do my printers keep disappearing. Restarting the print spooler does not fix the problem

Question

Why do my printers keep disappearing. Restarting the print spooler does not fix the problem

Answer 1

Hi,

If the Q&A Assist procedures didn't work, could you let me know the printer model?

Thanks.

Answer 2

On Windows 11, recurring printer disappearance has been reported more often after Windows 11 23H2 and cumulative updates KB5036893 / KB5036980. Restarting the Print Spooler alone may not be enough.

Try these steps in order:

1. Set the Print Spooler to recover automatically
   • Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   • Double-click Print Spooler.
   • Set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start).
   • Open the Recovery tab.
   • Set First failure, Second failure, and Subsequent failures to Restart the Service.
   • Apply the changes.
2. Turn off automatic default printer management
   • Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
   • Turn off Let Windows manage my default printer.
   • Restart the PC.
3. Clear stuck print jobs
   • Open Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
   • Select the printer and open its queue.
   • Cancel all print jobs.
4. Clear and reset the spooler
   • Open Services from the taskbar search.
   • Double-click Print Spooler.
   • Select Stop.
   • In the taskbar search, enter %WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers and open %WINDIR%\system32\spool\PRINTERS.
   • Delete all files in that folder.
   • Go back to Services, open Print Spooler, select Start, set Startup Type to Automatic, and select OK.
   • Note: deleting spooler files removes queued print jobs.
5. Update or reinstall the printer driver
   • Open Device Manager.
   • Expand Printers or Print queues.
   • Update the printer driver.
   • If needed, uninstall unnecessary, old, or duplicate printer drivers.
   • If the printer still disappears, remove and reinstall it from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
6. Check the connection type
   • USB: reconnect the cable and try another USB port.
   • Wi‑Fi: confirm the printer is on the same Wi‑Fi network as the PC.
   • Bluetooth: confirm Bluetooth is enabled and the printer is in range.

If the printer disappears but comes back after a reboot, the most relevant fixes are the spooler recovery settings, disabling Windows default printer management, and clearing/resetting the spooler cache.

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