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Q246838: Dr. Watson Error Message When You Start the Spooler Service

Article: Q246838
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you 
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore 
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the 
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS
========

When you try to start the Spooler service, you may receive the following Dr.
Watson error message:

  An application error has occurred and an application error log is being
  generated.
  Spoolss.exe
  Exception: access violation (0xC0000005), Address:

Also, you may receive the following error message:

  Application exception occurred:
  App: spoolss.dbg (pid= )
  Exception number: c0000005 (access violation)

CAUSE
=====

This behavior can occur if a print monitor utility or printer spool file or
files are damaged. This can occur when you use a third-party print monitor
utility or Microsoft Windows NT print monitors.

RESOLUTION
==========

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To resolve this issue, perform the following steps, testing to determine if the
issue is resolved after each step, and if it is, do not perform the remaining
steps:

1. Configure the print server for online use:

  a. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click
     Services.

  b. Click Spooler, and then click Startup.

  c. Configure the Spooler service to log on using the System account and to
     interact with the desktop, and then click OK.

2. Eliminate any extra .shd and .spl files:

  a. Remove or rename the .shd and .spl files from the various spool folders
     located in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Printers folder. Note that you
     lose pending print jobs, but the configuration information should be
     intact.

  b. Remove or rename any unused or old .tmp files in the Temp folder.

3. Delete the printer through the registry, and then reinstall it:

  NOTE: Normally, you can delete a printer by using the Delete Printer command.
  However, the printer is not actually deleted until the next time the Spooler
  service starts. Because in this case the Spooler service does not start, you
  cannot use the Delete Printer command. Deleting the following keys from the
  registry requires you to reinstall the printer drivers and recreate the
  printers, because the printer is deleted from the print share.

  a. Use Registry Editor to delete the appropriate registry keys:

     Local Printer

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print
  \Environments\Windows NT x86\Drivers\Version-2\<printer name>

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print
  \Printers\<printer name>

     where <printer name> is the name of the local printer.

     Network Printer

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Printers\Connections\<server name>

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
  \Print\Providers\LanMan Print Services\Servers\<server name>
  \Printers\<printer name>

     where <server name> is the name of the server the printer is on and
     <printer name> is the name of the network printer.

  b. Restart the computer, and then reinstall the printer.

4. Delete the print monitor from the registry:

  a. Use Registry Editor to locate and delete the print monitors from the
     following registry key:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors

     NOTE: Each print monitor is listed in a subkey of this registry location.

  b. Restart the computer.

MORE INFORMATION
================

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q102116 How to Manually Delete Print Shares or Printers

  Q135406 Steps to Manually Remove and Reinstall a Printer Driver

NOTE: If your computer spool folder is not in the default location, please see
the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q123747 Moving the Windows NT Default Paging and Spool File

Additional query words: nt 4.0 exception spooler application printing

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search
Version           : :4.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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