Hey computer dorks...

[Frosty]

I need help.

My print spooler in XP is FUBAR and it's driving me nuts. I've read a million different fixes but none work.

I've gone into the service manager to turn it on but I get the system cannot find the file specified error. I "assume" that the file somehow got deleted.

How can I get the file from my XP disc without reformatting?

It's fine "C:\Windows\System32\spoolsv.exe"

Thanks guys!

[GP99GT]

i could send it to you if youd like

[Frosty]

http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/XP/Q_21505297.html

Here's the info I found that leads to believe the file is gone. I tried every other fix(deleting the stuff from the registry, cleaning out the folders in the actual spooler etc)

[Frosty]

i could send it to you if youd like

I have my XP disc right here, whatever is easier man. I just don't know how to take files off of the disc, never had to do it.

..or you could email it to me...what do you want to do, lol

[GP99GT]

the files ont he disk are probably compressed....have you done a search for the file or gone to the folder and looked?

[Frosty]

Yeah no go on the search

[GP99GT]

k...email address?

edit: did you make sure it searched hidden/system files?

[Frosty]

Yup

gtatony@comcast.net

thanks :)

[GP99GT]

lol gmail wont let me send it as an exe. so im gonna zip it i guess

[Frosty]

lol ok man, much appreciated.

[GP99GT]

wtf? "spoolsv.zip contains an executable file. for security reasons gmail does not let you send this file"

uhhhhh.....aim? lol

[Frosty]

The file worked but now the PC won't recognize the printer through the USB port..WTF

[Frosty]

I swear to God I'm gonna throw this thing.

It detects it but says there's a problem installing the printer. I try to do it manually but it doesn't give me any options for the USB ports, just the LPT and COM ports. Ughhh

[Frosty]

It finds the printer and it comes up as Lexmark 8300 which is correct however there's an error when it tries to install the hardware. "The specified port is unknown" Can someone help me before I throw this thing out the window(not kidding).

[GP99GT]

did you try a different USB port?

[Tru2Chevy]

My experience shows that when Windows starts acting like this, the best thing to do is to reinstall Windows overtop of itself. You won't lose any files or anything, it will just overwrite all the system files in case anything has been accidentally deleted or has become corrupt.

- Justin

[WildBillyT]

My experience shows that when Windows starts acting like this, the best thing to do is to reinstall Windows overtop of itself. You won't lose any files or anything, it will just overwrite all the system files in case anything has been accidentally deleted or has become corrupt.

- Justin

I would do the same. I think there's an option to repair a windows installation as well. If you write over the existing OS it will break your account pointers and links. Stuff isn't gone forever, you just need to set some pointers back up manually.

[Frosty]

Justin, just so I don't F anything up I just boot off of the XP cd and then do what? Or do I just put the XP disc in now and do it that way?

[Frosty]

I would do the same. I think there's an option to repair a windows installation as well. If you write over the existing OS it will break your account pointers and links. Stuff isn't gone forever, you just need to set some pointers back up manually.

Yeah there's the repair console with I have no idea how to use lol

[GP99GT]

dont use the repair console. boot off the CD, and keep going til it asks which drive to install to. youll see an option to repair the current installation, thats what you want to do.

[Tru2Chevy]

I don't use the repair console. I boot from the XP disc, and start off as if I was installing a fresh copy.

See these screenshots:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/install.mspx

At step 5 (no screenshot), you should be able to choose to repair the XP installation that is currently on your computer. If the "repair" option isn't available, then exit the setup and come back here. Do not use the Recovery Console

After the installation files are copied over to your hard drive, the computer will reboot (Do not hit any key to boot from the CD this time).

Follow the installation directions after that and you should be ok.

See this for a possible better wording of my rambling: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

- Justin

[shane27]

looks like ur usb drivers got ****ed up

[WildBillyT]

dont use the repair console. boot off the CD, and keep going til it asks which drive to install to. youll see an option to repair the current installation, thats what you want to do.

Yes, that is what I meant.

[Frosty]

looks like ur usb drivers got ****ed up

Every other USB device worked though. Odd.

Anyway, it seems like it worked, thanks guys. Just DL'ing and reinstalling SP3, that seems like that was the only thing I lost. I just hope I don't have any big issues since my XP disc was pre-SP2

[jims69camaro]

if SP3 was the issue, i wouldn't DL it again.

it does sound like your printer drivers got axed. it's not a bad idea to repair the installation every once in a while, especially when you have issues that don't get resolved by other means.

as long as you don't change the file type (going from NTFS to FAT) and you don't format the hard drive, then you typically can fix anything that is wrong with the system files.

i don't know if you tried it, but i would have reinstalled the printer drivers first, then XP if the drivers didn't fix the issue.

one thing i've noticed is that people are staying far away from Vista. since XP is the most previous release, it has the most support at this time, anyway. and i've always tried to leave things alone if they are working...

[Frosty]

SP3 isn't what did it. It wasn't just the printer drivers that got axed either...it was all kinds of stuff, lol. The print spooler wouldn't turn on, then the drivers wouldn't install then the USB ports wouldn't read the printer. A repair to XP worked like a charm.

I wouldn't touch Vista with a 10 foot pole, in fact I putting XP on my buddy's laptop he hates Vista so much.

[jims69camaro]

my new system came with XP pro SP2. all i had to do was download SP3 and a few other security updates and i have zero problems. i own a copy of XP pro, so no worries about it not being "Genuine".

i still have my installation disc for 2000 pro...