Hi! I'm trying to install Adobe Acrobat Pro and it's need to run print spooler service. I'm getting a message "Windows could not start the Print Spooler service on Local Computer. Error 3: The system cannot find the path specified" and "Check that you have administrator privileges". I have an admin privileges. I checked spooler properties, the field "Path to executable" is empty (I think it should lead to system32\spooler\... but there is nothing). On the "Dependencies" tab, says that the service is depends on HTTP and RPC. Both of that are running. I've checked folder c:\windows\system32\spool\PRINTERS\ and there is nothing. I have also check in registry in HKEY_L_M\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\spooler for any additional dependences; there is no any. I don't know what else I can do. Thanks in advance!

Hi x-tor, Check Adobe for solutions. There are known technical issues with printing in Windows 7. Also fixes available. 1. http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403523.html 2. http://www.adobe.com/support/ Which version are you using?

That hotfix is not for Win 7. I'm using Acrobat Pro 9. I don't think that the problem is with Acrobat, but with system. I should be able to run spooler manually, with or without Acrobat installed, but I can't. Anyway, I'll look at Adobe's support site for solution, but I still think that the problem is with Windows. Thanks for trying to help.

Hi, The path on this machine is C:\System32\spoolsv.exe Well there's the 9.3.4 update, but the release notes have it addressing multiple security issues. I'd apply it anyway, and see if resolves the printing issue from a previous release. http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4758 Is the print spooler service and dependencies set to automatic? Perhaps, you could verify the printer drivers are Windows 7 drivers, manufacturer or "in the box". Or try uninstalling the printer and reinstall it. Do you have a third party security program that could be blocking the spooler service with it's firewall? I can't think of anything that you haven't looked at or tried.

Can you check the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler At that registry key, in the right window, can you check that the value ImagePath is of type REG_EXPAND_SZ and has a Value data of %SystemRoot%\System32\spoolsv.exe

Hi, The path on this machine is C:\System32\spoolsv.exe Well there's the 9.3.4 update, but the release notes have it addressing multiple security issues. I'd apply it anyway, and see if resolves the printing issue from a previous release. http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4758 Is the print spooler service and dependencies set to automatic? Perhaps, you could verify the printer drivers are Windows 7 drivers, manufacturer or "in the box". Or try uninstalling the printer and reinstall it. Do you have a third party security program that could be blocking the spooler service with it's firewall? I can't think of anything that you haven't looked at or tried. I can't apply that update, because I don't have installed Acrobat (because it can't run spooler :) ) I've checked System32, there's no spooler.exe. Bad installation, or something like that... Can it be downloaded from somewhere? Service is set to automatic, firewall is not blocking the program and I don't have printer

Can you check the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler At that registry key, in the right window, can you check that the value ImagePath is of type REG_EXPAND_SZ and has a Value data of %SystemRoot%\System32\spoolsv.exe Yes, it has, but there's -2 at the end: %SystemRoot%\System32\spoolsv.exe, -2 There's one more line there (Name is DispayName and type is REG_SZ): %SystemRoot%\System32\spoolsv.exe, -1

visit or contact Adobe support. There is also a live chat. http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/508/cpsid_50853.html#main_Installing_Adobe_applications_after_installing_Windows_7 Apparently the 9.2 update is required http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403523.html, for a 64-bit operating system. Visit or contact Adobe support.

That looks good for those two lines. If problems persists can you right-cick on the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler registry key and select "Export". Then right-click the resulting .reg file and select "Edit". Can you then copy and paste the contents of the .reg file to a post in this thread?

visit or contact Adobe support. There is also a live chat. http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/508/cpsid_50853.html#main_Installing_Adobe_applications_after_installing_Windows_7 Apparently the 9.2 update is required http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403523.html, for a 64-bit operating system. Visit or contact Adobe support. I've explained already - I can't install Acrobat, it is NOT INSTALLED, so I don't have to do anything on Adobe support. Problem is in my system installation; there is no spoolsv.exe in system32. I tried to find solution for that (I've now tried manually to copy spoolsv.exe and spollss.dll to system32, but system still can't run it; it looks like there is some more .dll files that need to be copy and I don't know which) I'm gonna install fresh system; I hope it's gonna be OK. Thanks for trying to help.

That looks good for those two lines. If problems persists can you right-cick on the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler registry key and select "Export". Then right-click the resulting .reg file and select "Edit". Can you then copy and paste the contents of the .reg file to a post in this thread? Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler] "DisplayName"="@%systemroot%\\system32\\spoolsv.exe,-1" "Group"="SpoolerGroup" "Description"="@%systemroot%\\system32\\spoolsv.exe,-2" "ObjectName"="LocalSystem" "ErrorControl"=dword:00000001 "Start"=dword:00000002 "Type"=dword:00000110 "DependOnService"=hex(7):52,00,50,00,43,00,53,00,53,00,00,00,68,00,74,00,74,00,\ 70,00,00,00,00,00 "ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001 "RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\ 00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,\ 72,00,73,00,6f,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,\ 00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,\ 72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,\ 00,61,00,6e,00,67,00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,\ 69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,\ 00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,\ 6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,\ 00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,61,00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,\ 50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00 "FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\ 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 [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 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler\Security] "Security"=hex:01,00,14,80,78,00,00,00,84,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,\ 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,\ 00,00,02,00,48,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,8d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,\ 05,0b,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,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

The DisplayName and Description values are correct (I think that was what we were looking at before) but the ImagePath value is missing. I would suggest to create the missing value. First create a Restore Point. Then open regedit and navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler registry key and right-click Spooler > New > Expandable String Value > then name the value ImagePath then double-click ImagePath and type (or copy and paste) the following under "Value data": %SystemRoot%\System32\spoolsv.exe Then press "OK" Close regedit and see if you can start the Print Spooler service.

The DisplayName and Description values are correct (I think that was what we were looking at before) but the ImagePath value is missing. I would suggest to create the missing value. First create a Restore Point. Then open regedit and navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Spooler registry key and right-click Spooler > New > Expandable String Value > then name the value ImagePath then double-click ImagePath and type (or copy and paste) the following under "Value data": %SystemRoot%\System32\spoolsv.exe Then press "OK" Close regedit and see if you can start the Print Spooler service. It works! Thanks mate! I had only to do some additional stuff... Because in system32 I doesn't had spoolsv.exe, I've copied it from another computer (I've also copied spoolss.dll; don't know was it necessary, but it works)

That's great! Glad you got it working.

Thank you so much. I been trying to fix the problem for days now and your solution fix it in minutes! Thanks again.

Thank you so much that worked for me. I have gone without that service on my PC for a year now... Thanks for the soloution