Print Spooler Errors with HP Printers — Fix the Service, Then the Driver That Keeps Crashing It

By Ryan Green · Updated August 2026 · Independent guide · PrinterCare USA LLC (not affiliated with any printer manufacturer)

Quick answer Stop the Print Spooler service, empty C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS, start the service. That clears the stuck job that's crashing it. If the spooler keeps stopping every time you print to the HP, the HP driver is the trigger — remove and reinstall the current driver.

Every job passes through the spooler service and its spool folder. A corrupt job in the folder crashes the service on every restart until it is deleted.

Step 1 — Restart the service

Win+R → services.msc → Enter.
Find Print Spooler. If Status is blank, right-click → Start. If it starts and prints, you're done.
If it starts and stops again within seconds, or refuses with error 1053/1068, continue.

Step 2 — Purge the spool folder (fixes most cases)

In Services, right-click Print Spooler → Stop.
Open File Explorer, paste C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS in the address bar, approve the admin prompt.
Delete every file in the folder (they're only cached jobs — nothing else lives here).
Back in Services, Start the Print Spooler. Print a test page.

Equivalent in an admin Command Prompt: net stop spooler && del /q /f %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\* && net start spooler

Step 3 — Check the spooler's dependencies

Error 1068 ("dependency service failed to start") means the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) or HTTP service is stopped. In Services confirm Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is Running and Automatic. Also open Print Spooler → Properties → Recovery tab and set First/Second failure to "Restart the Service" so a single crash doesn't leave you with no printing.

Step 4 — If the crash only happens with the HP driver

Test: print the same document to "Microsoft Print to PDF". If that works and the HP crashes the spooler, replace the HP driver:

Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → remove the HP printer and any duplicates.
Win+R → printui /s /t2 → select the HP driver → Remove → "Remove driver and driver package".
Reboot. Reinstall: HP Smart for home inkjets; HP's full-feature package for OfficeJet Pro; the HP Universal Print Driver PCL 6 for any LaserJet that has no current model-specific driver — it's the one HP maintains against Windows security changes.

Step 5 — Driver isolation (stops one bad driver taking the spooler down)

In printui /s /t2 → select the HP driver → Properties → Isolation → set to Isolated. Windows then runs that driver in its own process; if it crashes, other printers keep working and the spooler stays up. Useful on shared PCs where you can't yet replace the driver.

Jobs stuck at "Deleting" forever

That's the same corrupt-job problem from a different angle. Step 2 clears it. If the job reappears after purge, it's being resent by the application — close the app (or reboot) before purging.

Event Viewer clues

Windows Logs → System → look for Event ID 7031/7034 (spooler terminated) and Applications and Services → Microsoft → Windows → PrintService → Admin for the driver name in the faulting module. A DLL name like hpcpp… or hpmdp… confirms the HP driver is the crash source and Step 4 is the fix.

Still stuck? A technician can fix it remotely today.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the spooler error the printer's fault?

No. The Print Spooler is a Windows service; the HP printer only supplied the driver. If the spooler crashes every time you print to the HP but not to a PDF printer, the HP driver is the trigger — reinstall it (step 4).

Why does the spooler stop after a Windows update?

Microsoft's PrintNightmare security changes (2021 onward) tightened how drivers load. Older HP driver packages, especially for LaserJets, crash under the new rules. The current HP driver or the Universal Print Driver resolves it.

Error 0x000006ba — what is it?

"The RPC server is unavailable": the spooler service isn't running, so nothing can talk to it. Start the service (step 1); if it won't start, clear the spool folder (step 2).

Can I just print with a different app?

Any app goes through the same spooler, so no. The exception is Microsoft's "Windows protected print mode" on Windows 11 24H2+, which bypasses manufacturer drivers — worth trying if the HP driver is the crash trigger and you only need basic printing.