FIX: Print Spooler Error 0x800706b9
Back when Windows 8.1 first started rolling out, countless users who upgraded to this then-latest version of Windows began complaining about their computers’ inability to communicate with their printers, and their Print Spoolers not starting. The Print Spooler is a Windows program that enables communication between your computer and printer to order and initiate prints, scans, faxes, and photocopies. Currently, the latest and greatest version of Windows is Windows 10. Quite a large number of users who have upgraded to Windows 10 have also complained about their computers’ inability to communicate with their printers, and their Print Spoolers not opening up.
Reports indicate that when the Print Spooler fails to open, users often encounter error code 0x800706b9. Generally, an error message states that the computer lacks the necessary resources to start the Print Spooler service. There can be numerous causes behind the Print Spooler error 0x800706b9 – a corrupted registry key or value resulting from a Windows 10 upgrade, a third-party antivirus or firewall program blocking the Print Spooler’s start, and anything in between. The good news is, a number of effective solutions for resolving error 0x800706b9 have worked for a large number of Windows 10 users with first-hand experience of this issue. Below are a few of these solutions:
Solution 1: Turn the Print Spooler service’s startup type to Automatic
If your computer’s Print Spooler isn’t starting, it might not be configured to start automatically. In this case, resetting the Printer Spooler to start automatically should solve the issue.
Press the Windows Logo key + R.
hen a Run dialog opens, type services.msc into it and press Enter.
Locate the Print Spooler service and right-click on it. Click on Properties.
Open the drop down menu in front of Startup type and click on Automatic. Click on Apply. Click on OK.
If the Print Spooler service is not already running, right-click on it and click on Start.
Restart your computer, and the Print Spooler should start seamlessly once your computer boots up.
Solution 2: Fix the issue by editing your computer’s registry
Press the Windows Logo key + R,
When a Run dialog opens, type regedit into it and press Enter.
If you are prompted by a User Access Control message, click on Yes or, if asked to do so, provide your password.
In the left pane of the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler.
Click on the Spooler key to display its contents in the right pane.
Locate a value named DependOnService and double-click on it to be able to modify it.
The Value data field will contain the term RPCSS, followed by http in the next line. Delete the http part, leaving behind only the term RPCSS as the value’s data.
Click on OK to save the changes.
Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. After this, there should be no trace of error 0x800706b9, and your Print Spooler will be able to function correctly once your computer boots up.
Solution 3: Uninstall any and all third-party system protection programs
Many Windows 10 users who have suffered from error 0x800706b9 and overcame it reported that the culprit behind the issue was a third-party system protection program (a Kaspersky program, in most cases). So if you are suffering from this problem and have any third-party antivirus, anti-malware or firewall programs on your computer – especially if you have any Kaspersky programs installed – this solution has significant chances of being the right fit for you.
If a third-party system protection program is causing your computer’s Print Spooler service to fail at startup, simply navigate to the Add/Remove programs section of the Control Panel and uninstall all third-party system protection programs on your computer. Once completed, restart your computer. Check if the Print Spooler starts up successfully once your computer reboots. If it does, this indicates that the third-party system protection programs were indeed the cause of the issue. After confirming that your Print Spooler is functioning properly, you can reinstall any necessary third-party system protection programs. Be careful not to reinstall any programs that originally caused error 0x800706b9.
Solution 4: Refresh your Windows 10 computer.
If none of the solutions above work, the only option you will have left is to refresh your Windows 10 computer. The system refresh is a new feature that Microsoft has introduced with Windows 10 – a feature that deletes all of the applications and programs on your computer that didn’t come with it but keeps all your files and data. To perform a system refresh, you need to:
Open the Start Menu. Click on Settings. Click on Update & Security. Click on Recovery.
Click on the ‘Get Started’ button located under ‘Reset this PC.’
Click on Keep my files and allow your computer to be refreshed. Once your computer boots up after the refresh, error 0x800706b9 should be no more and your computer’s Print Spooler should start successfully.
