What is spoolsv.exe?

The spoolsv.exe file is the Spooler SubSystem App or Windows Print Spooler Service. It is the main component of the printing interfaces. Spooling allows you to print in the background without your computer becoming tied up. Spoolsv.exe is responsible for how Windows handles print and fax tasks on your computer. The spoolsv.exe file is initialized on computer startup and it runs in the background.

Spoolsv.exe is developed by Microsoft Corporation. It’s a system and hidden file. Spoolsv.exe is usually located in the %SYSTEM% sub-folder and its usual size is 61,440 bytes.

Important: ZAPCHAS-EE can mask itself as spoolsv.exe. Scan your computer with Auslogics Anti-Malware to make sure it's not infected.

When a printer is in use, the Print Spooler service is launched and the spoolsv.exe process can be seen running in the Task Manager. If you are not using a printer, you can safely close spoolsv.exe through the Task Manager by highlighting it and clicking on the End Process button.

How to fix 100% spoolsv.exe CPU usage

Sometimes spoolsv.exe uses 90%-100% of CPU. This can happen when printer jobs don’t get removed from the Windows spool automatically. You can fix high spoolsv.exe CPU usage by manually removing print tasks from the spool. Here’s how:

1. Go to the Control Panel
2. Double-click the Administrative Tools, then Services.
3. Find the Print Spooler service, right-click it and select Stop. Don’t close the Services window yet.
4. Open My Computer and browse to the C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\PRINTERS folder.
5. Delete all files in the PRINTERS folder.
6. Go back to the Services window, right-click the Print Spooler service and click Start to re-enable it.

If this doesn’t help, the problem might be caused by outdated printer drivers and/or a virus, trojan, or other malware. Try updating your printer drivers and scanning your computer with Auslogics Anti-Malware to find and remove possible infections.

Spoolsv.exe Errors

Spoolsv.exe errors are often caused by printer drivers and third-party software installed on the computer. Make sure you have the latest printer drivers for your printer and your operating system is up to date.

Read more about the issues related to spoolsv.exe.