100 % CPU usage

[geoffl]

Hi,
I have an Acer Aspire one laptop running Win7 starter. It has slowed down in the last few days. I ran Malware bites and  scanned with Microsoft security essentials which both show nothing. In task manager, if I stop   'spoolsv.exe   Spooler sub system app'  the CPU falls to 8 - 10 %. After 2-3 minutes it starts again. What is spoolsv.exe and do I need it? Is something else doing this?

GeoffL

[Whitebeard1]

The spooler service is responsible for managing spooled print/fax jobs. Spooling allows you to print in the background without your computer being tied up. It should be located in C:\Windows\System32.
The CPU takeover might be causes by print jobs on the Microsoft Office writer...
I went to control panel/printers and faxes and checked all printers for any waiting jobs, which worked for my other laptop.

[DaveLembke]

You can also reinitialize the spooler service which might help to dump print jobs in queue.

From command shell you enter  NET STOP SPOOLER

Then to turn it back on enter this at command shell NET START SPOOLER

You might also want to update your printer driver as for I have seen this issue with CPU overload from some older HP inkjet printer drivers when somehow a print job glitches out and starts to consume more and more resources. Installing a newer driver fixed it years ago for the HP inkjet.

[geoffl]

Hi,
I deleted the printer and now every thing seems fine. Just strange that something installed for over 1 year suddenly does this.
Thank you for your help.
Geoffl

[DaveLembke]

Good to hear that removing the printer/printer driver fixed it. Was this printer a HP or?