I was going to rewrite this, but they go into more detail than I was planning to, so here’s a comprehensive solution to the more trying printer problems courtesy instant-registry-fixes.org:

The Spoolsv.exe executable file is responsible for handling the printing process on a Microsoft Windows system. Although this process is not crucial to run your Windows system, you must not terminate it until you think that it is causing problems on the system. In this article we will learn how to fix the Spoolsv.exe application error.

When the error occurs, you may receive an error message similar to the one given below.

“Spoolsv.exe - Application Error"

“The instruction at "0x77fcc2c0" referenced memory at "0x00000000".

“The memory could not be written."

The most common cause of the error is an abundance of .SHD and .SPL files in the spool directory. These files are created by the spooler to save the spooled data of a print job. The .SPL file comprises drawing commands and the .SHD file comprises job settings information of the print job.

To fix spoolsv.exe application error, you will have to remove these files from the system. To do this, perform the following steps on your Windows XP computer:

  1. Open Control Panel, select Performance andMaintenance, select Administrative Tools and then select the Services option.
  2. In the Services management console, locate the Spoolerservices, right-click on it and select Stop.
  3. Next, open the C:WindowsSystem32SpoolPrinters folder. (Here, we are assuming that your Windows is installed in the default C:Windows folder)
  4. Delete all the .SHD and SPL files from this folder.
  5. Next, open the TMP folder and delete all old and unused files from this folder.
  6. Finally, restart the Spooler service from the Servicesmanagement console.

Note: If you are unable to delete the files in Normal Mode, then you may have to restart your computer in Safe Mode to delete the files. To start your PC in Safe Mode, press F8 at system restart and then select the Safe Mode option from Windows Advanced Options Menu.

If deleting the files does not rectify the problem, you must perform a System Restore and rollback your system to the time prior to when the error started appearing on your computer. To perform System Restore, open Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools, and then select the System Restore option. On the Welcome to System Restore Screen, select the Restore my computer to an earlier time option, and select Next. On the Select Restore Pointscreen, select the date that represents the restore point to which you want to roll back your computer and then select Next. Finally, verify and then click Next again to confirm your restore point and proceed with the system restore. Restart your PC when prompted and pressOK to close the system restore completion screen.

It is important for you to know that application errors can also occur due to virus or spyware infections. In fact the Spoolsv.exe process is also a known backdoor vulnerability that can be planted on your computer for malicious purposes by a hacker. Backdoor, in computer terms, is a method that can gain access to your computer by breaking through various system authentication processes. Backdoor installs malicious programs on your system that have names similar to or the same as various legitimate processes that run on your system, such as spooler.exe and iexplore.exe. After installing themselves on your computer, the malicious backdoor programs try to connect to their remote control server. After the connection is made, an attacker on the control server can steal your personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and banking details. Therefore, if you see any unknown processes running on your system, you must take appropriate actions to remove them.