How To Fix Print Spooler SubSystem App High CPU Usage

ByCaesar Hours


In Task Manager, you may have encountered certain processes that consume a significant amount of CPU usage. It can be concerning when unknown processes, which typically don’t have high CPU usage, start consuming a large portion of your PC’s resources. Recently, many users have reported that the Spooler SubSystem app in Windows 10 is causing high CPU usage.

Having unknown apps consume excessive CPU resources can be worrisome because these processes could potentially be carrying viruses and gradually degrade your PC’s performance. If you have also noticed the Spooler SubSystem app on your Windows 10 PC and observed high CPU usage, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss what the Spooler SubSystem app is in Windows 10 and provide solutions to fix the high CPU usage issue caused by this app.

What Is Spooler SubSystem App?

The Spooler SubSystem app is responsible for managing tasks related to the printer and fax system. Whenever you print a document, the Spooler SubSystem app comes into play. It adds the document to the printer queue, storing the printing jobs in memory and organizing them for sequential printing.

Typically, the Spooler SubSystem app is a native process in Windows that doesn’t utilize significant system resources under normal circumstances. However, when actively printing, it may consume CPU resources, which is expected. On the other hand, if you notice the app consuming CPU resources even when you’re not printing anything, it could be a cause for concern. This could indicate a full queue in the printer or a misconfigured printer.

In such cases, it’s advisable to investigate and resolve any potential issues with your printer configuration or the print queue to ensure optimal utilization of your PC’s resources.

Fixing High CPU Usage Due To The Spooler SubSystem App

To resolve the issue of high CPU usage caused by the Spooler SubSystem app, please follow the steps provided below:

Run The Troubleshooter

To resolve the issue you are experiencing, you can attempt to run the printer troubleshooter. Follow the steps below to run the troubleshooter:

  1. Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings app.
  2. In the Settings app, navigate to the “Update & security” section.
  3. On the left sidebar, click on the “Troubleshoot” option, and then select “Additional troubleshooters”.
  4. Locate the “Printer” troubleshooter and click on it.
  5. Click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions provided by the troubleshooter to diagnose and resolve the issue you are facing with your printer.

Please note that the troubleshooter will guide you through the process and provide suggestions to fix the problem.

Clearing The Printer Queue


The high CPU usage issue you are encountering may be caused by a full printer queue. To address this, follow these steps using your printing software:

  1. Open the printing software you are using.
  2. Look for an option related to the printer queue or print jobs.
  3. Clear the queue by canceling all the documents that are pending or about to be printed.
  4. Once you have cleared the queue, check if the high CPU usage issue still persists.

By clearing the printer queue, you can resolve any potential conflicts or errors that might be causing the high CPU usage.

Disable The Service

To address the issue, you can try disabling the Printer Spooler Service. Follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog box.
  2. In the Run dialog box, type “services.msc” and click OK or press Enter to open the Services app.
  3. In the Services app, locate the Printer Spooler service.
  4. Double-click on the Printer Spooler service to open its properties.
  5. Click on the Stop button to halt the service.
  6. If you prefer the service not to start automatically when you boot your PC, set the Startup type to Disabled.

Disabling the Printer Spooler service may help resolve the high CPU usage issue you are experiencing.

Check If It Is A Virus


To determine whether the Spooler SubSystem app is a virus, you can check its location on your PC. Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Search for the Task Manager in the Start Menu and open it.
  2. Go to the Processes tab in the Task Manager and locate the Spooler SubSystem App.
  3. Select the process and right-click on it. Then click on “Open file location” to access the location of the app.
  4. Verify if the spoolsv.exe file is located at this specific location: C:\Windows\System32.
    • If the file is found at this location, it is not a virus.
    • However, if the process leads you to a different location, it may indicate a virus infection.

To address this, it is recommended to run an antivirus scan on your PC to check for viruses and resolve any related issues. You can use Windows Defender to perform the scan. If you have a third-party antivirus application installed, use that to scan your PC. If the high CPU usage is caused by a virus infection, running the scan will help resolve the problem.

Final Words

We trust that this article has provided you with a clear understanding of the Spooler SubSystem app and how to resolve the issue of high CPU usage it causes. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to effectively address the high CPU usage from the Spooler SubSystem app and alleviate the associated concerns.

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