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FF 40.0.3 refuses to print from the web, can't communicate with XP's internal print spooler service.

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Firefox & Palemoon both on the same day decided to spit the dummy over their own internal print spooler functions. Nothing I knew or Aunty Google could fix it. Well, nothing apart from an uninstall /Ccleaner & reinstall from the full redistributable version of both browsers.

FF & Palemoon have been running fine for several years, including THIS single 4yr old install of XP Pro

This pc has been running as a print server sharing my printer to other computers here for approx 2 years

Confirmed via IE & Chrome both being ok for web printing. No updates of any sort enabled & std XP Pro + SP3 only I print via the browsers almost everyday but my computer also acts as a print server for the other computers here The other computers are still able to print

Update ...>> 2 days later & it's done it again. Both versions of firefox on XP Pro

Previously latest full versions downloaded & installed with previous addons working Now disabled addons & restarted FF but still no print spooler connection. keeps asking me to install a printer but then complains about the print spooler being turned off. Can print fine from IE, notepad, wordpad etc

...... "Before you can perform printer-related tasks such as page setup or printing a document, you need to install a printer. Do you want to install a printer now? (Yes/No)

Yes = Operation could not be completed. The print spooler service is not running. No = (diallog box's go away, problem stays)" .......

Firefox & Palemoon both on the same day decided to spit the dummy over their own internal print spooler functions. Nothing I knew or Aunty Google could fix it. Well, nothing apart from an uninstall /Ccleaner & reinstall from the full redistributable version of both browsers. FF & Palemoon have been running fine for several years, including THIS single 4yr old install of XP Pro This pc has been running as a print server sharing my printer to other computers here for approx 2 years Confirmed via IE & Chrome both being ok for web printing. No updates of any sort enabled & std XP Pro + SP3 only I print via the browsers almost everyday but my computer also acts as a print server for the other computers here The other computers are still able to print ************ Update ...>> 2 days later & it's done it again. Both versions of firefox on XP Pro Previously latest full versions downloaded & installed with previous addons working Now disabled addons & restarted FF but still no print spooler connection. keeps asking me to install a printer but then complains about the print spooler being turned off. Can print fine from IE, notepad, wordpad etc ...... "Before you can perform printer-related tasks such as page setup or printing a document, you need to install a printer. Do you want to install a printer now? (Yes/No) *** Yes = Operation could not be completed. The print spooler service is not running. No = (diallog box's go away, problem stays)" .......

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Downgraded to an earlier version of both browsers & it was working for 1 day, this time the computer was left on over night. Still on the previous version.

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Try these troubleshooting steps:

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