Sep 13

Quickbooks Printing error and the Windows Print Spooler

When opening QuickBooks you might receive an error about a missing component that affects PDFs. After acknowledging the error, you find you can’t set up printers or print anything at all, in fact. The error reads as follows :
QuickBooks detected that a component required to create PDF files is missing. This may cause issues with printing transactions, emailing forms or saving anything as a PDF file inside of QuickBooks desktop.
There are a multitude of sites that talk about deleting or renaming (a better option) the QBPrint.qbp file in C:\ProgramData\Intuit\QuickBooks #### replace the #### symbols with the year version of your QuickBooks. This has approach consequences, however, like the fact that you may have to set up all your printers again and even re-edit some forms. Worse yet – it may or may not even solve the problem.
There is, however, another possible solution that is much less invasive – the Windows Print Spooler.
To find it, click your start button and type “services” or use your Windows Key+R to bring up the run window and type services.msc into the open line and click ok (or hit enter). This will bring up the list of services. If the Name column isn’t sorted alphabetically, click on it to sort it then find print spooler. If it’s not already running, right click and choose start. If it’s disabled, then right click and choose properties, set the startup type to either Manual or automatic, then click start and Okay. The service will start. Now return to QuickBooks, exit and re-open. If all is well, QuickBooks will open without any errors and you will once again be able to print.
If the Spooler is already running, try right clicking on it and choosing restart, then quit QuickBooks and re-open it and see if the error goes away.

Dan Yedinak

Dan Yedinak is founder and owner of ECLAT Tech.
These days Dan finds himself focusing primarily in three areas. Small Business Consulting is his area of professional expertise. Whether it is managing a technology project, like site to site VPNs, router and firewall configuration and management, site wide wireless, servers, or websites and internet marketing, or installing and managing the systems of a small business, you can count on Dan to both get the job done, and work with you to document the work so that YOU have control over your Technology, whenever you need it. Dan also devotes a whole lot of time to Autism and to Gender and Socioeconomic Equity.