Fixes to Computer Restarting or Shutting Down When Printing

A printer is a commonly used office equipment. After connecting the printing device to a computer via a USB cable or wirelessly, it can convert electronic files such as pictures and documents into paper files. However, many users encounter such problems when using printers: computer restarting or shutting down when printing. Here is a true example:

“I have a Windows 10 home edition on my desktop. I have been using my printer for several years without problems. The printer can be wireless but I have been using it with a USB connection. Over the last couple of days, whenever I started printing, the computer would shut down like there was a power surge/disconnection. It happens every time. There was no error message.”answers.microsoft.com

Why Computer Restarts When Printing

Listed below are possible causes why your computer shuts down/restarts when trying to print:

• Hardware issues: The printer is usually connected to the computer via a USB cable or Wi-Fi. If there is a problem with the USB port, it may cause the computer to shut down or restart during printing.
• Outdated printer driver: Outdated or corrupted printer driver may trigger your PC to reboot or shut down when printing.
• Corrupted system files: If there are corrupted system files, your computer may run into errors, including computer restarts when printing.

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Solutions to Computer Restarting or Shutting Down When Printing

Here we list several useful solutions to help you get rid of the computer shutting down issue.

Solution 1. Unplug and Restart the Printer

Sometimes, restarting the printer can solve the problem. First, turn off and unplug the printer, wait 30 seconds, then plug the printer back in and turn on the printer. Second, remove the printer’s USB cable and plug it into another USB port on your computer. Finally, you can try printing a file again and verify that the computer is still shut down or restarted.

Solution 2. Run the Printer Troubleshooter

If restarting the printer does not work for you, you can run the printer troubleshooter to detect and fix problems related to the printer.

Step 1. Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open Settings. Then select the Update & Security option.

Step 2. In the Troubleshoot section, click the Additional troubleshooters option.

Step 3. In the next window, click Printer > Run the troubleshooter.

Step 4. Once the repair process ends, you need to check if the issue has been resolved.

Solution 3. Restart the Print Spooler Service

The Print Spooler service spools print jobs and handles interaction with the printer. Facing the “computer restarting or shutting down when printing” issue, you can restart the Print Spooler service.

Step 1. Press the Windows + R key combination, then type services.msc in the text box and click OK.

Step 2. In the services interface, scroll down to select Print Spooler. After that, click the Restart button to reactivate this service.

Solution 4. Update the Printer Driver

Updating the printer driver is also an effective way to resolve the issue.

Step 1. On the taskbar, right-click the Windows logo button and select Device Manager.

Step 2. Expand Print queues, then right-click on the target printer and choose Update driver.

Step 3. Next, you can let Windows search and install the most appropriate driver automatically. Alternatively, you can download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer’s website and install it manually.

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Solution 5. Run a System File Checker

Here is how to check and repair corrupted system files.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt by using the Windows search box.

Step 2. In the new window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

Step 3. Once the command line is executed, check whether the problem persists.

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Final Words

Reading here, you should know what to do when you encounter the “computer restarting or shutting down when printing” problem.

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