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Error 0x00987DC0 is not mapped in the Microsoft printer-support documentation reviewed, so Windows does not provide a confirmed, code-specific remedy. Treat it as an unidentified printing failure and work through the supported repair sequence: clear the print queue, restart or reset Print Spooler, reinstall the exact printer driver, then isolate the connection or application that triggers the message.
The sequence below applies to Windows 11 and Windows 10. It starts with reversible actions and progresses to changes that require reinstalling software. Do not download a registry file or a supposed fix for this hexadecimal value unless a printer manufacturer or Microsoft support representative gives you a verified source.
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What error 0x00987DC0 means
Microsoft’s current printer-support pages do not identify 0x00987DC0 as a documented Windows error code. That means the number alone cannot establish that a particular DLL is damaged, that the registry is corrupt, that malware is present, or that one printer brand is responsible. The useful evidence is the surrounding failure: which printer is installed, whether it is connected by USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or a shared computer, which application produced the message, and whether every document fails.
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Capture the situation before changing it
Write down the complete message and the time it appeared. Also record:
- The printer manufacturer and exact model name.
- Whether the printer is connected by USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or through another computer.
- The application that triggers the error, such as a browser, a PDF viewer, or a word processor.
- Whether a test page and documents from other applications fail too.
- Whether jobs remain in the queue, disappear immediately, or show an offline status.
- Any recent Windows update, printer replacement, driver installation, or network change.
This information lets you distinguish a single-document problem from a spooler, driver, or connection problem. It is also the evidence a printer manufacturer or Microsoft support agent will need if the code returns.
Use the least-invasive checks first
| Action | Best indication | Reversibility |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel queued jobs | One or more documents are stuck or repeatedly retrying | High; you can submit the documents again |
| Restart Print Spooler | Several jobs are blocked or the printer suddenly became unresponsive | High |
| Reset the spool folder | Jobs remain after cancellation or reappear after a spooler restart | Moderate; queued jobs are removed |
| Remove and reinstall drivers | The spooler crashes, multiple duplicate drivers exist, or the problem began after a driver change | Lower; the correct package must be installed again |
| Connection and application isolation | Only one computer, application, or connection type fails | High |
Step 1: Cancel every queued print job
Windows 11
- Open Settings.
- Select Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners.
- Select the affected printer and choose Open print queue.
- Cancel each listed job. If an item refuses to disappear, close the queue window and continue with the Print Spooler restart in the next section.
Windows 10
- Open Settings.
- Select Devices, then Printers & scanners.
- Select the printer and choose Open queue.
- Open the Printer menu and choose Cancel All Documents, or cancel jobs individually.
After the queue is empty, submit a small test document. If it prints, the error was tied to the original job or a temporary queue condition. If the code returns, continue rather than repeatedly resubmitting the same document.
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Step 2: Restart the Print Spooler service
Microsoft describes Print Spooler as the service that manages Windows print jobs. Restarting it reloads the service without changing your installed printer package.
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- Press Windows key + R.
- Type
services.mscand press Enter. - Find Print Spooler in the list.
- Right-click it and select Restart. If Restart is unavailable, select Stop, wait a few seconds, then select Start.
- Close Services and try a test page from the printer’s queue window.
If Print Spooler stops again immediately, note that behavior. A recurring stop points more strongly to a damaged or conflicting driver, a corrupt queued file, or a connection-related failure than to a single bad document.
Step 3: Reset the spool folder when jobs remain stuck
Use this procedure only after cancelling jobs and stopping the service. It deletes pending print files, so documents waiting in every printer queue on that computer will need to be submitted again.
- Open
services.mscwith Windows key + R. - Right-click Print Spooler and select Stop. Leave the Services window open.
- In File Explorer, enter
C:WindowsSystem32spoolPRINTERSin the address bar. The same location can be opened as%WINDIR%system32spoolprinters. - Approve an administrator prompt if Windows displays one.
- Delete the files inside the PRINTERS folder. Do not delete the folder itself.
- Return to Services, right-click Print Spooler, and select Start.
- Turn the physical printer off, leave it off for at least 60 seconds, and turn it back on.
- Restart the PC, then print a test page.
If the folder is already empty, start the service and continue to the driver checks. An empty folder does not rule out a driver or connection problem.
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USB printers
Power off the printer and reconnect the USB cable firmly. If the computer has another USB port, try it after Windows has finished starting. Avoid testing through an unpowered hub while diagnosing the problem. A failure that follows the printer to another USB port is different from a failure limited to one port or cable.
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Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and shared printers
Confirm that the printer is powered on and still connected to the same network as the computer. For a shared printer, check whether another computer can print; if every computer fails, the printer or host connection deserves attention, while one affected computer points toward its queue or driver. Do not assume that an offline indicator proves the cause of 0x00987DC0; use it as a clue alongside the test results.
One application versus every application
Print a Windows test page and a simple document from a second application. If only one program fails, save or export the document in a different format and check that program’s printer selection and updates. If every application fails, return to the spooler and driver sections rather than repeatedly repairing the individual document.
Step 5: Remove conflicting or obsolete printer drivers
Microsoft identifies conflicting drivers as a common cause of spooler crashes. Old packages left behind after replacing a printer, duplicate entries for the same model, and drivers intended for a different model can all complicate the queue.
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- Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.
- Expand Print queues. On some systems, printers appear under Printers instead.
- Identify entries for printers you no longer use and duplicate or clearly obsolete entries for the affected printer.
- Right-click an unnecessary entry and choose Uninstall device. If Windows offers a checkbox to remove the driver package, select it only for a package you are certain you no longer need.
- Restart Windows.
- Download the newest driver for the exact printer model from the printer manufacturer’s official support page. Match the package to your Windows edition and system architecture.
- Run the manufacturer’s installer, reconnect or add the printer when prompted, and print a test page.
Do not install a driver merely because its model name looks similar. A package for a related model can create another spooler conflict. Keep the printer’s model number available; names that differ by one suffix can use different drivers.
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Step 6: Add the printer again if the existing entry is damaged
If reinstalling the driver does not restore printing, remove the affected printer entry and add it again. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners. Select the printer, choose Remove, restart the PC, and use Add device to create a fresh entry.
For a network printer, select the correct discovered device or use the manufacturer’s documented network address. For a USB printer, connect it only when the setup program requests it if the installer gives that instruction. A newly created queue can show whether the original Windows printer entry, rather than the physical printer, was the source of the failure.
Step 7: Test in a controlled order
- Print a Windows test page.
- Print a one-page plain-text or simple document.
- Print from the application that originally displayed 0x00987DC0.
- Print a more complex document, such as the original PDF or graphics-heavy file.
Stop when the error returns and record the exact stage. For example, a successful test page followed by a failure only in one PDF application narrows the issue to that application or document. A failure at the test-page stage keeps the focus on the queue, spooler, driver, printer, or connection.
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Preserve useful evidence
Keep the complete error text, the printer model, connection type, Windows version, application name, and the time of failure. Note whether Print Spooler stopped, whether clearing the spool folder helped, and whether a freshly installed driver changed the behavior.
Check event details without applying random edits
You can review Windows event information around the time of the failure to see whether the spooler or a named driver is repeatedly stopping. Treat an event name as a diagnostic clue, not proof of a particular repair. The Microsoft pages reviewed do not provide a code-specific registry edit, DLL download, or command that can be presented as an authoritative fix for 0x00987DC0.
Contact the right support channel
Contact the printer manufacturer when the printer fails on multiple computers, its own status panel reports an error, or the latest model-specific driver does not install correctly. Contact Microsoft support when Windows’ spooler continues to stop with different printers or after a clean driver installation. Include the evidence you recorded instead of sending only the hexadecimal code.
Windows 10 support status matters
Microsoft’s current support notice says that free software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. A Windows 10 PC can still operate after that date, but the end of free support affects the availability of future fixes. If the hardware supports it, Microsoft recommends moving to Windows 11; otherwise, identify your Windows edition and printer-driver support separately when seeking help.
What not to do
- Do not assume the hexadecimal value proves malware, registry damage, or a corrupt system DLL.
- Do not delete random files outside the spool folder, especially system files, while trying to clear a queue.
- Do not install a driver for a similar-looking printer model.
- Do not keep resubmitting a document while the queue is stuck; cancel it and repair the queue first.
- Do not treat an unofficial download advertised specifically for 0x00987DC0 as a Microsoft-supported solution.
The practical verdict is straightforward: because the code is undocumented in the cited Microsoft printer guidance, diagnosis must follow the printing path rather than the number. Clear the queue, restart Print Spooler, reset the spool folder if necessary, then remove conflicting drivers and install the exact current package. The scope and repeatability of the failure will determine whether the next stop is the printer manufacturer or Microsoft support.
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