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Hi All,
Currently running a word-pdf conversion server.
Every few thousand files though, the splWOW64.exe process hangs and causes the conversion to slow to a crawl.
It does about 1000 files/min when working fine, and then crawls to 12/min once splWOW64.exe decided it doesn't want to work anymore.
Is there anyway to bypass this issue?
If I install 64 bit Office would that bypass the splWOW64?
I don't understand why .SaveAs type PDF uses the print driver in the first place.
We are currently using Server 2019 and Office 2013.
I have already tried the oft referenced KBs and they are no help.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(252.8, 30%, 34%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EEY%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hi,
Have you checked if the latest answer helps?
If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.
Thanks,
Eleven
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I have to add that I've been chasing issues with splwow64.exe for over a year, in a slightly different way (across Server 2016 and 2019.)
From what I've found, the program basically virtualizes spooler.exe so that if you have multiple users logged into a single server, one user's print service crashing doesn't break it for everyone. While that sounds great in theory, it's flakey at best. It frequently doesn't launch at login.
Try restarting that exe to see if it will return speed to normal.
Hi,
For word-pdf conversion, are you using the third party "Print to PDF" program or "Microsoft Print to PDF"?
You can have a try to install the 64 bit Office to see if the issue could be resolved.
Thanks,
Eleven
Hi @Eleven Yu (Shanghai Wicresoft Co,.Ltd.) ,
I am not using a "Print to PDF" option.
I am using using the Microsoft Word VBA SaveAs method with a type of PDF.
But if word is using the "Microsoft Print to PDF" when it saves itself, then that's what I would be using.
Hi,
In my lab test, if you use SaveAs method, it will not use "Print to PDF".
So, maybe you can disable the print spooler service when proceeding word-pdf conversion to see if splWOW64.exe will still run.
Thanks,
Eleven
----------
If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.
HI Eleven,
I did try it, and it kind of makes it worse.
After a while MS word says it functions normally, but just stops processing new files.
If print spooler is on, it just slows down but eventually finishes.
It's a clean O/S with only MS Word installed.
I tried 64 bit MS Word, but that caused even more problems.
Hi,
In that case, you can try below command and see if there is any system error on your server.
• SFC /Scannow
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
If there is no error, you might need to capture some dumps or traces to further investigate the issue, which I suggest to contact Microsoft Customer Support and Services where more in-depth investigation can be done so that you would get a more satisfying explanation and solution to this issue.
You may find phone number for your region accordingly from the link below:
Global Customer Service phone numbers
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4051701/global-customer-service-phone-numbers
Thanks,
If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.