splwow64.exe crashes when printing to network printer

I have win7 RTM installed.
I am attempting to print from Office 2007 [i.e. excel, word - 32-bit] to a network printer: Xerox WC PE120 Series PCL 6. This printer has both the 32-bit drivers and 64-bit drivers installed. I have installed locally the 64-bit drivers from the Xerox website.

I can print a test page fine after installing the print drivers, however when i go to print from another application, such as word/excel. The print driver crashes with the following showing in the event viewer:

Attached is a screenshot of what happens in my local view also.

Faulting application name: splwow64.exe, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bd3ca
Faulting module name: WCPE12.dll, version: 0.3.0.0, time stamp: 0x45ef422d
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000004a4b3
Faulting process id: 0x340
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca31762aaaefe0
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\splwow64.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\spool\DRIVERS\x64\3\WCPE12.dll
Report Id: 7a50bca0-9d69-11de-9374-00188b781ce7

Please advise.
Thanks,
Cathy

Found Solution:

It appears that starting with the RC release, MS did not include the full list of printer drivers on the install DVD. It also appears that when you tey to add a network printer, there is no simple way to find the missing drivers. Here's the solution (works every time on RC and RTM):

Even though your printer is not locally attached, first try to add it as a local printer. When you do this, and your printer is not in the selection list, use the option to search "windows update". Windows will go away for a while while it downloads a lot of missing drivers. You should now find your printer in the new improved list. Go ahead and install it.

If you need to, you can add as network now or leave local using the IP address.

Hi thedook, I've the same your problem (print driver host for 32 bit application has stopped working) with Windows 7 Professional 64 bit and, after installing the driver downloaded from the site of my printer without success, I've tried the trick you suggested, but among the drivers that Windows downloaded, there wasn't the one for my printer (Ricoh/Gestetner GX 3050N Aficio). These are the error messages that Windows returns to me:

Nome applicazione: Explorer.EXE
Versione applicazione: 6.1.7600.16450
Timestamp applicazione: 4aebab8d
Nome modulo con errori: GLS602P.DLL
Versione modulo con errori: 0.3.0.0
Timestamp modulo con errori: 4af00c9a
Codice eccezione: c000041d
Offset eccezione: 000000000003e3b0
Versione SO: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
ID impostazioni locali: 1040
Informazioni aggiuntive 1: 8762
Ulteriori informazioni 2: 8762c9b68a33e2c750a5e71b5d8d8f99
Ulteriori informazioni 3: 0ec9
Ulteriori informazioni 4: 0ec96c17f31a2a312ac9eee9ba9e0e49

Firma problema:
Nome evento problema: APPCRASH
Nome applicazione: splwow64.exe
Versione applicazione: 6.1.7600.16385
Timestamp applicazione: 4a5bd3ca
Nome modulo con errori: GLS602P.DLL
Versione modulo con errori: 0.3.0.0
Timestamp modulo con errori: 4af00c9a
Codice eccezione: c0000005
Offset eccezione: 000000000003e3b0
Versione SO: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
ID impostazioni locali: 1040
Informazioni aggiuntive 1: b212
Ulteriori informazioni 2: b212a19b0efe24e9ff328092ba49fbb4
Ulteriori informazioni 3: 2ac9
Ulteriori informazioni 4: 2ac9abd62a83f260b078f8f382cdb2a3

Firma problema:
Nome evento problema: APPCRASH
Nome applicazione: rundll32.exe_printui.dll
Versione applicazione: 6.1.7600.16385
Timestamp applicazione: 4a5bc9e0
Nome modulo con errori: GLS602P.DLL
Versione modulo con errori: 0.3.0.0
Timestamp modulo con errori: 4af00c9a
Codice eccezione: c000041d
Offset eccezione: 000000000003e3b0
Versione SO: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
ID impostazioni locali: 1040
Informazioni aggiuntive 1: c32e
Ulteriori informazioni 2: c32e4ee8990eecdfabe84e8df9686db3
Ulteriori informazioni 3: fc3e
Ulteriori informazioni 4: fc3ebfed8949616af6d3ead4326fee7a

As you can see, all of them refer to the same library file: GLS602P.DLL.

Any other suggestions?

Thank you very much.

I'm running 64bit Windows 7 and having the same issue. Trying to print causes splwow64.exe to crash:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: splwow64.exe
Application Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Application Timestamp: 4a5bd3ca
Fault Module Name: dlxblzim.dll
Fault Module Version: 0.3.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 45f9edba
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 000000000005a73d
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 6d06
Additional Information 2: 6d0655c18d70f65a5549d28a8b9b7f02
Additional Information 3: 635b
Additional Information 4: 635bd1413ecb9ada056556d0cc53c887

My printer is a Dell 3000cn connected through my network.

I was using Excel and had just printed my un-saved master piece. When good old Micro$oft crashed it. in a panic I looked at what the OS was waiting on and found it was SPLWOW64. I stoped this from the task manager and I got my work back!!
Wow64 its great! Thanks guys!.
I am a developer and have to debug my code to get paid. I wish that was the same for the Windows7 team.
Regards
Dave

Thanks to thedook's post above. I added the printer as a local TCP/IP and specified the IP address of the printer, then when selecting drive, I hit Windows Update, and selected the closest matching model (there was not an exact match). Printing the test page worked fine, and subsequently printing from other applications now also works.

My new laser multipurpose printer (Samsung M2875FW) had worked well for a few weeks, attached via ethernet. After MS Patch Tuesday, I started having these splwow64.exe crashes. I tried some MS printer-problem-solving methods, but got nowhere. I could print a test page, but after splwow64.exe had crashed (confirmed in the Event Log), I could not print from the desktop. I found this thread. I dug out a USB cord and connected the printer. I waited while the system-tray icon spun, saying it was installing drivers; the ethernet hub showed traffic. Then everything was all better! I had a new instance of the same printer, attached by USB. I could print. I detached the USB cable and changed the default printer back to the ethernet-attached one. I could still print. Way to go, thedook! Dick