Printers across network

**ADS_Tech** · June 19th, 2006, 01:56 PM

On a customers PC/network we have an odd issue. It wont print across the network from any of three machines. Local printing is fine. The print queue registers a document, but, shows odd things, such as 70kb of 70kb printed on the queue of PC being printed from, but 2kb of 60kb printed on the machine that has has the printer connected to it. It just sits there like that. Forever.
The same goes for any machine you try to print from. Ive taken down firewall, a/v, even tried a different router. But. If you load the printer up on one of the other machines, then try and print from the original machine, it will do it, but very slowly (print a line, wait 30 secs, print half a page etc kind of slow) and with a delay of 1 to 5 mins before it starts.
Ive run a/v checks, spyware checks, etc, etc. All run XP Pro, all bang up to date etc.
Any ideas?

**Guts3d** · June 19th, 2006, 02:09 PM

What brand of printers? We had probs with Lexmark laser printers that would just sit forever with a job in the queue. We resolved this with an updated driver from Lexmark. Machine bios set to ECP? Printers set to be shared by an admin account? This sounds like a tough one.

**ADS_Tech** · June 19th, 2006, 03:34 PM

Epson cx6600 with latest drivers from Epson site, BIOS at ECP+EPP, all PCs running admin accounts. Theres just the one printer. Two PCs and two laptops.
Ill try setting just to ECP. Im going back Weds, so any other suggestions to try would be gratefully received.

**slgrieb** · June 19th, 2006, 04:54 PM

ADS, is this happening with all apps? I ran into a glitch lately with Word Perfect 11 conflicting with MS AntiSpyware. Same kind of thing. Documents would occaisionally print OK, sometimes long waits, sometimes no go at all. Had to remove MS Antispyware. Corel support also says this can also happen if the WP print spooler fails to load correctly, and they suggest adding it to the startup group to resolve the issue. This glitch seems to potentially effect most Windows versions of WP.

**ADS_Tech** · June 20th, 2006, 07:42 AM

This is in any app, even when printing a test page.
I like the idea of Windows Defender being a suspect, so ill try it tomorrow along wih a BIOS change.

**ShadowWynd** · June 20th, 2006, 08:24 AM

It could also be a problem with the printer queue. Occasionally it needs to be flushed out.

First - stop the Spooler service (Right-click My computer, Manage, Services)

In a command window, go to c:\%systemroot%\system32\spool\printers
Delete everything in this directory (you may have to do this in safe mode)
Restart the Spooler service

Or do it this way: (at a cmd prompt)

net stop spooler
del %WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers\*.* /q
net start spooler

**ADS_Tech** · June 20th, 2006, 11:50 AM

Thanks, but tried it.
It will print from the local machine instantly, even if theres something already in the queue from another machine on the network.

**arch0nmyc0n** · June 20th, 2006, 01:14 PM

Have you tried completely removing the epson dirvers rebooting, cleaning up the folders, then installing the new drivers? I had an Epson really beachy about that a few months ago.

**rgharper** · June 20th, 2006, 04:31 PM

Check and change spooling settings, try "spool until complete" or "start printing immediately". Also try changing EMF/RAW settings and so on. Change these settings on the remote computers, not the one with the printers attached.

**ADS_Tech** · June 21st, 2006, 02:04 AM

arch0nmyc0n - did the clean install when I changed the system around, but to no effect.

rgharper - ive tried the spool settings with no luck, but I will try the other suggestions later when I get there.

Networked printers are usually so easy to set up. Ive never seen anything like this before.

**jimmm33** · June 21st, 2006, 03:44 PM

How about permissions on the shared printer? I had a problem one time where network users could not print to a shared printer. I turned out to be that the print jobs where under the "Guest" user. I added Guest to those allowed to print and it worked. I might have added the specific user that was trying to print too. I can't remember the details. It's worth it to check.

Consider a print server.

**ADS_Tech** · June 26th, 2006, 02:46 AM

Ive tried everything suggested. It still wont print. Ive added a different printer, and PCs wont print to that either.
Unless anyone has any other ideas, then im going to have to F&R the guilty machine. All for a networked printer!

**ShadowWynd** · June 26th, 2006, 06:02 AM

You might want to try an overlay/repair installation of windows before you do the format and reinstall.

Oddly enough, I came across situation a few weeks ago with a networked printer that sounds like the problem you are having. I couldn't do a wipe/reload because it was a pirated copy of XP and the customer didn't want to lose data, but I have seen other cases (involving local printers) where an overlay fixed it.

And if that doesn't work - nuke it and reload.

**arch0nmyc0n** · June 26th, 2006, 11:53 AM

one last check... nobody used the msconfig to stop a spooler dependant service like the lexmark lxbce service (or whatever it's called) I had a machine or two with that problem before... just a long shot...

PS. Whilst I doubt this fits the case I will state that many all-in-one printers (at least lexmarks) cannot be shared across a network properly. Some can be shared but only across same windows version networks. Some of the newer ones it doesn't matter though, I just call Lexmark as soon as there is a problem just to verify it's possible.