DOS-Based Network Printing Problems

[Farrar]

I am having problems with a customer in regards to printing within their workgroup. Their setup is as follows:

They have 3 computers in the office with the computer named “back” acting as the server. It has it’s own printer which is an HP 4000. There are no problems in this area. The other two computers are named “middle” and “front” and they share an HP 4050 which is connected to “middle”. The two computers, front and middle, are both sending documents to the printer attached to middle. The computer “front” has 32 MB RAM and the computer “middle” has 128 MB RAM. These documents are tax forms that are printed from a DOS-based program. I am having two {2} problems with this setup, the first being the most severe.

The first problem is that when front sends a print job to the printer attached to middle it will only print the first page. If you look at the window/screen on the printer you can see it flashing “data received” and you have to press the “Go” button to get the printer to print the rest of the print job. When I went to the "Printer’s folder" on the front computer, I added the HP 4050 printer, it prints to a Virtual LPT, the box for “print from DOS-based programs” was checked, correct UNC was entered by browsing {\\middle\hp}, and a test page was successfully printed. The computer “middle” which has the printer physically attached has no problem printing. This particular printer prints about 200,000 pages during the height of tax season so I need to solve this problem as quickly as possible.

The second problem also concerns the “front” computer. It seems to “freeze up” about 25% of the time when a print job is being sent to the printer. In order to solve the problem, he must close out his DOS-based tax software and start the process over. I have wondered if this could be a result of having insufficient RAM. Someone else has mentioned that it could be because DOS does not want to “give up” the printer and that this happens when both the front and middle computers send a print job to the printer at the same time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as tax time is drawing near!

Jeff Farrar
farrar@pepperlink.net




[This message has been edited by farrar (edited January 15, 2001).]

[Eagle PC Diagnostech]

On problem #1 Try replacing the 4050 driver with the HP LaserJet 6P driver.

On problem #2 Is the printer port captured in windows?

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An obstacle is something you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

[Farrar]

Thanks so much for the help! I will replace the driver.

How will I determine if it has been captured? I know that I can go to the properties sheet and that there is a CAPTURE button there. Please excuse my inexperience but could you elaborate further?

Thank You,
Jeff

[Eagle PC Diagnostech]

When you hit the capture button in properties, put it on LPT2 or above, Then enter your address it points to i.e \\middle\hp , put a check mark in: reconnect at logon.
After that you will change the port in the details folder from:
\\middle\hp
To:
LPT2:\\middle\hp
Then click Apply
OK

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An obstacle is something you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

[Farrar]

Thanks for the explanation. I just got back from the customer's place of business. Your idea on changing the driver worked like a charm!

As far as capturing the port goes it seems as though the current setup works fine now that the driver was changed. The port was indicated by using the browse button during setup and shows up as only \\middle\hp. I have to go back Friday and install some additional RAM and I will try your suggestion on capturing the port if they have had ANY problems. If not, I'll print out your suggestion and use it in the future if the need arises.

Thanks Again for All Your Time,
Jeff

[Eagle PC Diagnostech]

Glad to help

I ran across the driver problem with the 4050TN and that's how I found cure for it.
It's been running the 6P driver for about 8 months now, 17 workstations printing to it, without any problems.

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An obstacle is something you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

FYI In the future the 4050 PS driver seems to work with all our DOS apps, we had problems with the 4050 PCL drivers when in DOS.

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--The Internet -- It's not just for porn anymore!!!

[Farrar]

Thank You both for the information. It is greatly appreciated. I have had sporadic trouble with this customer's printer for some time now. Several Sys. Admins. had simply told me that printing from a DOS app would cause these types of problems and there was nothing I could do. I should have asked here first!

Thanks again,
Jeff