No Print Notifications on XP Pro systems

[ChickenSoup]

We upgraded out print servers to Windows 2k server SP-3. Now any Windows XP computers that use printers on this server do not get notifications sent to the user on the XP client when printing is complete. Our old Print server was NT 4 SP-6a and an XP client connected to a printer on that server sends notifications just fine. All of our NT 4 WS systems still receive print notifications just fine from the 2k server.

Any ideas on a fix for this?

Thanks.

 

[linney]

To set print server properties.

Setting and changing the print server properties affects all printers on the print server. You must be logged on as an administrator to set print server properties. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

Open Printers and Faxes.
On the File menu, click Server Properties.
Click each tab to see the available choices, and set options as required, such as creating a new form, adding and configuring ports, adding and replacing printer drivers, and setting spooler options.


Notify when Remote Documents are printed. (via Advanced Tab)

When enabled, the print subsystem sends a notification message when documents have printed. When the Notify computer, not user when remote documents are printed check box is cleared, the user will be notified when documents are printed. Otherwise the computer from which the document was printed is notified.

 

[ChickenSoup]

We have the server set so it sends the users notifications of printing complete. If a user is logged into a NT 4.0 WS computer they get the notifications. So I have print notifications turned on but, only users on NT 4 systems get the notifications. All users have Administrative rights on their computers on NT or XP.

 

[linney]

On the XP machines themselves open Printers and Faxes.
On the File menu, click Server Properties what options are selected there?

 

[ChickenSoup]

In server Propeties on the XP machine, advanced tab the following are selected:

Log Spooler error events.
Log Spooler warning events.
Show informational notifications for network printers.

Selecting "Notify when Remote Documents are printed" will send notifcations to users that print to a printer connected to the XP machine, correct? (if there was such a printer) Therefore this setting should not matter to the XP client, right?

 

[DaveSWE]

Hi!

Did you find any solution for this problem?

I have exacly the same on my XP clients...

 

[linney]

308217 - HOW TO: Enable or Disable Print Job Notifications in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308217&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[ChickenSoup]

DaveSWE, I have not found a solution to this issue yet.

Linney,
That link is for setting a Windows XP system as a Print server. XP is the client in this case not the server. We have Windows 2000 Server for the print server and it is set to send notifications to the user that sends the print job. One thing to be aware of is that it send the notification to the first computer the user is logged into. This is the case with Windows NT. Windows XP does not get any notifications at all.

There is an option to send the notification to the machine instead of the user. I have not tried this yet as this has not been a high priority issue for me to work on. If I get to it I will post if it works or not.

 

[DaveSWE]

I managed to solve this yesterday!

There was two problems for me. Both MS bugs.

First problem is that the setting "Show informational notifications for network printers" doesn't wright the registry value by default even if it's enabled by default, you have to unmark and check it again. (Linneys link). I'm adding this reg key during the installations now.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Printers\Settings\EnableBalloonNotificationsRemote

Next problem is that if you print something that get stuck in the printer que you see your user name, if this name doesn't match exacly with the login name the printer icon doesn't show. Example, If the que shows DaViD and you're logged on as david, the icon doesn't show.

There is a hoxfix for this (that solved this for me) that you can find on the MS Premier Online support site. KB824131