Print spooler keep turning off, help!!!!

[Rosee]

We are using Windows 2000 server SP3 with HP laserjet 8000n (network ready) printer for about 3 years. But the print spooler in the service area keep turning off by itself lately. When its turned off, no one can send any print jobs to the printer.

Whenever the service stops, I have to start the print spooler service manually. For now, it stops about 3-5 times a day. Does anyone have any ideas about the issue? Why the print spooler service stopped by itself? Why does it happen so often? Any solutions or suggestions? Thanks.

 

[markhoward]

Ignoring the root problem for a minute, have you configured the spooler service to automatically restart itself? That might be a good start just to avoid a disruption to service occurring.

You could also configure the server to net send you a message if it cannot restart it. Again not solving the problem but stopping the downtime.

 

[Rosee]

Yes, it is configured to automatically start up. What I have seen is that the spooler servive has "Automatic" as the startup type from the service screen. How to ask the service to restart when it stopped? Is there anything else need to be set up? Please help. Thanks.

 

[vasquea1]

click on the spooler service then go to the recovery tab and take action..... I had this problem and I did retart service on all three and it worked like a charm.

 

[markhoward]

Yeah, I didn't mean automatically restart at boot.

A nifty feature on Win2k that often gets overlooked is the ability of a server to try and restart a service (whilst the server is running) or take action on a service when it terminates unexpectedy.

This is on the recovery tab of the services properties.

 

[Rosee]

Thanks for the help. I have applied the settings on the recovery tab of the service.

Do you know the cause of the problem? As I mentioned, we have been using the same server and the same printer for 3 years without any problems until now. There were no major changes made on the server lately. Why do we have such problem? Is there any hotfix for the problem?

Thanks again.

 

[markhoward]

I'm assuming you've done all the normal stuff of looking through the logs etc..

I know you said nothing has changed on the server but as we all know on here that doesn't always matter to MS software. Sometimes it just goes worng because it wants to and there's nothing you can do.

Have you TRIED re-installing the printer driver?

And are you using anything like HP Jetdirect to access the printer? If so i would reinstall all of this.

 

[E3xtc]

I am having this problem also with latest Sp on Win2K server. (Although it was happening prior to the latest SP)

As soon as a printer is taken off line and then a print job sent to it, the service crashes. We are using Datamax (rebadged as Meto's) Thermal Printers.
There are no messages in the event log asides from the notification of the service crashing and then the subsequent issues with the printers being unavailable.

The restart on fail option works as a temporary measure - but is not fullproof, especially if you are running very high levels of print jobs through the system.

We have rebuilt the server, and upgraded to an entirely new box (higher spec), however still have the same scenario.

If anyone has any ideas which might help out here - please enlighten us.

Thanks in advance.

Troy

 

[E3xtc]

Anyone?
Please?

 

[mattjurado]

Its likely a driver/software issue. Typically, with the Datamax models, you don't load Windows drivers, you use the closest driver match, in whatever label software program you are using. To be honest, I've never set one of these up as a network printer, how do you have these connected to the network?

Matt J.

 

[E3xtc]

We have the seagull drivers for the printer(s) in question - and the most current version.
The printers are connected via a NIC that slides into the PCI slot in the back.

Very weird - and incredibly painful to say the least.

 

[execnets]

I have seen the problem many times. Each time the drive where the spool directory resides, is almost full. We either clean up the drive, or move the spool directory to a different drive.
Let me know if this points you in the right direction, and if you need advice on how to move the spool directory.

Good luck

 

[E3xtc]

Thanks for the response!
Stupid question #1 - does the spool file actually have a defined space which it can take up? Only reason I ask is because we have gb's spare on the drive.
The server is not a complex makeup - in actual fact it is very basic. In the sense that it only has one drive partition - so cannot really move it to another drive without rebuilding the server (which I am not really that keen on).

Anyhow if you could confirm that stupid question of mine, we might get somewhere.

Thanks again for the response!

Cheers
Troy

 

[snoles]

You may not need this any longer, but see:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=820550

Robin's Rule: If you put the cover back on before you test it, it will not work.

 

[E3xtc]

Thanks for that! I will see if I can locate that hotfix - why in the world do microsoft make it so that we have to contact them in order to get this fix? Surely it is more work for them?
suppose then they can charge support fee's....

Hopefully this hotfix will help us....