Printing consistently crashing for one user

[JD5241]

I have one user on my network that consistently has problems printing to a local printer connected to their pc.
It will work for a little while, then a print job will get stuck in the queue and the only fix is to reboot the computer, only to have it happen a little while later. It first started with just Office not printing, now it's any print job.
I've searched everywhere possible, uninstalled and reinstalled the printers/drivers, restarted the spooling service, the Office suites, other software on the pc's, everything I can think of over the past month. Even replaced ALL of the hardware.
Here is the list of environments I've created to try and get this working. It might look like a joke, but it's not.
First environment:
Windows 7 Pro machine
Office 2007
Brother HL-2270DW printer
Second environment:
Windows 7 Pro Machine
Office 2010
Brother HL-2270DW printer
Third environment:
Windows 7 Pro machine
Office 2013 (via Office 365)
Brother HL-2270DW printer
Fourth environment:
Brand new Windows 7 Pro machine
Office 2013 (via Office 365)
Brother HL-2270DW printer
Fifth environment:
Same brand new Windows 7 Pro machine
Office 2013 (via Office 365)
Brand new HP LaserJet Pro 400 M401

I can't think of anything I haven't done, anywhere I haven't looked, any tech forum I haven't searched. It's just this one local printer with this one user, no matter the configuration. I have network printers that nobody has problems with, I have other users with local printers in the same type of environment (OS, pc brand, and printer type) that don't have this issue.
I've never seen an issue like this before, I'm beginning to wonder if the user's office is haunted.

Just looking to see if anyone can identify anything I might have missed, or might know of a fix I was not able to find. I need to get this resolved and I've run out of ideas. Thanks in advance.

 

[DSummZZZ]

I would stick with the haunted theory. That seems the most likely.

Seriously though, there are a ton of possibilities, but it looks like you have ruled quite a few out.
Rather than reboot each time though, as a temporary fix, you could try clearing the print spooler. Not just stopping and restarting, but stopping the spooler, deleting the stuck jobs, then restarting. From a command prompt you run with administrator:
NET STOP spooler
del c:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.* /Q
NET START spooler

Have you also tried using a different printer cable? Different printer ports? You said you tried a new machine so a I wouldn't think a different port would be an issue.
Is there any sort of USB->parallel or parallel-> USB converter involved?
Is the network connection stable? I ask because certain drivers and of course, Office updates periodically check the internet or wherever for updates and could cause delays that could cause corruption.
Is the printer's power stable? On a battery backup with spike protection?
Does that user have different network or local permissions than others?
Have you tried having the user print to a shared printer connected locally to another computer?
Can they print to a networked printer?

I may think of more, but those are some thoughts I had.


-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.dave-summers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[JD5241]

Thanks for the reply... answered your questions below.
I have not tried clearing the spooler while it's stopped, I'll try that next time. Though if that works, I'd prefer to not have to have the user do that 8-10 times a day.

Have you also tried using a different printer cable? Different printer ports? You said you tried a new machine so a I wouldn't think a different port would be an issue.
Yes, a few different cables and different ports.
Is there any sort of USB->parallel or parallel-> USB converter involved?
No
Is the network connection stable? I ask because certain drivers and of course, Office updates periodically check the internet or wherever for updates and could cause delays that could cause corruption.
Yes
Is the printer's power stable? On a battery backup with spike protection?
Stable, no battery backup
Does that user have different network or local permissions than others?
No
Have you tried having the user print to a shared printer connected locally to another computer?
Yes, that works fine.
Can they print to a networked printer?
Yes

 

[SamBones]

If you've replaced everything except the printer, it must be the printer that's haunted, not the office.

Have you tried replacing the attached printer with a different one? If it's the only constant, it's probably the culprit.

Also, a little less likely, but still possible, have you watched the person try to print something? The reason I ask is that I've seen people do some pretty weird things with computers thinking they are helping, when they are actually just screwing it up. Pilot error is always an option.

 

[guitarzan]

SamBones: The OP said the printer was also replaced.

So every single piece of hardware has been replaced, and the problem persists???

My only idea (other than an extended April Fools joke or demonic possession) is that there is something about the files the user is printing causing a problem. Can you reproduce the problem yourself? Consistently?

 

[JD5241]

Every single piece of hardware and software has been replaced at least once.

I cannot reproduce it myself, and I have watched the user, she's not doing anything out of the ordinary. Once rebooted, the user will be able to print consistently, then if she stops and does other things for a while, then tries to go back and print, the job sticks.

DSummZZZ, I thought more about your question about the power being stable, so I'm going to try a new UPS I have lying around to plug the printer and pc into to condition the power, or else try another circuit. Next step is to put the printer on the network and block access to all but that one user and see if that makes a difference. Maybe if the printer driver is on my print server instead of the local pc, it might make a difference.

I appreciate the comments and ideas!

 

[cdogg]

I have other users with local printers in the same type of environment (OS, pc brand, and printer type) that don't have this issue.

First thing that came to mind was the driver, as I've seen weird behavior like this before with certain HP drivers in Windows 7. But because you have other similar setups for other users that aren't having the problem, then I assume you're using the exact same driver for the problem user?

Definitely double-check that. I also just noticed that you tried attaching a different model printer altogether, so now I'm wondering if it's really the driver. Did you try another USB cable by chance?

Really strange...

-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[DrB0b]

Power, User, network and Files are the only real continuing factors at work. After having her PC set up, I would remove the network cable just to eliminate it. Once you have proper power as you stated you were going to do, try logging on as an Admin and printing her files. If it still has an issue then you know your User is not the issue. Try the User but create a new file on your PC and email/USB stick move it to her PC. After she has the issue, clear the spooler as DS states above and try printing that file. If it works, immediately try printing her file that just messed up.

Is the user set under a Roaming profile?

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

 

[zelgar]

Have you verified that there isn't a virus or malware on the PC?

 

[Beilstwh]

Have you tried using a different outlet for the power. If your getting noise on the line that can cause problems with the printing.

Bill
Lead Application Developer
New York State, USA