Printing probs - thinking about SP3/FR3

[bleachlpb]

We have had many problems with printing in Citrix. Every few days I need to restart the Print Spooler on the Citrix server - I am monitoring the memory utilization for this service, and after only a few days - it will consume up to 200-300MB. At a certain point, my citrix users are not able to print, and after restarting the service, users are able to print.

In rare cases - when I've forgotten to restart the print spooler, it would continue consuming memory to the point where users were no longer able to connect.

I've heard that SP3/FR3 resolves many printing issues (from my vendor). Unfortunately, whomever provisioned our server decided to opt against purchasing a maintenance agreement, so SP3/FR3 is not free for us. I need to justify the upgrade. If someone here was having printing problems and applied SP3/FR3 - how has it done?

Our remote users use HP office jet or laserjet printers - the drivers are all current and installed on the server. The printers we allow are the Officejet d135, Officejet k80, officejet 7110 series, laserjet 2200 series, and laserjet 8150. They are all mapped and working - like I said before printing works OK until the leak in the spooler approaches a certain threshold.

I'm close to resorting to having MRTG run a threshold breach script that recycles the print spooler automatically.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
BleachLPB

 

[xs4citrix]

I think your vendor is referring to the new UPD II, that comes with FR3.
I don't think it will solve your problems, if you continue to use native (third party) drivers on your server.
If you decide that UPD will provide most of your printers, you have a chance.

Your current problems, are coming from loading "the latest" printerdrivers on your server.
Replace the drivers with the ones from the win2k cdrom, and map the clientside drivers if needed via the wtsuprnt.inf, or use CMC printermapping.
If you need specific drivers for special functionality, outside basic printing, make sure to test the driver, and make sure it's WHQL compliant, or at least a pure win2k driver (version-3 user mode), instead of a combo NT4/win2k (version-2 kernel mode) driver.
Make sure to NOT load any PCL6 version drivers on your server; as they are known for giving trouble. Stay with PCL5e as mutch as possible.

http://www.printingsupport.com

Free citrixprinting support

 

[bleachlpb]

Thanks for your reply. I will give the older drivers a try and see if it resolves these problems.

Also, do you know if there is a way to prevent a local print driver from being mapped? I want to prevent the "fax printer" piece of the office jet drivers on the client machine from being mapped on the Citrix server.

Thanks again,

BleachLBP

 

[Ogi]

Hi,

I'd guess that you have the fax drivers installed. Open Printers, Choose Server Properties and check your drivers, if you have any NT/2000 drivers, replace them with 2000 drivers.

Also, aim to get "Corporate" drivers, they don't have half the kak that "home" style printer drivers have, like tool boxes etc.

If you go to FR3, I'd try removing all the drivers and let the Citrix UPD map everything, then at least you will only have problems with 1 printer driver! And can move from there!

Cheers,
Carl.

 

[bleachlpb]

There were two nt4/w2k drivers in there, I removed them, and waiting to see how it goes.

Also, do you know how to prevent specific client side print devices from being mapped in Citrix? I want to prevent the Officejet Fax devices from being mapped in Citrix. I found the map "default client printer only" setting in the user policies, but would rather be able to control which printers get mapped and which dont.

 

[Ogi]

Office Jet Fax devices aren't supported under Windows 2000 Server, see article:-

http://www.hp.com/cgi-bin/cposupport/get_doc.pl?SNI=hpofficeje28083&LC=multifunction&Tfile=bpu04600

However, you can set the system to only install drivers from a specific place, unfortunately I can't tell you that at the moment as I'm out of my office so will dig it out and add it here tomorrow.

Cheers,
Carl.

 

[bleachlpb]

Thanks for the link. That is a moot point though - I'm trying to prevent Citrix from attempting to map the fax drivers. I don't want them mapped through Citrix. I don't even want to try to use the fax driver on the Citrix server.

Some users use more than 1 actual printer through Citrix, so the map only the "default client printer only" user policy setting won't work. I also tried setting the mapping - "hp officejet d series fax"="" - but it still generates an error in the event log and maps the laserjet II driver.

 

[tbhatt]

It appears that your Print Spooler might be causing a memory leak, you should use the UPD drivers that come with XP and nothing else. As stated above your FR3 solution might not be the best one out there for now. Have you looked for Citrix Hotfixes as there are some that refer to the Print Spooler memory leak.

 

[xs4citrix]

>>I want to prevent the "fax printer" piece of the office jet drivers on the client machine from being mapped on the Citrix server.

Enter this entry in your wtsuprnt.inf file on your citrix server, to prevent autocreation:
"fax printer" = ""

http://www.printingsupport.com

Free citrixprinting support

 

[bleachlpb]

I tried - it still maps it and uses the default driver - HP Laserjet Series II. I don't want it to map at all.

 

[jcIT]

try this. go to mf admin console and rt click drivers under the printer tree. Go to compatability and mess with that. It should help.