This problem has been posted many times, but I have finally tracked down what I think is the problem. We have a win2k pro machine with 64mb ram and office 2k. We have sp2 for win2k and office2k downloaded and installed. With the print spooler service running, all office apps quit responding when closing out hte program, changing fonts, or saving. If I shut off the print spooler service and restart the office app, everything works fine. Is this a win2k problem or something I should take up with Dell? I have tried upping the RAM to 128, but that didn't work. I have installed all of the latest software updates and service releases. And I have tried it under different user rights (admin, user, power user, etc), both with mandatory profiles and without. I have tinkered with everything I can think of. This is happening to the students machines (I work for a school), they are not getting the opportunity to learn that they should. Please help.
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Win2k Pro Print spooler causing programs to crash
- Thread starter randyQ
- Start date
At a guess, this is the old problem of printing to a network printer?
If so, the spooler on the local machine is spooling to a network spooler. Too many spoolers spoil the broth. Set your printers on the local machine to print directly to the printer and the problem goes away.
If this is not the case, please advise.
If so, the spooler on the local machine is spooling to a network spooler. Too many spoolers spoil the broth. Set your printers on the local machine to print directly to the printer and the problem goes away.
If this is not the case, please advise.
butchrecon
MIS
I suggest taking it up with Dell. If this hapening on multiple machine and you have tried everything then contact Dell.
Also have you looked at the printer properties? Make sure that "Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster" is checked. And "Start printing Immediatly" is checked. Under the Print Processor button make sure you are using RAW.Click on the Ports tab at the top, and then at the bottom try unchecking "Enable printer pooling" is unchecked.
Let me know if this helps. James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
Also have you looked at the printer properties? Make sure that "Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster" is checked. And "Start printing Immediatly" is checked. Under the Print Processor button make sure you are using RAW.Click on the Ports tab at the top, and then at the bottom try unchecking "Enable printer pooling" is unchecked.
Let me know if this helps. James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
- Thread starter
- #4
Here's something else, on our novell network, when I try to "install" the printer from the Queue on the network, it says that the printer is no longer installed on the network. Well, my win 95 and 98 machines right next to it are connected. Could this be from me tinkering with the spooler and not restarting? Also, I should mention, if I leave the spooler running for too long, I run out of virtual memory. I don't know what that thing is doing in the background, but it is constantly eating cycles and quickly fills up my swap file. Sometimes, after a restart, it fills up my swapfile before I can even shut it down. With that swap file full, I can't access my services mmc to shut it off. This is how I fingered the spooler in the first place. I was constantly running out of virtual memory, so I tracked the leak down to my spoolersvc in my task manager. After shutting it down, my virtual memory problems were fixed, so just for kicks, I tried my office, and it worked. I might be wrong in assuming the spooler for my office problems, but so far, it is the only thing I can find.
butchrecon
MIS
I have seen similar problems with network printers under Win2K. If you go to printer properties and then to the Ports tab. At the bottom uncheck "Enable printer pooling" and restart, this clears it up most of the time. Though with a Novell network I am unsure. James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
- Thread starter
- #6
I will turn on the spooler and try to reestablish a printer. But I don't think it will work, cause that spooler is eating up over 50% of my CPU cycles, so the add printer process doesn't move fast enough, and before I can get the printer added, my swap file is used up and I have to restart. I'll try again though and let ya'll know what happens.
butchrecon
MIS
In the printer properties make sure the "Enable printer spooling" is UNCHECKED. That way it does not use spooling for network printers. James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
- Thread starter
- #8
I can't get that far. If I start the spooler, its ok, but the second I click on that HP LJ2200, the spooler goes crazy and I have to stop it again. Does anyone know of a different way to delete a printer, without selecting it and pressing delete? I feel that if I can get rid of that printer, than I will be ok.
butchrecon
MIS
Boot into safe mode then remove the printer. James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP
email: butchrecon@skyenet.net
Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.
- Thread starter
- #10
If I boot into safe mode, the spooler service won't start, and without the service running, the printer won't show up. I tried booting into safe mode with networking support, but my novell client won't log on right. It says that a required dll is not available.
I once had such a problem when running W98 as a printer-server.
When that computer wasn't on, several programs (on W2KP workstations) would do strange things, like crashing, getting real slow and some just didn't start at all.
Switching the W98 computer on solved this problem.
I don't know if it has got to do with the difference between W98 and W2KP, but it doesn't happen with another printer-server running on W2KP (the connected computers act normal even when the W2KP printer-server is off).
Don't know if it helps.
When that computer wasn't on, several programs (on W2KP workstations) would do strange things, like crashing, getting real slow and some just didn't start at all.
Switching the W98 computer on solved this problem.
I don't know if it has got to do with the difference between W98 and W2KP, but it doesn't happen with another printer-server running on W2KP (the connected computers act normal even when the W2KP printer-server is off).
Don't know if it helps.
- Thread starter
- #12
I think there might might be two possible reasons for this spooler error. One, I am on a Novell network, which has been stated in other similar threads, causes problems. And two, the problem started after I installed a networked HP laserjet. I am going to break down and call DELL. Lets all hope I can get someone who knows something, and not some kid who once helped his aunt shut down.
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