asked on

printer quits and can't be deleted

On two Win 95 clients, one in an ethernet, one in token-ring both tcp/ip environment. Print server is NT. Here's the problem...I've added the printer numerous times, days later it will queue print jobs, but not print them. Then when re-adding the printer, you can't delete the old printer. Only two people are experiencing the problem, same two every time. Both pritners involved are HPs, but different series. Both continue to print for everyone else at time of problems. Any suggestions?

webbr1

How is your NT Spooler service set to start on the NT server? Is it Manual? You may want to edit the settings by hitting "StartUup" for the spooler - how is the system interacting with the service - by specific user name or via a "System Account" - basically - is it setup how you think it should be?
When printing seems to act strange, try going to the NT server and stopping and re-starting the NT print spooler service.
The fact that you have just two users who have this problem - I assume you are setting up network printers for them. Are they new users and/or do they have sufficient privleges to be able to add but not delete a resource such as a printer? Do they have mandatory user profiles or regular flexible/roaming profiles? For the unwanted printers that you try to delete, but can't, can one of these two users right click-->properties on the bad printer entries and manipulate any permissions settings?

webbr1

in the first part of my msg - meant to say "Startup" not "StartUup" - sorry

mshelley

ASKER

Good suggestions, but already checked those. I even logged in as me (admin rights) and I still can't delete it. still won't print from the old port/printer - and the port/printer I added is the same, exactly the same. anything else?

sgenther

Try this,:
PSS ID Number: Q242126
Article last modified on 01-04-2000

winnt:4.0

winnt

======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

If you delete a print job that has stopped responding in the print queue, the
status of the print job may change to 'Deleting', but the print job stays in the
print queue. Also, you are unable to delete the printer where the print job was
sent.

CAUSE
=====

This behavior can occur if the print job is stuck in the spooler.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this issue, restart the Spooler service. To do this, follow these
steps:

1. Close the Printers folder.

2. To stop the Spooler service, type the following command at the command
prompt, and then press ENTER:

NET STOP SPOOLER

3. To start the Spooler service again, type the following command at the command
prompt, and then press ENTER:

NET START SPOOLER

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords :
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb
=============================================================================
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2000.

sgenther

You can also just go into control panel>services on the print server and stop and start the spooler service.

mshelley

ASKER

Thanks, but did that. the main thing is that the actual printer won't even delete under the control panel/printers. It won't do anything, it won't print, won't delete, nothing.

jrhelgeson

Sounds like registry corruption to me. Have you tried running regclean on these machines, or going into the registry itself and removing the printers completely?

billko

I've seen this plenty of times. Windows 95 has trouble with NT print queues that have more than 8 (I think) letters in it. The problems you describe are the exact symptoms I've seen.

The solution: make another print queue for the Win95 users that prints to the same printer, and name it something simple (less than 8 letters should do the trick). Of course, you could rename the existing print queue, but I think you'd have to go to all the users and find the renamed queue all over. It's simpler just to create another queue in parallel with the old one.

I hope this helps,

Bill

mshelley

ASKER

Thanks billko. But I don't feel that's an issue. I have about 75-80 other 95 users, using the same queue name, or something very similar in length. Anything else?

webbr1

You may want to also check Microsoft's KBASE# Q102116:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q102/1/16.asp?LNG=ENG&SA=ALLKB&FR=0

It explains how to manually remove a printer via the registry, but only in an NT environment. This should also work in Win95/98 environments, although the registry might understandably be a little different. I hope this kbase entry helps further define and possibly resolve your problem.

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sorgie

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mshelley

ASKER

THanks. It seems to be working for now.