Network printers go offline after the print spooler is restared.
This morning the only 2 printers (Cannon IR 5055 and IRc5185i) that are setup on my print server (Windows Server 2003 SE SP2) are showing as offline. I can ping the printers, I can connect to them via their web app to manage them, they can ping out to the environment but they show as offline.
If I stop and start the print spooler service on the print server they show as ready and the queue empties. However, after 30 seconds (timed it. every time.) they both will show as offline and jobs start to queue up again. I can duplicate this at anytime.
No changes were made to the drivers or the server overnight. Printing was fine as recently as last night. What makes it less fun is the lack of information in the Windows event log. The printers going offline doesn't seem to generate any notification or error messages.
I've cycled the power on the printers, tested connectivity as well as I can and I've even rebooted the print server. Issue still remains. Hope I'm missing something simple.
If I stop and start the print spooler service on the print server they show as ready and the queue empties. However, after 30 seconds (timed it. every time.) they both will show as offline and jobs start to queue up again. I can duplicate this at anytime.
No changes were made to the drivers or the server overnight. Printing was fine as recently as last night. What makes it less fun is the lack of information in the Windows event log. The printers going offline doesn't seem to generate any notification or error messages.
I've cycled the power on the printers, tested connectivity as well as I can and I've even rebooted the print server. Issue still remains. Hope I'm missing something simple.
ASKER
The print spooler service is running. The "Local system account" is being used for authentication for this service. The active directory object for the print server appears to be fine (not disabled). I am able to start, stop and pause the service. The printers are not set up in active directory (I should have mentioned this is not a workgroup but a domain) as objects.
ASKER
Let me check the controllers and see if there are any authentication issues when they go offline. Though, I am not seeing any in the security log on the server itself.
ASKER
I found no authentication issues either locally or on the domain controllers using the event logs on each. I just stopped and started the print spooler service again and 30 seconds later the printers statuses went from ready to offline.
Did you check the power management settings on the printers. Sounds like they are being told to go into a sleep or idle mode since it happens at 30 secs.
Try logging into their web interface and see if there are any power managment settings controlling this.
One thing you can try is to send a priter job of multiple pages that lasts longer than 30 secs to see if the print job completes, or if it's 30 secs after the last print job completes.
Try logging into their web interface and see if there are any power managment settings controlling this.
One thing you can try is to send a priter job of multiple pages that lasts longer than 30 secs to see if the print job completes, or if it's 30 secs after the last print job completes.
ASKER
I will check that out, WiReDNeT but it may be a couple of days due to the holiday. If that were the issue that would make sense.
ASKER
I have eliminated the printers as being the issue. At least I have for now. I have done so by setting up the printers on my laptop running XP SP3 directly bypassing the print server and they maintain a status of "ready" without going offline.
I have also tried installing the printers on another server and setting it up to share them. Same result. After 30 seconds the printers go offline. I am currently investigating the Windows updates that I pushed out on December 13th. Not having experienced this problem until December 24th has me skeptical but I am left with little avenues to pursue at the present time.
I have also tried installing the printers on another server and setting it up to share them. Same result. After 30 seconds the printers go offline. I am currently investigating the Windows updates that I pushed out on December 13th. Not having experienced this problem until December 24th has me skeptical but I am left with little avenues to pursue at the present time.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Regards, Fayaz