wlacroix
asked on
Cant print B&W from application
Here is the scenario:
2008 R2 DC, with shared printers.
2003 RDS server with clients.
Printer installed on 2008 with driver, shared and attached to 2003 server.
DC prints windows test page, test color document, internet explorer as B&W
TS as administrator prints windows test page, test color document, internet explorer as B&W
TS as users (tested 3 different users) prints windows test page, test color document, internet explorer as B&W
On TS as user, application brings up a crystal report and it prints color.
If I go in and tell check, it says B&W but it prints color, If I select color and then back to B&W it prints B&W.
Where do I start troubleshooting?
Drivers?
Application just does not query the current printer settings?
As far as I am concerned as an IT guy, all other applications but this one print B&W its doing exactly what it should.
2 of my colleagues say its drivers. I just cant see it being drivers if all my other stuff is working fine.
I personally think the application in question is so old or not written right, that its just not queering for the current settings (yes it was set on color, I set it to B&W to force B&W prints)
Thoughts and opinions?
2008 R2 DC, with shared printers.
2003 RDS server with clients.
Printer installed on 2008 with driver, shared and attached to 2003 server.
DC prints windows test page, test color document, internet explorer as B&W
TS as administrator prints windows test page, test color document, internet explorer as B&W
TS as users (tested 3 different users) prints windows test page, test color document, internet explorer as B&W
On TS as user, application brings up a crystal report and it prints color.
If I go in and tell check, it says B&W but it prints color, If I select color and then back to B&W it prints B&W.
Where do I start troubleshooting?
Drivers?
Application just does not query the current printer settings?
As far as I am concerned as an IT guy, all other applications but this one print B&W its doing exactly what it should.
2 of my colleagues say its drivers. I just cant see it being drivers if all my other stuff is working fine.
I personally think the application in question is so old or not written right, that its just not queering for the current settings (yes it was set on color, I set it to B&W to force B&W prints)
Thoughts and opinions?
Crystal reports has a printer setup for each report. only settings made there will apply to the report.
These settings are saved with the report.
Application settings can always override printer driver settings.
These settings are saved with the report.
Application settings can always override printer driver settings.
ASKER
Arnold,
Its a custom application with some old delphi code, I am not a programer by any means so don't understand it.
My suspicion is that the printer driver settings that I have changed are not getting passed to the users sessions on the terminal server.
I have made changes to the printer on the dc, I have verified the settings on the terminal server as an administrator, and as a user.
I can print the windows test page in B&W as stated. Both as an administrator and as a user. As far as I am concerned its working fine. When I push the crystal report to a PDF and print from that it gets printed B&W.
When I print from the application it gets printed in color, like its bypassing all the printer settings.
INSIDE THE APPLICATION:
I can check printer properties, it is set to B&W but still prints color, if i select color then choose ok, then go back in and choose B&W and choose ok and then print, it prints in B&W.
Like my changes have then taken priority properly.
If I exit the crystal report, then chose the same report but a different client (E.G the next line down in the application) it then prints color by default.
Hope that helps
Its a custom application with some old delphi code, I am not a programer by any means so don't understand it.
My suspicion is that the printer driver settings that I have changed are not getting passed to the users sessions on the terminal server.
I have made changes to the printer on the dc, I have verified the settings on the terminal server as an administrator, and as a user.
I can print the windows test page in B&W as stated. Both as an administrator and as a user. As far as I am concerned its working fine. When I push the crystal report to a PDF and print from that it gets printed B&W.
When I print from the application it gets printed in color, like its bypassing all the printer settings.
INSIDE THE APPLICATION:
I can check printer properties, it is set to B&W but still prints color, if i select color then choose ok, then go back in and choose B&W and choose ok and then print, it prints in B&W.
Like my changes have then taken priority properly.
If I exit the crystal report, then chose the same report but a different client (E.G the next line down in the application) it then prints color by default.
Hope that helps
I suspect the application setting are user based rather than a central configuration.
I further suspect that when you look at printer properties within the application that it does not accurately portray the current settings for the driver.
I.e. If you change the settings directly on the printer properties, does the application based printer configuration reflect them? Does the application run with the user credentials or is it running with some special credentials?
As pointed out by wyliecoyoteuk when designing crystal reports some may define a specific printer while Some will reference the user's default.
I further suspect that when you look at printer properties within the application that it does not accurately portray the current settings for the driver.
I.e. If you change the settings directly on the printer properties, does the application based printer configuration reflect them? Does the application run with the user credentials or is it running with some special credentials?
As pointed out by wyliecoyoteuk when designing crystal reports some may define a specific printer while Some will reference the user's default.
ASKER
Arnold, I have tested 3 users and they are exactly the same, as my example above. It does not seem user based. But that does not mean its so. My suspicion is the application itself has its own settings.
When You look under the user settings it does infact "LOOK" like it set properly, it even says B&W on the printer properties, but it prints in color. IF i choose color, click ok, then choose B&W it will print B&W, when I go back into the next line in the Application to print the next order, its color again.
Yes If I change it as an admin to color, and you go into the application it will show the changes, but yet again do whatever it wants, In this case it WAS set to color, I changed it on the print server, double checked the settings as an administrator on the terminal server, checked the settings as a user, they are all the same.
Also as stated IN A USER ACCOUNT; everything will print B&W except this one application.
Yes the application runs as a user, all users on a terminal server are just that, users.
I will check with the programer that build the reports in question.
When You look under the user settings it does infact "LOOK" like it set properly, it even says B&W on the printer properties, but it prints in color. IF i choose color, click ok, then choose B&W it will print B&W, when I go back into the next line in the Application to print the next order, its color again.
Yes If I change it as an admin to color, and you go into the application it will show the changes, but yet again do whatever it wants, In this case it WAS set to color, I changed it on the print server, double checked the settings as an administrator on the terminal server, checked the settings as a user, they are all the same.
Also as stated IN A USER ACCOUNT; everything will print B&W except this one application.
Yes the application runs as a user, all users on a terminal server are just that, users.
I will check with the programer that build the reports in question.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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In this case, you have to make changes to the default printer prior to trying to print.
What application is in use?