Windows 2000 & printing problems -- fixed??

[Michael_Friedman,_MCSE_(Guest)]

Hello all,____I^ve been monitoring the Windows 2000 & R&R Xbase edition printing problems and believe I have found an answer.____Problem: With the latest version of R&R installed, printing large database reports (my client^s were over 1000 pages, 1.6GB) the spooler would crash. Sometimes it generated an error, sometimes up to 400 or 800 pages would be spooled before a crash. Often we did not receive an error, simply a crash of the program.____Testing: I installed R&R 9.0 on a clean computer and installed the latest patch (9.0.0.0.8). I was able to duplicate the error using our HP LaserJet 5si (latest driver from HP). Then, I printed to our Adobe Distiller to see if I could create a .pdf that could then be printed. An extra step, but worth the test. The .pdf was fully created. This told me there was a complication between R&R and the HP printer driver, at least, with perhaps a little Windows 2000 thrown in for good measure. So, I installed a PCL driver (we were using postscript). I was able to get more pages (800 or so) before the crash, but the crash was always constant.____This got me thinking. My background is in graphics, and often this type of error is created by the output format through the print processor. You don^t get a lot of options in Windows 98, but you do in NT and 2000.____Resolution: I opened the HP 5si printer driver, selected Advanced, then print processor. The default setting is RAW, which is useful for backward compatibility, but does not utilize the NT/2000 printing engine properly. I set it to EMF 1.008. R&R printed every page just fine the rest of the night and into today. Since we print 1000s of pages to 16 different printers, this was a very helpful solution.____I recommend that those of you having trouble try this fix on your printer driver:____Properties on the printer>Advanced tab>Print Processor and change the setting from RAW to EMF 1.008. If 1.008 doesn^t work, try another lower number.____Post your successes!____Thanks,____Michael A. Friedman, MCSE__Sumari Consulting__http://www.sumariconsulting.com__michael@sumariconsulting.com__210-824-5150

[kfleming]

Thanks much for the info.____I will share this suggestion to those who have reported problems under 2000/NT.____Some Win98 users have avoided problems by switching to an earlier printer driver.____Hopefully we will be able to track down the real source of the problem within our code so that we can eliminate the need to do any special configuration just for R&R.____Kathleen__R&R Support____

[Pat_Dempsey_(Guest)]

Michael,____We^ve seen our spooler on NT4 server with win2k stations lock up because of hundreds of files in the directory with zero bytes. We did not know where they came from, but this may help solve the problem. We are using the RAW setting also. We don^t have long reports and this may have nothing to do with R&R, but more the driver.____Have you seen zero byte files in the spool directory?____Pat__

[Michael_Friedman,_MCSE_(Guest)]

I have not seen the 0 byte files as a result of R&R, although I have seen it in other situations. Usually they are from jobs sent to the printer that instantly fail. The file is usually left "open" -- waiting for data. If you are unable to delete them from the directory by simply pressing delete, you should go to the control panel>services. Stop the spooler service, delete the 0 files, then restart the spooler.____Hope that helps.____Sincerely,__Michael

[Pat_Dempsey_(Guest)]

That^s basically what we^ve been doing. I didn^t think it had anything to do with R&R. We^re beginning to suspect our postscript drivers on the HP4050.____Thanks for the input.____Pat

[Sergio_(Guest)]

I had simular problems, and the fix I did was in the BIOS setting of the printer port. The default was set to ECP/EPP print, I changed it to "Normal", and all worked well!____Good luck!__Sergio

[Allen_Hochstetler_(Guest)]

I am using version 8.1 xBase with the lastest patch and the new rrpd.dll installed. I am accessing reports in a rp5 library.__The error message that I get on some WIN 2K sp2 PC^s is:____RRWRUN.EXE has generated errors and will be closed by Windows __You will need to restart the program.____This occurs when a user runs the report then tries to print the report.__This does not occur on all WIN 2K PC^s and this seems to be sporadic on the PC^s that generate the error. Sometimes creating a new rp5 library solves the problem but not always.____I run the reports from a NT 4 sp6a server.____Is this a printing problem or someother malady?__These errors just don^t make sense at times__Any help would be appreciated__Allen

[kfleming]

Does using a different printer avoid the problem?____Kathleen__R&R Support

[Allen_Hochstetler_(Guest)]

What I have found is that when I create a new or modify a report in one of the libraries and save it using my default printer, HP LJ 8100DN. Then run one of these reports on another WIN 2K PC that has a different printer as the default--the error occurs--If I select the 8100 at this PC the report runs fine--So from now on I will save the reports that I create to another network printer other than the 8100DN.__This has seemed to cure the glitch--but time will tell.__Thanks__allen

[Allen_Hochstetler_(Guest)]

Ok, I think that I have solved this thorny problem: or at least narrowed the problem down ____1. When the report is created a printer is assigned to that report_usually this is the default printer of the creator_usually me.__2. The report is tested within R&R development environment__3. This report is then saved to the rp5 library.__4. The report is run and tested at the point of creation using the report library icon__5. Now the glitch, when you run that report at another PC, the windows printer dialog box appears and the user selects a printer or the default printer for that PC,HP LJ5, the report creates the error.__6. If I run the same report on the same PC and select the printer that was used for creating the permit, HP LJ8100DN_Wah-Lah it runs.__7. Now if I go back and run this report again and now select another printer, HP LJ5, wah-lah the report runs.__If you have any suggestions please advise__Thanks__Allen__