XP Pro - Slow loading reports

[Dave_Francis_(Guest)]

Hi all,____We^ve got 8.1 running on a large W2K SR3 network with XP Pro SR2 clients. Printers are HP4xxx types hanging on the network. Everything was ok until last week.____Suddenly, reports take 2 to 3 minutes to load in both RR and runtime. They do eventually load and run. On some reports I do not get a File|Print dialog - it just freezes RR. I^ve experimented with creating new reports on new data, editing old reports, making a local printer the default. On some options, I do have some success , but I cannot see any pattern yet, though I^m pursuing printer drivers at the moment. Printer names have not changed and I have asked them to say whether new printer drivers have been installed, and what else could have changed on the network.____Anyone got any ideas? or workarounds? ____TIA____Dave Francis

[Dave_Francis_(Guest)]

Here^s some more info on the problem.____If I load a report on a PC that can see the printer stored in the report, then no problem. If the printer is hidden, I get a timeload loading the report, then another timeout (NOT freeze - sorry!) when doing File|Print. Selecting and saving with a visible printer solves the problem. But... we print most reports using calls to RRRPT32.DLL and we do that from several PCs. On those that can^t see the saved printer we get the timeout delays still.____Now I^ve thought about installing a universal dummy printer everywhere and diverting it to the local laser queue, but I^m not sure MS Active Directory let^s you beat the system like this.____Any ideas anyone?____TIA____Dave Francis

[kfleming]

In Version 10 you can add a line to your RRW.INI file that forces R&R to use a specific printer and to not look at the printer saved with the report. However this setting is only available in later releases and not in the 8.x that you are currently using I am afraid.__You are correct that R&R does attempt to locate the printer that is saved with the report.____Kathleen__R&R Support

[Dave_Francis_(Guest)]

Kathleen,____Thanks for the reply. The cost of upgrading to version 10 is a problem for our users, but this may push them to do it. You could get your Christmas bonus yet!! :o)____Dave Francis