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Having strange local network printing problem - could use some help/ideas
Excellent place to start.. let me know how it works out..
-- MEB http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com -- _________ "normc" wrote in message ... | In reading your post below, I happened to think, why don't I just take | the base machine out of the network and try printing with it out. That | oughtta tell us something. | | I'll try that in the morning and respond to your post. | | Thanks again. | | | MEB wrote: | Let me start by thanking you for answering using the number questions, they | are to allow a diagnostic routine to be developed. I normally use a 10 or | more question post [when limited information has been presented], but I | wanted to attempt to explain the diagnostic procedure as many don't | understand the process. Sorry you got picked for this activity, I hope you | don't mind. I'm not necessarily explaining *just for you*, so don't take | offense, but to those seeking help generally [remember this is received or | will be found by numerous others across the planet]. | | See inline for response/explanations. | | "normc" wrote in message | news | | MEB wrote: | | 1. You indicate ONE desktop 98SE computer is physically connected | [local] to | | the printer, is this correct? | | | | Yes. | | Thank you. This helps negate issues with a router connected [network | served] printer which might have issues with lease or otherwise.. | | | | | | | 2. Does the print server [the 98SE box] have actual network print | serving | | software or are you just printing to a SHARED printer? | | | | Just printing to a shared printer. | | This help define whether we would be dealing with multiple issues, | including whether the networking software may be part of the issue. | | | | | | | 3. What printer [model and make] and software [version, etc.] is being | | used. | | | | HP Deskjet 970Cxi with driver files hpzusb00.sys and | | VMM32.VXD[ntkem.vxd] v1.16.9.0 | | When posting for help, it is a good idea to put as much related and | relevant information system-wise into the first post. It allows the parties | attempting to help, isolate the potential problems easier, and allows other | who might be helping, to point to areas which may have been overlooked by | others.. | | | | | | | 4. Was the printer software installed on each machine? | | | | No. | | This defines that we are dealing with a single install ON the the actual | 98SE base OS to which the printer is connected. Taken with the other | responses helps to further define potentials involved. | | | | | | | 5. Does this occur, generally, after attempting to print FROM the XP | machine | | to the printer? | | | | No. I shut down everything at night. In the morn, if I turn on only | | the machine connected to the printer, it won't print. That is, it won't | | print under any of the circumstances I have tried. | | This negates, in part, the issue of the XP box taking control of the | printer and failing to release control while the network is | involved/running. This still potentially leaves spooling issues, possible | issues with the failed release/clearing of the printer/spooling, and other. | We now know the printer is directly connected to its printing software and | not *through* the router. We also know this is a persistant issue, not | specific to XP, not specific to a running network, and not specific to a | system that may have residual connections running [its a COLD system] except | for the router(s) [or do you turn that/them off as well?]. | | | | | 6. What are the settings for the printer on each of the machines? | | | | Could you be a little more specific about these settings? | | As we are dealing with a single 98SE box WITH the printer software and the | physical connection [as we now know from the previous questions], and NOT | having print server software in the mix: we are looking at the spooler | settings, print format [raw or otherwise], whether the controlling computer | has: captured the port, its timeout settings, proper port software/settings, | etc. specific to this one computer [presently]. | | | | | | | 7. Do you use MAPPED drives? | | | | No | | Okay, here, we were attempting to determine whether the mapped drives MIGHT | have had an effect in the issue [persitant connections]. | | | | | | | 8. Have all machines been updated? | | | | Not sure what you are looking for here. Especially since everything was | | working fine and no software has been added or changed. | | | | I'm pretty fussy about how much I load up on MSFT mammouth updates. I | | run my laptop with XPSP2. The desktops with 98SE. | | Okay, there were some issues with some of XP's updates which were causing | issues in the network environment. If you are manually doing updates, we | would need to run through most of those old issues, though we might be able | to do so [to test] without that information. See the below. | | | | | 9. Have you re-checked your network and firewall settings? | | | | Not sure what you are looking for here either, for the same reasons. | | As you are having issues locally [base/server system, physically connected] | at present these are not important UNLESS after the poposed fix {below} | works and the issue re-appears; or it fails, and we need to review other | potentials. | | | | | Are you asking about all firewalls or the XP firewall or the modem | firewall? | | Actually, ALL. From there, if this related to a running network with a true | networked printer, and/or constant network, and/or had been XP, and/or other | issues related to the prior questions, we would have also dealt with the | Anti-virus, Anti-SpyWare, and other software and network specific | potentials, such as: Norton Security Suite or McAffe's , is it installed, | etc.. | | | | | Tell me a little about what you are getting at where I commented. I'm | | pretty literate. Been playing with computers for over 50 years (Bendix | | G-15 1957). | | Wow, been at for awhile I see, even a bit before me. Let's see if we can | get more definition to the issue(s) involved. | | | | | Thanks for your time. | | I hope the above explains the diagnostic issues work-through, or at least | helps in the thought process. Let me now add those other questions. | | 10. And a question which related to 9. Do you have either of Norton or | McAfee programs/suites installed? | 10a. If not what programs are you running ON THE BASE 98SE computer which | might interfere with the printing process? | 10b. Did you try disabling these programs? | Though not generally thought of during self-diagnosis of shared printers | [or other networking issues], some of these programs MIGHT interfere as they | include file monitoring, local access scanners, and other which MIGHT be | involved. IF they were updated around the time that the issue popped-up, | they MIGHT be involved, even though they may have previously worked without | causing any errors. | | 11. The next obvious question would now be and have been 11 for an original | post: Did you try uninstalling and re-installing the printing software and | did you re-check those printer settings? | 11a. Did you, if you re-installed, re-share the printer locally and | re-install that share on the other systems? | 11b. Did you FIRST [prior to un-installation and re-installation] remove the | old shared printer [locally and on the other network nodes]? | 11c. Did you re-check your firewall, Anti-Virus and other for this new | allowance? | *A* This is the proposed first fix if this was NOT done, particularly as we | now know we have a basically *isolated system* to deal with. It MAY, | however, have not been recommended had the other questions pointed to a | running network, or other networking issues. Not that it would have hurt had | you done that, but we would have worked through some obvious network | potentials FIRST, like the firewall, router, XP updates, etc.and you had | indicated that you DID check the printer software settings. | Removing the shared printer PRIOR to un-installation, helps negate a false | connection [the old share{d printer}] from interfering with the new | installation and how it communicates locally and with the network. Leaving | the old share ANYWHERE on the network might cause issues as it is searched | for. XP and VISTA users might notice this more than 9X users, though all | will notice delays | | 12. Did you try resetting/refreshing the router [manual shutoff for several | minutes to clear the router buffers] and did you check its settings. | This question relates to whether there MAY be issues with the router or its | software which, taken with these other questions and response will help | isolate the potentials to a more limited diagnosis. IF the 98SE printer | controller is also the router controller [contains the software] then there | could. potentially, be a related issue involved as well. | | Hope this explains where we are headed, and with your understanding of how | *I* work through these issues. | Its like walking backwards from the obvious [networked? then first check | network issues, but garner other information as well] to the easiest | [re-install software]. However, I don't always use the easiest attempt FIRST | [like re-installing software], as that MAY do nothing more than waste time | [though if done, one can put that on a back burner, so to speak] as at | times, you then might run across new installation issues compounding the | actual issue(s); or introducing new, while leaving the original issue(s) in | the background unresolved INCREASING the difficulty of diagnosis. | |
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