Annoying print server issue

[16k_zx81]

In the workshop we run a laptop with a couple of printers connected to it. Its sole task is to serve printers to the other machines in the shop.

The machine has gone through a couple of incarnations over the last couple of years. Several OS installs and two separate devices have been tasked to serve the two printers.

The irritating commonality on both the machines and all the installs is that they will intermittently 'refuse' to print, and require reboot.

On the current device/install I put in a reboot as a scheduled task so it would restart once per day, but it still sometimes obstinately refuses to serve the print jobs until it's restarted. As soon as its rebooted the queued jobs come spitting out of the printers, and its all good ... until next time it happens, usually a couple of days later

There's no other software running on the machine. Bare install.

I have checked all the power saving settings (including the network card's individual settings) and they are all set up properly.

I have tried paying it compliments, and speaking nicely to it. Robert as insulted it and been generally hostile. Neither strategy have worked. Im thinking of buying it chocolates and an inflatable heart-shaped balloon in an attempt to win it over, but given its belligerent attitude, I have my doubts as to whether this will work.

Can anyone suggest what else to look at to keep it 'always serving'?

Thanks

Jim

 

[coffee]

Jim,

Print spooler is dying? I found this:

Go to Start / Run and type in "services.msc" without quotation marks, then press Enter or click OK.

In the window that opens (Services) look for "Print Spooler" on the right

Right-click "Print Spooler" and select "Properties".

Click on the "Recovery" tab and change all 3 drop-down boxes to "Restart The Service".

Make sure the 2 text boxes underneath say "1" in them.

Go back into the properties of the "Print Spooler" tab and be sure to click Start to restart the Print Spooler service and it will restart the service immediately.

The Print spooler depends on the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service. Is this service disabled? Go to services.msc look for RPC. Check state: Automatic

coffee

 

[smashedbotatos]

If it's only purpose is to serve your printers. Why not Linux and CUPS or get a print server device.

 

[16k_zx81]

If it's only purpose is to serve your printers. Why not Linux and CUPS or get a print server device.

Because linux is shite for drivers and doesnt recognise most of the functionality of my printer (ie we cant scan with it using Linux).

It needs to be a windows solution, because the windows drivers work.

 

[16k_zx81]

Jim,

Print spooler is dying? I found this:



coffee

Thanks Coffee... yeah that makes sense. There was an item there set to "do nothing" so have changed that setting. Hopefully that fixes it... Appreciate it M8!

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Next printer...get an "N" model, have all workstations print to it as an IP printer.