Clearing printer spool files

[Franelle]

Hello again, KT. I think it was you who offered me a printer a while ago. I'm thinking now about the new (not even out yet) Epson R1800 which sounds pretty nifty.

But I'm not writing about that.

I recently had an interesting experience with a PDF writer. I've been using CutePDF for about a year and having very good luck with it. I make up a newsletter every month using Microsoft Publisher 97 -- very old, but I'm used to it. Then I print it to the PDF printer and send it out to our members.

This month I began have serious rouble with it. I could not get to the dialog box to allow me to enter a name for the PDF file. At the same time, my computer was slowing to a halt, and often freezing. I did not connect the two things at the time.

I contacted Cute, and they responded imediately, telling me that I had to delete the files in the Printer Spooler. I tried that, but they would not go until I used Safe Mode. Then I was able to delete the files. By the way, for a free program, I was amazed at their quick and helpful responses.

I had also done a defrag, removed some large photo files from my hard drive, got rid of junk, eliminated programs I didn't use, etc. None of this helped until I cleared out the printer spool.

The results are nothing less than miraculous. My computer has never worked faster.

As a screen saver, I use a slide show in XP which worked before, but kind of slowly. Now when the photos appear they appear immediately.

I simply had to write about this and to ask if anyone else has had a similar experience.

[terrie]

>>None of this helped until I cleared out the printer spool.

How exactly did you clear the printer spool?

I'm on w2k and my spool file is c:\winnt\system32\spool\printers

I would think that the subfolder "Printers" is where any spool files would be but mine is empty...

Maybe I'm not looking in the right place...

Glad that clearing the printer spool worked so well on your system...

Terrie

[ktinkel]

I recently had an interesting experience with a PDF writer. I've been using CutePDF for about a year and having very good luck with it. I make up a newsletter every month using Microsoft Publisher 97 -- very old, but I'm used to it. Then I print it to the PDF printer and send it out to our members.

This month I began have serious rouble with it. I could not get to the dialog box to allow me to enter a name for the PDF file. At the same time, my computer was slowing to a halt, and often freezing. I did not connect the two things at the time.

I contacted Cute, and they responded imediately, telling me that I had to delete the files in the Printer Spooler. I tried that, but they would not go until I used Safe Mode. Then I was able to delete the files. By the way, for a free program, I was amazed at their quick and helpful responses.

I had also done a defrag, removed some large photo files from my hard drive, got rid of junk, eliminated programs I didn't use, etc. None of this helped until I cleared out the printer spool.

The results are nothing less than miraculous. My computer has never worked faster.

As a screen saver, I use a slide show in XP which worked before, but kind of slowly. Now when the photos appear they appear immediately.

I simply had to write about this and to ask if anyone else has had a similar experience.Sounds like a fabulous company, and your story may be interesting to lots of others here.

You’d think the Print spooler would have its own housekeeping provisions, though — most of the files should just spool (!) off as new ones are entered.

But what do I know? Not a techie. <g>

[John Spragens]

Ah, but you do know. Well-behaved programs are supposed to clean up their print spool files. Even on a Windows machine. But when they don't, and when the print spool directory is on the same drive as the operating system, things take unhappy turns. (I ran into something similar when I first started printing very large prints from Photoshop. The Epson driver's print preview feature was to blame for leaving files behind in my case, I think.)

[ktinkel]

Ah, but you do know. Well-behaved programs are supposed to clean up their print spool files. Even on a Windows machine. But when they don't, and when the print spool directory is on the same drive as the operating system, things take unhappy turns.Very reassuring!

Since you mention Photoshop, I semi-remember that early versions did not do a good job of policing its working file, and it was on my root drive, and almost froze out the OS. (Pretty sure it was early Photoshop.)

But it’s been years since I have seen a problem like that.

[terrie]

>>john: The Epson driver's print preview feature was to blame for leaving files behind in my case, I think.)

Do you remember where you found those files?

Terrie

[Franelle]

On Windows XP Home I think I did the following:
C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers

On my system there were files that were apparently stuck in there, but I think if you don't have any, that's the way it should be.

I'm tickled to have things working so well now.

[terrie]

>>franelle: On Windows XP Home I think I did the following:
C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers

Oh cool...it's basically the same on W2K and my Printers dir is empty so I'm golden...'-}}

>>On my system there were files that were apparently stuck in there, but I think if you don't have any, that's the way it should be.

I would think they might get stuck in there if there was a system glitch/hiccup while you were printing...

How do you have your printer(s) connected--parallel, usb, firewire???

>>I'm tickled to have things working so well now.

I'll bet...just like buying a brand new system without having to spend any money...'-}}

Terrie

[Robin Springall]

Sounds very nifty. I dump the files from Windows\Temp when things get slow. Just close all Windows apps, take a deep breath, and zap 'em!

[terrie]

>>robin: I dump the files from Windows\Temp when things get slow. Just close all Windows apps, take a deep breath, and zap 'em!

I've been tempted to do that but get nervous about things like "istmp1.dir" and "ns_tmp"...probably should do it anyway...

Terrie

[Robin Springall]

Windows Disk Cleanup plays safe and only deletes files that are over a week old. Trouble is, if Quack, Acrobat and Photoshop crash in a day, you'll have loads of files in the Temp folder which slow the PC to a crawl and contribute to even more crashes: you can't wait a day, let alone a week. Just dump 'em, girl!

[terrie]

I don't want to say this as I'm probably asking for it but it's *very* rare for me to have Photoshop crash on me...

Will dump away...'-}}

Thanks...

Terrie

[marlene]

My printer is networked to Mr. Excitement's PC and mine. Every once in a while, the printer stops working when Mr. E tries to send it a file -- the printer's LCD will say it's PROCESSING the file, and then it just switches to READY without actually printing anything (not even an error message).

And if I try to print a test page from my PC, I get "the handle is invalid" error message. Yeah, right. How silly of me not to have known that.

Nothing fixes the problem except shutting down both PCs and the printer and then restarting. But I never thought to check the print spool folder. Maybe I ought to do that next time. Or maybe it's an entirely different problem.

mxh

[annc]

My printer is networked to Mr. Excitement's PC and mine. Every once in a while, the printer stops working when Mr. E tries to send it a file -- the printer's LCD will say it's PROCESSING the file, and then it just switches to READY without actually printing anything (not even an error message).

And if I try to print a test page from my PC, I get "the handle is invalid" error message. Yeah, right. How silly of me not to have known that.

Nothing fixes the problem except shutting down both PCs and the printer and then restarting. But I never thought to check the print spool folder. Maybe I ought to do that next time. Or maybe it's an entirely different problem.

mxhMy printer was doing that (Blinking and Processing for a long time and then going back to Ready without producing a print) with a particular page containing only a client-supplied PDF. I PDFed the PDF and linked to that instead of the original PDF, and it has printed perfectly ever since. Of course I've no guarantee that it will RIP for the offset printer.

I've got a GCC printer running a PostScript clone.

[terrie]

>>marlene: Nothing fixes the problem except shutting down both PCs and the printer and then restarting. But I never thought to check the print spool folder. Maybe I ought to do that next time. Or maybe it's an entirely different problem.

It's more than likely it is a spooling problem and shutting down the system will normally clear the spool...you could also try turning the printer on and off too...

Checking the spool file would certainly be easier...

Terrie

[marlene]

This happens with all kinds of files, including a test page printed from Notepad with two words. (You can guess the two words.)

One thing I did forget to mention, which is probably significant (the thing, not the fact that I forgot), is that I was still able to print to my HP LJ 5000 using the non-PS driver. I just couldn't print using the PS driver.

But a girl has gotta have her PostScript, so it was reboot time.

mxh

[marlene]

I did try just turning the printer off and on first, but it made no difference.

I had shut down everything and restart.

mxh

[annc]

This happens with all kinds of files, including a test page printed from Notepad with two words. (You can guess the two words.)

One thing I did forget to mention, which is probably significant (the thing, not the fact that I forgot), is that I was still able to print to my HP LJ 5000 using the non-PS driver. I just couldn't print using the PS driver.

But a girl has gotta have her PostScript, so it was reboot time.

mxhOdd. My prnter only speaks PostScript.

[marlene]

The HP speaks PostScript and PCL.

mxh

[mact]

I've got two of these GCC things. A 21 series and a 20XL series.

The 21 machine often will print the page then continue "processing" requiring me to off-on the power on the printer. Mac, Win, application...makes no difference. It is connected via TCP.

I called their Tech Support abpout 2 weeks before the 3-yr warranty/service agreement was over and they couldn't understand what I was saying (th guy was eager to go home). He said to run a series of tests doing this and that and to fax him a report. I did. At the same time I noted that the built in HDD seemede to have failed. I called a week later and nobody knew from nothing. Finally the warranty period ran out and they wouldn't even accept my calls.

About a month later some nimrod from the sales department called and tried to sell me new printers. I explained to him that I was very unhappy with the ones I'd bought, that the PS emulation was terrible, and that there were unresolved technical issues and that it would be very unlikely I'd want to buy or recommend GCC again. He started to say something, then gulped, and rang off.

The 20XL is pretty good, not as good as the Laserwriter 8500 it replaced, but not as bad as the 21.

[mact]

and if you print a PostScript "to file" with the HP driver, then open it in Notepad or such, you'll see a bunch of binary stuff in front of the beginning to the PS part.

This is the command to the printer to change from PCI to PS.

There is a similar command at the end of the file (after %EOF) that resets it to PCL.

If one ever runs into problems with PS files gneeated with an HP driver this is 99.99% of the time the source of the problem.

[mact]

That's because there is a communication in process between the two devices. It might not be working, but it was started.

You can't release it without resetting the computer.

Kinda like if you print to a parallel port when there's no printer there (or if the printer is off) everything will hang and the computer will spend the rest of time trying to communicate with the printer. Until yuo reboot.

[annc]

I've got two of these GCC things. A 21 series and a 20XL series.

The 21 machine often will print the page then continue "processing" requiring me to off-on the power on the printer. Mac, Win, application...makes no difference. It is connected via TCP.

I called their Tech Support abpout 2 weeks before the 3-yr warranty/service agreement was over and they couldn't understand what I was saying (th guy was eager to go home). He said to run a series of tests doing this and that and to fax him a report. I did. At the same time I noted that the built in HDD seemede to have failed. I called a week later and nobody knew from nothing. Finally the warranty period ran out and they wouldn't even accept my calls.

About a month later some nimrod from the sales department called and tried to sell me new printers. I explained to him that I was very unhappy with the ones I'd bought, that the PS emulation was terrible, and that there were unresolved technical issues and that it would be very unlikely I'd want to buy or recommend GCC again. He started to say something, then gulped, and rang off.

The 20XL is pretty good, not as good as the Laserwriter 8500 it replaced, but not as bad as the 21.I've got a 20XL that's done only 16,000 copies. It's mostly been pretty good, and never needed a service.

But I do get an occasional problem that requires me to send it PS that it understands; for this I blame the PS emulator. Creating a PDF and placing that instead of the original problem child seems to fix things.

[terrie]

>>marlene:I just couldn't print using the PS driver.

ahhhh...I've had problems sometimes with the ps driver on my HP6MP...primarily I think because it's such an old printer and w2k periodically has fits with it...

Terrie

[Hugh Wyn Griffith]

<< I'm thinking now about the new (not even out yet) Epson R1800 which sounds pretty nifty. >>

If it matters to you, I've been reading disappointment in PHOTOFORUM on Compuserve that it only has 5 ink colors and not the 8 of the R800.

[marlene]

That's a bit technical for my poor old brain ... you mean everything starts out as PCL, but gets converted to PS on its way to the printer?

mxh

[marlene]

That's because there is a communication in process between the two devices. It might not be working, but it was started.

You can't release it without resetting the computer.

That's what I figured ... I envisioned the print job getting stuck somewhere in the cabling between the PCs and the printer. <g>

mxh

[annc]

That's what I figured ... I envisioned the print job getting stuck somewhere in the cabling between the PCs and the printer. <g>

mxhDid you check the cables for a protrusion? <ggg>

[terrie]

>>annc: Did you check the cables for a protrusion? <ggg>

ROFL!!! Python cables digesting dust bunnies...'-}}

Terrie

[annc]

>>annc: Did you check the cables for a protrusion? <ggg>

ROFL!!! Python cables digesting dust bunnies...'-}}I was thinking of the missing print file, but you get the idea. <g>

[Stephen Owades]

That's a bit technical for my poor old brain ... you mean everything starts out as PCL, but gets converted to PS on its way to the printer?

mxh
The printer has to be told whether it's going to be receiving PCL or PostScript. HP printers can be switched from the default PCL mode to PostScript mode by sending a string of commands ahead of the PostScript code, and so HP PostScript drivers include such a string in the print stream for each job. Once it's switched, it will expect and respond to PostScript until it receives an end-of-job command.

[marlene]

I guess it just never occurred to me that PCL was the default mode, although it seems logical enough!

This all reminds me of a minor problem I have a few times a year. My accountant sends my tax forms in PDF format. If I print them using the PS driver (which I do without thinking, since I have the PS printer instance -- or whatever you call it -- set as my default), all the hyphens print as symbols (IIRC, a round thing with a line across it).

I panicked the first time it happened (it was probably April 14th at midnight), but when I tried printing the PDF using the PCL printer, the hyphens printed fine.

Any idea why the hyphens won't print using the PS driver? FWIW, the hyphens are in ZIP codes, phone numbers, etc.

mxh

[terrie]

>>annc: I was thinking of the missing print file, but you get the idea. <g>

The dust bunnies are appetizers since they are so light...'-}}

Terrie

[annc]

>>annc: I was thinking of the missing print file, but you get the idea. <g>

The dust bunnies are appetizers since they are so light...'-}}

TerrieNot the ones here. They always have a dog-hair component. <g>

[terrie]

>>They always have a dog-hair component. <g>

More of a snack then...'-}}

Terrie

[Steve Rindsberg]

PCL isn't necessarily the default mode (though as I recall it is ... um ... by default). You can usually set HP printers to default to PS or PCL. They used to take quite a while to switch personalities so it was handy to tell it "You're PostScript. Got it? PostScript. Unless I tell you otherwise."

[Stephen Owades]

I guess it just never occurred to me that PCL was the default mode, although it seems logical enough!

This all reminds me of a minor problem I have a few times a year. My accountant sends my tax forms in PDF format. If I print them using the PS driver (which I do without thinking, since I have the PS printer instance -- or whatever you call it -- set as my default), all the hyphens print as symbols (IIRC, a round thing with a line across it).

I panicked the first time it happened (it was probably April 14th at midnight), but when I tried printing the PDF using the PCL printer, the hyphens printed fine.

Any idea why the hyphens won't print using the PS driver? FWIW, the hyphens are in ZIP codes, phone numbers, etc.

mxh
I can't guess why you got strange symbols in place of hyphens from your accountant's PDFs when printing to a PostScript printer. My guess is that the type is in a font with a "standard" name, but with some strange encoding that isn't specified properly in the PDF. If you have an opportunity to play with such a PDF, try printing to PostScript with "use local fonts" turned on and turned off, to see if it works properly in one or the other mode.

It's likely that the PDF forms created by your accounting were built in a non-standard way, without Distiller, from a tax program that manages its own printing--and doesn't necessarily do everything "according to the book."

Printing a PDF to a PCL printer will probably get you what you see on screen in a situation like you describe. Another option (if that doesn't work) is to try "print as image" from Acrobat, to either a PS or PCL printer.

[marlene]

try "print as image" from Acrobat

That worked. I've known about that workaround for years, have even recommended it to other people, but I completely forgot about it until you mentioned it. I can't believe how absent-minded I'm becoming!

PDF forms created by your accounting were built in a non-standard way, without Distiller, from a tax program

Yes, they were.

try printing to PostScript with "use local fonts" turned on and turned off

How do I do that? I checked the advanced settings, and all I could find was a setting for Truetype fonts (either "substitute with device font" or "download as soft font"). The fonts in the PDFs are all TT, of course.

BTW. I double-checked, and the symbol that prints in place of the hyphen (when I don't print to PCL or print as image to PS) is a "no" symbol -- round circle with a diagonal bar in it.

mxh

[marlene]

Hmmm. I'm perusin' the printer properties and defaults, and don't see anything obvious to indicate whether or not I've got the HP set to PS as the default.

Then again, it might be.

FvH

[Stephen Owades]

In Acrobat Professional 6 and 7, "Use Local Fonts" is an option under "Advanced." I don't know if a similar choice exists in Reader.

Looking at the "Fonts" tab under "File -> Document Properties" will tell you something about the fonts used in the document--names, formats, encoding, and whether they're embedded in whole or part. This information might help us learn what's going on with your strange tax forms.

[Stephen Owades]

Hmmm. I'm perusin' the printer properties and defaults, and don't see anything obvious to indicate whether or not I've got the HP set to PS as the default.

Then again, it might be.

FvH
Changing your HP printer's default input mode between PS and PCL is done at the printer itself, not in your Windows print driver. The manual for your printer will explain how to set that default, perhaps with independent values for different physical inputs (parallel port, Ethernet, etc.). But if you've set the printer to expect PostScript, you'll probably have to change some settings in the driver (or change drivers) so that Windows knows what to send with a print job.

[Steve Rindsberg]

In Reader 7: Document, Use Local Fonts
Nice to see that there.

[marlene]

Found it -- I'm using Acro Pro 6 -- never occurred to me look under Advanced in the Acro window. I was looking for it in the "Adobe PDF" printer description.

"Use Local Fonts" was already checked, so I assume it's been that way since installation.

When I UNchecked the option, the PDF printed fine (no weird characters).

So now I have two solutions -- either print as image, or print without local fonts.

This makes me happy.

mxh

[marlene]

Did you check the cables for a protrusion?

Yes, and I trod upon it until it was flat.

mxh

[marlene]

Python cables digesting dust bunnies...

We call 'em dust puppies around here. <g>

mxh

[annc]

Yes, and I trod upon it until it was flat.

mxhDid it yell one! Oh! One! Oh, oh! ? <g>

[terrie]

>>marlene: We call 'em dust puppies around here. <g>

LOL!!! How appropriate...'-}}

Terrie

PS...did you get my email to your fontessa.com addy????

[lovehealthsuccess]

I found this thread....this forum....this board....this site...on a Google search after spending all day with a computer issue that I thought was virus/spyware related.

After running myriad virus scans, updating umpteen different programs and downloading and installing others, going through the hassle of a system restore, and generally preparing to....well....panic....

.....I found this thread.

I found....this...thread

I found.....this....wonderful thread!!!!!

In 30 seconds....I used the fix of deleting the spooled stuff in my Windows folder....and.....poof.....back to "all good" just like that.

Holy cow....you saved me.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


CHEERS!

D

[ElyseC]

Heavens! Glad to be here for you, glad we could help!

And, hey...welcome!