Can anyone tell me how to configure a connection to a printer on an XP PC
via a WAN so the local windows print spooler is used?
Apparently, XP does not use the local print subsystem the way it did prior
to XP, so your application is tied up like in the "old days" when the
application had to wait on the printer to process the job.
It now seems the application must wait on the remote spool sub-system to
respond.
This makes for very slow operation of applications.
Is there another way to configure it?
I've tested this with PCs that have the printer attached that run Windows
2000 and it does not operate this way. The local spooler takes the job, and
spools to the remote spooler, releasing the application as fast as the speed
of the local spool sub-system.
What was Microsoft thinking?
Thanks - 14 Apr 2006 17:37 GMT
Hey "Forum" Moderator, PLEASE don't block this from posting to the Terminal
Services Newsgroup:
This is being used in a Terminal Services setting, but the principle is the
same:
The XP PC is the remote client (RDP) and is attempting to print to 2
printers on her own PC. She has to wait for the application on the TS to
service her print request across the WAN and it is pitifully slow.
Her previous PC was Windows 2000 and it still printed slowly, but at least
she could go on to other work while she waited for the print job to make it
to her Printer.
Now she has to sit there a look at the Application with an hourglass for up
to 2 minutes while the application waits on her printer to get the job.
How stupid XP has become in this regard!!!!!
The Citrix folks are saying that's why you need Citrix.
> Can anyone tell me how to configure a connection to a printer on an XP PC
> via a WAN so the local windows print spooler is used?
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> What was Microsoft thinking?
Chuck - 14 Apr 2006 18:05 GMT
If you want to raise this issue with MS, you will need to include a lot more
detail.
In general, a starting place might be
Client PC
Op system (XP?) and revision on client PC
Application (Office application?)
Network setup/configuration details (Services and protocols, etc.)
Network connection details
Remote PC or print server. (Details similar to above)
Printer make and model and interface details.
If XP home is involved, you may end up needing to change to XP Pro (Domain
issues)
http://www.coribright.com/windows
May contain some help.
> Can anyone tell me how to configure a connection to a printer on an XP PC
> via a WAN so the local windows print spooler is used?
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> What was Microsoft thinking?
Thanks - 14 Apr 2006 18:19 GMT
> If you want to raise this issue with MS, you will need to include a lot
> more
> detail.
OK here goes
> Client PC
Windows 2000 Server
> Op system (XP?) and revision on client PC -
SP4
> Application (Office application?)
No, MS Visual Studio
> Network setup/configuration details (Services and protocols, etc.)
TCP/IP WAN
> Network connection details
WAN 128K
> Remote PC or print server. (Details similar to above)
XP Pro SP2
> Printer make and model and interface details.
HP LaserJet 2500 Parallel
> If XP home is involved, you may end up needing to change to XP Pro (Domain
> issues)
N/A
> http://www.coribright.com/windows
>
> May contain some help.
>> Can anyone tell me how to configure a connection to a printer on an XP PC
>> via a WAN so the local windows print spooler is used?
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>>
>> What was Microsoft thinking?
Chuck - 14 Apr 2006 18:24 GMT
If you want to raise this issue with MS, you will need to include a lot more
detail.
In general, a starting place might be
Client PC
Op system (XP?) and revision on client PC
Application (Office application?)
Network setup/configuration details (Services and protocols, etc.)
Network connection details
Remote PC or print server. (Details similar to above)
Printer make and model and interface details.
If XP home is involved, you may end up needing to change to XP Pro
> Can anyone tell me how to configure a connection to a printer on an XP PC
> via a WAN so the local windows print spooler is used?
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> What was Microsoft thinking?
Thanks - 14 Apr 2006 19:13 GMT
In my vast experience working with Microsoft since 1995, I have found they
ignore issues they KNOW are a problem that they don't want to admit.
I have posted this in these newsgroups 3 times and this is the first time
anyone has responded at all. Thanks for your help, but I'm assuming MS has
no answer and I'll need to look elsewhere or tell people they can't use
128KB any more because Microsoft just can't run on anything that slow.
> If you want to raise this issue with MS, you will need to include a lot
> more
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
>>
>> What was Microsoft thinking?
Klaus Jorgensen - 15 Apr 2006 10:55 GMT
Thanks wrote :
> Can anyone tell me how to configure a connection to a printer on an XP PC via
> a WAN so the local windows print spooler is used?
>
> Apparently, XP does not use the local print subsystem the way it did prior to
> XP, so your application is tied up like in the "old days" when the
> application had to wait on the printer to process the job.
I'm not into the deeper communication between Windows boxes, so the
only alternative I can suggest, is using LPR ports in you printer
setup. That way print jobs are fully rendered by the server, and fed
directly to the spooler at the printer server.
The box acting as printer server must have Unix print services
installed (from Windows components) in order to listen to TCP port 515
for LPR traffic.
/klaus
Bruce Sanderson - 17 Apr 2006 17:50 GMT
You can add a "local" printer that is redirected to the shared printer.
This might help if you have a slow WAN connection.
See http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterNoPP.htm. The text on this
page addresses a different problem, but the numbered steps at in the bottom
half of the page are applicable in your case.

Signature
Bruce Sanderson MVP Printing
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders
It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.
> Can anyone tell me how to configure a connection to a printer on an XP PC
> via a WAN so the local windows print spooler is used?
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> What was Microsoft thinking?
Thanks - 17 Apr 2006 22:55 GMT
This works, in that the application releases, but creates another problem.
If the printer is offline, i.e, the PC is not connected, the user gets a
repeating error message which cannot be ignored, and cannot be minimized.
Your choice, grab the top left corner and move it to the edge of your
window, retry or cancel.
Message:
Printers Folder
There was an error found when printing the document "blah blah" to
\\UNC\share. Do you want to retry or cancel the job?
> You can add a "local" printer that is redirected to the shared printer.
> This might help if you have a slow WAN connection.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>>
>> What was Microsoft thinking?