[OPLINTECH] Print server issues

Thu Aug 25 16:55:21 EDT 2011

Josh -- When I have a problem like this, I try to cut the problem in 
half...then cut in half again...repeating until I've hit the source of 
the problem.

I don't know what you've done so far to diagnose the problem, but 
applied to your issue as a first step, you might consider trying to 
determine whether the issue is with the server or the workstation. You 
might go about determining this by finding out if you have the same 
"slow pdf print" symptoms when printing from multiple workstations. 
Presumably you do, which might appear to point the finger towards your 
server. You can go further to solidify this diagnosis by perhaps 
changing your test a little and ensure that you are sending the pdf file 
to the print queue via different programs. If you're printing from Adobe 
Reader, then try printing your pdf file using another program, say MS 
Office, if it will open pdf files. Or perhaps another PDF-specific 
viewer such as Tracker PDF XChange Viewer 
(http://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer) might be 
more appropriate. (I happen to use/like this one better than Adobe 
Reader on my own computer.) It's entirely possible that the problem 
actually has nothing to do with your server, but is actually a recent 
update on the workstations that is causing the problem... (Hence the 
"cutting the problem in half" to figure out where you should really be 
looking.)

You could further eliminate workstations by performing additional test 
directly on the server itself. Does printing pdf files from the print 
server still result in slow printing, while other formats are normal? 
Even on the server, you still need to eliminate the software as a factor 
(Adobe vs. something else, if you're standard test is to print from 
Adobe Reader).

The more things you can eliminate, the better you can focus your search. 
If you can eliminate workstations, you can focus on the server. If 
you're focused on the server and you can eliminate the pdf viewing 
software, you can then confidently focus on just the print system...etc. 
In my personal experience, starting broad and continually cutting the 
problem in half tends to result in the fastest solution when you're stuck.

Just a prediction for the fun of it:  Based solely on what you said in 
your OP, the first thing that comes to mind is that the problem is with 
Adobe Reader and not your print server. (Naturally, I have very little 
to base that on!)

HTH,
Chad

______________________________
*Chad Neeper*
Senior Systems Engineer

*Level 9 Networks*
740-548-8070 (voice)
866-214-6607 (fax)

/Full LAN/WAN consulting services -- Specialized in libraries and schools/

On 8/25/2011 12:14 PM, Josh Proffit wrote:
> Thanks for the responses, but I've tried both of those options as well. I changed the spool location to a different partition, restarted the service and it made no difference. It's gonna be a long day...
>
> Joshua Proffit
> System Administrator
> Head of Information Technology Services
> Licking County Library
> 101 West Main Street
> Newark, Ohio 43055
> 740-349-5586
> jproffit at lickingcountylibrary.info
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: oplintech-bounces at lists.oplin.org [mailto:oplintech-bounces at lists.oplin.org] On Behalf Of Ron Woods
> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 12:05 PM
> To: oplintech at oplin.org
> Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Print server issues
>
> Have you tried stopping and restarting the spooler service?
>
> Also you could try to use the "Advanced Tab" of the Printer properties on Server 2003 and change the location of the Print Spool..perhaps its corrupted somehow?
>
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc736979%28WS.10%29.aspx
>
> If restarting the service doesn't work, moving the print spool may fix the issue for you.
>
> Ron
>
>
> Ron Woods
> Computer Services Manager
> St. Clairsville Public Library
> 740-695-2062
> http://www.stclibrary.org
> woodsro at oplin.org
>
>
>
> Just a thought
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: oplintech-bounces at lists.oplin.org
> [mailto:oplintech-bounces at lists.oplin.org] On Behalf Of Josh Proffit
> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 11:53 AM
> To: oplintech at oplin.org
> Subject: [OPLINTECH] Print server issues
>
> I need a hail mary pass here. I have one print server that -just over night it seems- doesn't like pdf files suddenly. There are several printers hosted on the server (2003) and it doesn't seem to matter which printer you choose, if it is a PDF file it takes forever to spool, the file bloats to some massive size,  and when it does print it's one page every 10 seconds. I've tried updated PCL drivers, postscript drivers, updated adobe reader...nothing I try is making a difference. Again it is only PDF files causing this, other documents zip right through. I'm banging my head against a keyboard here, any ideas?
>
>
>
> Joshua Proffit
> System Administrator
> Head of Information Technology Services
> Licking County Library
> 101 West Main Street
> Newark, Ohio 43055
> 740-349-5586
> jproffit at lickingcountylibrary.info<mailto:jproffit at lickingcountylibrary.info
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