Terminal Server Print Spooler stopping unexpectedly

[Guest Dennis_S]

I have two Terminal Servers running 2003 SP2. I have a problem with Print

Spooler stopping unexpectedly. It may happen twice some days, and then it

may go days without happening. May happen during the day or at midnight. I

have tried to establish a pattern with users printers. During peak hours

there may be around 40 printers displayed in the Printers and Faxes. Mainly

HPs, some Brothers, and a few Lexmarks.

 

On the other Terminal Server this happens much less frequently, but does

happen. Last time on this server was almost one month ago, but happened

three days in a row. Only about 15 users.

 

Microsoft pinpointed a Lexmark E210 driver in a DMP I sent them. This

driver is not on the OS list of available Lexmarks. Don't know when it was

installed, and it is not a 2003 OS driver. However, the Lexmark E210 driver

is not installed on the server that has fewer users (about 15) and occurs

much less frequently, but does happen.

 

Has anyone experienced this? Was there a resolution?

 

Thanks.

 

Dennis

[Guest Vera Noest [MVP]]

Re: Terminal Server Print Spooler stopping unexpectedly

 

This is the most common problem if you install 2rd party printer

drivers. Most of them are not TS compatible and crash your print

spooler or the whole server.

 

If you other TS doesn't have the Lexmark driver, it simply means

that another driver is responsible for those crashes.

 

The solution is simple: uninstall all 3rd party printer drivers

completely, and map printers to native drivers (those that came

with the OS). Here are detailed instructions on how to do that:

 

239088 - Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services

server logs events 1111, 1105, and 1106

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=239088

 

The only exception to this rule is that you can install 3rd party

printer drivers which are tested by the vendor as TS compatible.

Here's a list of HP drivers (I don't know of any other vendor that

publishes such lists).

 

HP Printers Supported in Citrix MetaFrame Presentation and Terminal

Server Environments

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?

objectID=c00213455

 

A different type of solution is to buy a "driver-free" print

solution like ThinPrint or triCerat's Screwdrivers.

_________________________________________________________

Vera Noest

MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server

TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net

___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

=?Utf-8?B?RGVubmlzX1M=?= <DennisS@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

on 25 jan 2008 in microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services:

> I have two Terminal Servers running 2003 SP2. I have a problem

> with Print Spooler stopping unexpectedly. It may happen twice

> some days, and then it may go days without happening. May

> happen during the day or at midnight. I have tried to establish

> a pattern with users printers. During peak hours there may be

> around 40 printers displayed in the Printers and Faxes. Mainly

> HPs, some Brothers, and a few Lexmarks.

>

> On the other Terminal Server this happens much less frequently,

> but does happen. Last time on this server was almost one month

> ago, but happened three days in a row. Only about 15 users.

>

> Microsoft pinpointed a Lexmark E210 driver in a DMP I sent them.

> This driver is not on the OS list of available Lexmarks. Don't

> know when it was installed, and it is not a 2003 OS driver.

> However, the Lexmark E210 driver is not installed on the server

> that has fewer users (about 15) and occurs much less frequently,

> but does happen.

>

> Has anyone experienced this? Was there a resolution?

>

> Thanks.

>

> Dennis