Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time everyweekday?

[Guest Rob Gordon]

I have a really bizarre one..

 

We have a Windows 2003 R2 Standard server (fully patched), acting as a

dedicated print server. There are three networked printers fed off the

server, all of the same make/model, using the same version of the

printer driver and all on the same subnet. Each printer is shared out

as both a Windows shared printer and as an LPR spool for Linux users.

 

Every morning at nearly the exact same time, one of these printer's

loses its share on the server and everyone mapped to it can't print. I

can easily go into the server and reshare the printer and everything is

fine, but it's ONLY that one share that disappears. There is nothing

in the Event Log that states that there was a system error, that it was

done manually, or anything. The Event Log shows that everything is

working as expected.

 

Is there some level of debugging that I should set to try and track why

this ONE printer share keeps disappearing on me? I've tried changing

the printer's IP, unloading and reloading the print driver, etc. but the

share continues to disappear every day.

 

One thing to note, is that this share "vanishes" only during weekdays

when multiple users are accessing it. On weekend, the share remains up

and active.

 

Signed,

 

CONFUSED

[Guest Thee Chicago Wolf]

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time every weekday?

 

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time every weekday?

 

>I have a really bizarre one..

>

>We have a Windows 2003 R2 Standard server (fully patched), acting as a

>dedicated print server. There are three networked printers fed off the

>server, all of the same make/model, using the same version of the

>printer driver and all on the same subnet. Each printer is shared out

>as both a Windows shared printer and as an LPR spool for Linux users.

>

>Every morning at nearly the exact same time, one of these printer's

>loses its share on the server and everyone mapped to it can't print. I

>can easily go into the server and reshare the printer and everything is

>fine, but it's ONLY that one share that disappears. There is nothing

>in the Event Log that states that there was a system error, that it was

>done manually, or anything. The Event Log shows that everything is

>working as expected.

>

>Is there some level of debugging that I should set to try and track why

>this ONE printer share keeps disappearing on me? I've tried changing

>the printer's IP, unloading and reloading the print driver, etc. but the

>share continues to disappear every day.

>

>One thing to note, is that this share "vanishes" only during weekdays

>when multiple users are accessing it. On weekend, the share remains up

>and active.

 

That is an odd one. Seems the more the queues are hit the more likely

it is to get knocked off the network during high usage. Is this a

pretty light duty server? Are there many users hitting it? What are

the system specs?

 

Not sure if these will patch on R2 but give these a shot or at least a

read:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934885

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946198

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/944203

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937193

 

Also, check out the info in this article as well:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947477

 

If it's a pretty robust server, you could always boost up the Spooler

to High priority:

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print]

Value Name: SpoolerPriority

Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)

Value Data: 0 = Normal priority, 1 = High priority, 0xFFFFFFFF = Idle

priority

 

 

- Thee Chicago Wolf

[Guest Ace Fekay [MVP]]

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time every weekday?

 

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time every weekday?

 

In news:OpJR8CiYIHA.4756@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl,

Rob Gordon <Robert.Gordon@nospam.dslextreme.com> typed:

> I have a really bizarre one..

>

> We have a Windows 2003 R2 Standard server (fully patched), acting as a

> dedicated print server. There are three networked printers fed off

> the server, all of the same make/model, using the same version of the

> printer driver and all on the same subnet. Each printer is shared out

> as both a Windows shared printer and as an LPR spool for Linux users.

>

> Every morning at nearly the exact same time, one of these printer's

> loses its share on the server and everyone mapped to it can't print. I can

> easily go into the server and reshare the printer and

> everything is fine, but it's ONLY that one share that disappears. There

> is nothing in the Event Log that states that there was a system

> error, that it was done manually, or anything. The Event Log shows

> that everything is working as expected.

>

> Is there some level of debugging that I should set to try and track

> why this ONE printer share keeps disappearing on me? I've tried

> changing the printer's IP, unloading and reloading the print driver,

> etc. but the share continues to disappear every day.

>

> One thing to note, is that this share "vanishes" only during weekdays

> when multiple users are accessing it. On weekend, the share remains

> up and active.

>

> Signed,

>

> CONFUSED

 

Are all machines only using the internal AD's DNS in thier IP properties or

is there an ISP's DNS configured?

 

The disappearing can also be caused by the garbage collection process after

24 hours, but is only if the printer is not reachable after that long. Also,

if only the one printer, try swapping the print server card (JetDirect?) if

at all possible with one of the other printers and see if the other printer

now stops. Try switching wires and ports too to see if the wire is bad or

the switch has a problem on that port.

 

--

Regards,

Ace

 

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and

confers no rights.

 

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT,

MVP Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

Microsoft Certified Trainer

 

Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

[Guest Rob Gordon]

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time everyweekday?

 

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time everyweekday?

 

All the servers are using the internal AD-integrated DNS only.

 

I've already had the system board on the unit swapped out, so I'm going

to try the network cable/switch port angle tomorrow.

 

Is there any way to set up extensive logging on the Win2K3 print server

to try and capture what might be causing the sharing to 'stop'? I know

it's happening every day at around the same time, but I'm stumped as to

the 'why' of it.

 

Ace Fekay [MVP] wrote:

> In news:OpJR8CiYIHA.4756@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl,

> Rob Gordon <Robert.Gordon@nospam.dslextreme.com> typed:

>> I have a really bizarre one..

>>

>> We have a Windows 2003 R2 Standard server (fully patched), acting as a

>> dedicated print server. There are three networked printers fed off

>> the server, all of the same make/model, using the same version of the

>> printer driver and all on the same subnet. Each printer is shared out

>> as both a Windows shared printer and as an LPR spool for Linux users.

>>

>> Every morning at nearly the exact same time, one of these printer's

>> loses its share on the server and everyone mapped to it can't print. I can

>> easily go into the server and reshare the printer and

>> everything is fine, but it's ONLY that one share that disappears. There

>> is nothing in the Event Log that states that there was a system

>> error, that it was done manually, or anything. The Event Log shows

>> that everything is working as expected.

>>

>> Is there some level of debugging that I should set to try and track

>> why this ONE printer share keeps disappearing on me? I've tried

>> changing the printer's IP, unloading and reloading the print driver,

>> etc. but the share continues to disappear every day.

>>

>> One thing to note, is that this share "vanishes" only during weekdays

>> when multiple users are accessing it. On weekend, the share remains

>> up and active.

>>

>> Signed,

>>

>> CONFUSED

>

> Are all machines only using the internal AD's DNS in thier IP properties or

> is there an ISP's DNS configured?

>

> The disappearing can also be caused by the garbage collection process after

> 24 hours, but is only if the printer is not reachable after that long. Also,

> if only the one printer, try swapping the print server card (JetDirect?) if

> at all possible with one of the other printers and see if the other printer

> now stops. Try switching wires and ports too to see if the wire is bad or

> the switch has a problem on that port.

>

[Guest Ace Fekay [MVP]]

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time every weekday?

 

Re: Windows' printer share "disappears" at nearly the same time every weekday?

 

In news:ekbOo1wYIHA.220@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl,

Rob Gordon <Robert.Gordon@nospam.dslextreme.com> typed:

> All the servers are using the internal AD-integrated DNS only.

>

> I've already had the system board on the unit swapped out, so I'm

> going to try the network cable/switch port angle tomorrow.

>

> Is there any way to set up extensive logging on the Win2K3 print

> server to try and capture what might be causing the sharing to

> 'stop'? I know it's happening every day at around the same time,

> but I'm stumped as to the 'why' of it.

>

 

Not that I can think of unless you want to sniiff the network and capture

data going to it, such as using Wireshark or NetMon v2.

 

Maybe one of these third party tools?

http://www.google.com/search?q=printer+logging&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ITVA

 

Ace