Re: Printer driver-related network delays

Are there any event 20 entries in the system eventlog on the client at the
time of the delay (this is a driver download)?

You could set up one of the clients with a local printer rather than a
connection. Add a Local Port on the client with the name
\\server\printshare

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterNoPP.htm

If the driver is ever changed on then server, you would need to make the
same change on the client.

--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"Fernando Ronci" <fernandoronci@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:utZIsCcYHHA.4692@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello,

I've got a Windows XP LAN comprised of several workstations and printers.
The printers (7 in total, HP and Epson) are shared, as are several folders
and disks on one file server.
Here is the problem.
Every time someone on a workstation tries to print to a network printer
from any given application, unacceptable delays (in the order of 10
seconds) are experienced on that workstation while the operator sets the
options on the "Print" dialog window. For example, when I set the options
on Autocad's "Print" dialog window there's a massive amount of delay while
I navigate through the different controls on that "Print" dialog window
(namely textboxes, combo boxes, buttons, etc.). The same happens when I
(or someone else on another workstation) print from any other application
such as Microsoft Word 2003, Excel 2003, any product from Adobe or any
other vendor. Moreover, as the delays take place I notice sustained
network traffic on the workstation showing the print dialog, as if it were
polling the network for printer drivers or something like that. Because
this network polling takes place on the User Interface thread, the "Print"
dialog window is sensitive to the well-known temporary hanging in the
usual blank-area + hourglass fashion. Of course, as there's no actual
hanging going on, when the workstation is done polling the network the
"Print" window is re-rendered and I re-gain control.
Now, a few things to note:
- As far as I can tell the problem is unrelated to the application(s)
trying to print. It is related to Windows XP's print dialog and/or
networking implementation.
- The problem is unrelated to the network hardware infrastructure, e.g.
cables, NIC's or switches. Previously, the workstations ran Windows 98 and
none of this happened.
- Every time a client workstation launches an application from a network
share, the same massive, printer-driver-related delay happens despite no
printing at all is involved in launching a .exe from a share!
- The problem affects all the workstations, so it's not tied to any
particular machine.

I followed the instructions on this document from MS Knowledge Base (
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320138 / How To
Disable Automatic Search for Network Printers and Folders in Windows XP)
but it didn't help much, I mean, the aforementioned problem still
persists.

So, I would like to know:
1) Why does Windows XP insist on gathering information or drivers from
network resources *every* time an operation involves network access?
Multiply this by the dozen times a workstations prints or launches an
application from a network share and, well, you've got the picture. After
all, if the drivers are installed locally, what's the sense of so much
network polling?

2) Is there a way to disable all Windows XP's features for automatic
detection of network resources and *permanently* fix the problem?

Thank you in advance,

Fernando Ronci
E-mail: fernandoronci@xxxxxxxxxxx




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