Re: slow printing

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Suzanne S. Barnhill (sbarnhill_at_mvps.org)
Date: 11/14/04


Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 11:37:38 -0600

I have actually found that I can work in other apps while a document is
printing directly to the printer--just not in the originating app.

-- 
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
"Thomas Ferguson" <tomf@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:O%23PjnIiyEHA.3024@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Careful reading of the previous posts is recommended. ;-))
>
> Of course Windows can multi-task while printing—during normal
> operations—using the default spooler settings. However, Windows cannot
> multi-task if the spooler is disabled.
>
> If you set Windows to print directly to the printer, the spooler is out
> of use and Windows writes directly to the printing device instead of the
> virtual device driver (part of the printer spooler) which in turn would
> have written to the printing device. The usual result is that printing
> itself is faster but the system is non-responsive until printing is
> finished and control is passed to another process.
>
> As a separate issue, you can control Word's multi-threading of printing
> with the "background printing" setting.
>
> Tom
> MSMVP
> Windows Shell/User
>
>
>
>
>
> "Chuck" <nospm@msn.com> wrote in message
> news:%23mOuNGhyEHA.4044@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> : Windows cannot multi-task while printing?
> : Odd, this has been a feature since the DOS days. Don't tell me we've
> : regressed farther back than that when it comes to printing!
> :
> : "Thomas Ferguson" <tomf@mvps.org> wrote in message
> : news:u7sSqTayEHA.824@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> : > Printing directly to the printer usually speeds up printing, itself.
> : > However, as you have noticed, Windows cannot multi-task while
> printing
> : > is being done. That is what is causing Word to become unresponsive
> while
> : > printing is in progress.
> : >
> : > Try the following:
> : > Run scandisk on all local hard drives and fix any reported errors.
> : > Delete all the files in the Windows temp directory, the Internet
> browser
> : > cache. Run defrag on all local disks, especially the disk containing
> : > Windows. Restart Windows. Try printing.
> : >
> : > Tom
> : > MSMVP
> : > Windows Shell/User
> : >
> : > "P Parson" <PParson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> : > news:E48EEBC0-13A6-4DA5-AC67-E88D7504B214@microsoft.com...
> : > : The printer was shared - when problem began.  I disabled sharing,
> : > thinking
> : > : that it might be a "networking" problem.  That didn't change the
> : > behavior.
> : > :
> : > : "Print directly to the printer" as suggested in the previous post
> tied
> : > up
> : > : Word so that it didn'nt respone either.
> : > :
> : > : "p parson" wrote:
> : > :
> : > : > I have a Brother HL 630 laser printer.  I am running Windows XP
> Pro
> : > SP2 and
> : > : > Office 2003.  I am having trouble printing.  It works sometimes
> : > (usually
> : > : > prints simple documents ok), but after that it will take 20-30
> : > minutes
> : > : > (sometimes longer) to print and occasionally the printer "warms
> up"
> : > and never
> : > : > prints - once in a while the document prints after I reboot.
> : > : >
> : > : > I tried HP Laserjet IIP drives - same problem - Brother says it
> is a
> : > : > Microsoft problem.
> : > : >
> : > : > The same documents print fine under ME/Word 2000.
> : > : > DWS
> : >
> : >
> :
> :
> : ---
> : Outgoing mail is AVG certified Virus Free.
> : Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> : Version: 6.0.788 / Virus Database: 533 - Release Date: 11/1/2004
> :
> :
>
>


Relevant Pages

  • Re: Determining Available Paper Sizes on Printer
    ... I looped through only the sizes given in the VB ... I'm afraid printing in Windows is still not an exact science, at least as far as paper sizes or special printing arrangements is concerned. ... Some printers are bristling with sensors that detect the size of paper in each available tray and some are not, and even for those that are there is still no "standard" way of communicating such information to Windows. ... Or in fact it could be that the printer driver you are using is a "generic for the model range" driver that can be used for various models in the range. ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)
  • Re: Printing Error Question
    ... Are you printing to a FILE: ... Windows Printing Team ... Printer in question is an Epson Stylus CX3810: ... me think something might be wrong with the spooler in Windows 2000, ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.printing)
  • RE: Problems Printing After XP Upgrade from 98SE
    ... following steps to clean the printer subsystem completely on the ... Windows NT Fax Monitor ... AppleTalk Printing Devices ... | workstation, but if I do that, I'll have to create the queue and re-share ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Printing Logging Problems
    ... Windows Printing Team ... so i tried some printer managment software, but most of them are dependent ... on the spooler to get the information, and since the spooler is giving ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.general)
  • Re: CUPS printing
    ... spooled - kind of like Windows has the option for start printing after ... - sending to the spooler ... I have seen slowness when sending a job over 2 GiB to a wide-format ... Printing on GNU/Linux? ...
    (uk.comp.os.linux)