network printing slow locally

[shadowlands]

hello,

in windows server 2003 i have set up a print server. all xp clients in the network print via the printers included on this print server. i have only 1 problem, locally this is VERY slow...

first of all i add a new local tcp/ip printer on the server and set all the needed values.

next i add a network printer on each client computer. Here comes the problem, if i just add the network printer, everything is almost fine, but on the server i have made a printing preferences template for each printer which i want to use.

so when the network printer is added, it inherits the settings from the printserver. and if i choose the printer in the print dialog of a document, it is selected relatively fast(1,5seconds). But as soon as i set the inherited template in the printing preferences of the printer on the client computer, it takes about 8 seconds to select the printer from the list in the print dialog??

can anyone tell me what this could be? i have checked printer sharing options in the exceptions from the firewall allthough the firewall is disabled. the ip's are static so i have checked netbios

if have searched whole google, but i can't seem to find a working solution

anyone please can help me??

[eyeball]

You dont mention the model of printer or the driver it is currently using. That would be really helpful

Thanks

[shadowlands]

thx for your reply the printer is a HP 4250tn, the drivers that i have tried are: 4250 PCL 5e and 4250 PCL6

Edited August 12, 2008 by shadowlands

[eyeball]

Disable advanced features on the driver and see if that helps, if not try the universal HP PCL 5 or PCL 6 driver and see if they are any better

[shadowlands]

how can i disable these advanced features?

here are some pictures:

this is the tab where i would set the template(these are example pictures that ressemble the real ones):

but as soon as i do this, the printer selecting in the printer dialog is very slow, also if i right click the printer and select properties, it takes about 8 seconds

[eyeball]

Sorry, under the printing preferences you can usually disabled advanced printing features there. If not i think its under the advanced tab, (its one of the checkboxes underneath the driver box)

Thanks

[cluberti]

I've seen HP drivers do this before - check the event log (app and system) for events from the source "Print". See if it's reinstalling the printer driver every time you try to do this (if so, it will be logged).

[shadowlands]

thx for the reply,

unfortunately turning off the advanced properties didn't work

i have now looked into the application and system logs, in the applicaton logs no log line was added but in the system log some lines were added

print:

Printer Driver HP LaserJet 4250 PCL 5e for Windows NT x86 Version-3 was added or updated. Files:(lot's off DLL's and some EXE's)

but the time from the log line is a couple of minutes later than the actual "choosing printer" time, if this matters?

so i can assume it is reinstalling the printer driver? How can i disable this then? i'm now going to try an universal driver

EDIT: other drivers didn't work

Edited August 13, 2008 by shadowlands

[cluberti]

so i can assume it is reinstalling the printer driver? How can i disable this then?

It appears so, yes. The HP 4xxx series of drivers are actually very, very problematic and I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them .

I would instead suggest uninstalling the driver itself, deleting any queues that use it, and create a new queue with a driver that is close to the one you are trying to use, but use one that ships on the Windows CD and is already installed. These are no frills PS or PCL drivers that shouldn't behave this way (and since you aren't using the advanced features anyway, there's no reason to add the HP bloat to your print server and clients).

[shadowlands]

So if i install the drivers for the hp 5000 the slow selecting in the print dialog should be instantly, or would something like 3300 be better? or would this just be a little bit better(like a second or so faster)

because the selecting now(about 8 seconds) is way too long and people are really getting tired off the waiting

[cluberti]

So if i install the drivers for the hp 5000 the slow selecting in the print dialog should be instantly, or would something like 3300 be better? or would this just be a little bit better(like a second or so faster)

because the selecting now(about 8 seconds) is way too long and people are really getting tired off the waiting

Always better to use a lesser driver than a newer driver - if the Windows CD ships with a LaserJet 4000 driver, or 3300 driver, etc - use that.

[shadowlands]

i tried the windows onboard hp laserjet 5000 PCL

and this looks like it is working a lot better, thx alot for the comments everyone!

i'll try a lesser onboard driver tomorrow and keep this thread updated

cluberti just a question for you as smod, this forum is it outgoing from a company, or is it just private?

Edited August 13, 2008 by shadowlands

[cluberti]

Just private individuals like myself and yours, doing it in our own time.

[shadowlands]

i have tried some other printer drivers with some programs, but now the right side of the A4 is being cut off...

can you pls tell me how to fix this, or is it even possible to fix?

[cluberti]

i have tried some other printer drivers with some programs, but now the right side of the A4 is being cut off...

What driver are you using that it's cutting it off (and in which programs)? If you print to a generic/text print driver (or something like a PDF printer, like CutePDF), is it cut off there as well? Or just specific print drivers?