How to troubleshoot general printing problems in Windows Server 2003 when you use Office products

How to troubleshoot printing problems

To troubleshoot physical problems, it is best to become familiar with the most common ways that administrators use to detect problems. They are as follows:

• Verify that the physical printer is operational. If other users can print, the problem is probably not with the printer or with the print server.

• Verify that the print server is operational. Make sure that there is sufficient disk space for spooling and that the print spool service is running.

• Verify that the printer that is on the print server is using the correct printer driver. If print clients use other operating systems, make sure that you installed all the required drivers for the other operating systems.

• Verify that the client computer has the correct printer driver if print clients are using operating systems other than Windows Server 2003.

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How to troubleshoot physical problems

To troubleshoot physical problems, follow these steps:

• Check the physical printer and make sure the printer is ready to print. With most printers, you can print a test page from the printer console to verify the correct operation.

• Check the cable that connects the printer and make sure it is connected correctly. If the printer is connected directly to the network with a network adapter, check the light on the card that indicates network connectivity.

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How to troubleshoot printer communication problems

To troubleshoot printer communication problems, follow these steps:

• Make sure that you can communicate with the printer over the network. As an example, if a printer communicates over the TCP/IP protocol, use the ping command to verify connectivity to the printer's IP address.

• Verify that you can communicate to the print server by trying to print from other computers.

• Verify that any service that is required for the printer and the client computer that submitted the print job is working correctly. For example, for a Macintosh client, verify that the AppleTalk protocol is working.

• Make sure that the print spool service is running on the print server.

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How to troubleshoot Windows Server 2003 printing problems

When you troubleshoot printing across a network in Windows Server 2003, your approach may frequently include seven processes. After you verify each process, you can generally identify the problem.

If you cannot verify each process listed in this table, you may have a network problem.

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Try to print a test page

To print a test page, you must have print permissions. You can also print a test page when you first install a printer.

To print a test page, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

2. Right-click the printer that you want to test, and then click Properties.

3. Click the General tab, and then click Print Test Page.

4. If the test page printed correctly, click OK.

Note If the test page did not print correctly, continue to troubleshoot. If you cannot print a test page or if you cannot print in several or all your Microsoft Windows programs, you may have one of the following problems:

• A printer driver problem

• A Windows problem

• A hardware problem

• A connectivity problem

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Try to print from Microsoft WordPad

To print from WordPad, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click WordPad.

2. Type This is a test.

3. On the File menu, click Print.

If your printer prints a page with the words This is a test, the WordPad test is successful. Now, try to print from your program. If you cannot print from your program or from several Windows-based programs, then start Windows in Safe Mode.

If you cannot print from WordPad, see if you can print at a command prompt.

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Try to print at a command prompt

• To print at a command prompt to a PostScript printer, follow these steps:

  1. Open a Command Prompt window window. To open a Command Prompt window, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.

  2. At the command prompt, type copy con lpt1, press CTRL+Z, and then press ENTER.
     
     Note If your printer is connected to a port other than LPT1, replace "lpt1" with the correct port.

  3. At the command prompt, type showpage, press CTRL+Z, and then press ENTER.

  If your printer prints a blank page, your computer and your printer are connected correctly.

• To print at a command prompt to a non-PostScript or PCL printer, follow these steps:

  1. Open a Command Prompt window window. To open a Command Prompt window, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.

  2. At the command prompt, type dir > lpt1 if your printer is connected to the LPT1 port, and then press ENTER.
     
     Note If your printer is connected to a port other than LPT1, replace "lpt1" with the correct port.

  If your printer outputs a blank page, your computer and your printer are connected correctly.

If you cannot print at a command prompt, try to Start Windows in Safe Mode and then try to print at a command prompt again.

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How to start Windows Server 2003 in Safe Mode

Safe Mode helps you diagnose problems. If a symptom does not reappear when you start your computer in Safe Mode, you can rule out the default settings and minimum device drivers as possible causes. If a newly added device or a changed driver is the cause of the printing problem, you can use Safe Mode to remove the device or reverse the change.

To start Windows Server 2003 in Safe Mode, you can select from the following Safe Mode options:

• Safe Mode
  This option uses only the basic files and the generic drivers that are required to run Windows Server 2003 on your computer.

• Safe Mode with Networking
  This option is the same as Safe Mode except that network connectivity also starts.

• Safe Mode with Command Prompt
  This option is the same as Safe Mode except that a command prompt starts instead of Windows Server 2003.

To start Windows Server 2003 in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

Note You may want to print these instructions before you restart your computer.

1. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.

2. In the What do you want the computer to do? list, click
   Restart, and then click OK.
   
   

3. When you see the Please select the operating system to start message, press F8.
   

4. In the Windows Advanced Option Menu, use the arrow keys to select the safe mode option you want, and then press ENTER.
   
   
   Note The NUM LOCK key must be turned off for the arrow keys on the numeric keypad to function.
   

5. Use the arrow keys to select an operating system, and then press ENTER.
   
   For additional information about starting Windows Server 2003 in Safe Mode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   
   

   324268 How to troubleshoot shutdown problems in Windows Server 2003
   
   

If you are still not able to print at a command prompt in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

1. Check the cables, switch boxes, and connections to make sure that all printer and network cables are securely connected.

2. If you are connected to a switch box, try to remove the switch box, and then connect to the printer directly.

3. Make sure that the printer is online and is ready for printing.

4. Try a self-test of the printer.

If the self-test does not work, contact your printer manufacturer.

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How to check the printer driver

To determine whether there is a problem with your printer driver installation, remove and reinstall your default printer driver. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

2. Right-click the default printer icon, and then click Delete.
   
   Note The default printer icon has a white check mark in a black circle in its upper-left corner.

3. To confirm that you want to delete this printer, click Yes.

4. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.

5. Click Local printer attached to this computer, and then click Next.

6. Click Use the following port, click the port that you want your printer to use, and then click Next.

7. In the Manufacturer list, click the name of your printer manufacturer, and in the Printers list, click the name of your printer model.
   
   Note If you are not sure of the manufacturer or the printer model or if you do not see your printer model in the Printers list, see your printer documentation.

8. Click Next, and then click Yes to make this your default printer.

9. Click Next three times, and then to indicate that you want to print a test page, click Yes.

10. Click Next, and then click Finish.

11. Click OK if the test page printed correctly.
    

Test your printer by printing a document from WordPad. If you cannot print from WordPad after you reinstall the print drivers, then try to print using a Generic/Text Only printer driver.

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How to install the Generic/Text Only printer driver

To determine whether your printing problem is related to your printer driver, try to print by using the Generic/Text Only printer driver.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

2. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.

3. Click Local printer attached to this computer, and then click Next.

4. Click Use the following port, click the port that the printer is attached to, and then click Next.

5. In the Manufacturer list, click Generic, and in the Printers list, click Generic/Text Only.

6. To make this your default printer, click Next, and then click Yes.

7. Click Next three times, and then to indicate that you want to print a test page, click Yes.

8. Click Next, and then click Finish.

9. Click OK if the test page printed correctly.
   

If the test page does not print, contact your printer manufacturer for more information. If the test page prints correctly, test your printer by printing a document from WordPad.


If you can print from WordPad, try to print from your program. If you can now print from your program, your original printer driver is incorrect or incompatible with your computer. Contact the printer manufacturer for your printer for the latest compatible drivers. You can continue to use the Generic/Text Only printer driver in the meantime, but you can print only standard black-and-white text.

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How to check the printer configuration files

To check to make sure that your printer is using printer configuration files that are not corrupted, you must make sure that you have fresh copies of the printer configuration files on your computer To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

2. Right-click the default printer icon, and then click Delete.
   
   Note The default printer icon has a white check mark in a black circle in upper-left corner.

3. To confirm that you want to delete this printer, click Yes.

4. Click Start, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.

5. In the console tree, expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.

6. In the Services pane, right-click Print Spooler, and then click Stop.

7. Locate and then double-click the following folder:

   C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3

8. Delete all the files and folders in the 3 folder.

9. After you stop the spooler service, if you cannot delete the files and folders or if you receive a message that states that the files are in use, follow these steps

   1. Click Start, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.

   2. In the console tree, expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
      
      

   3. In the Services pane, double-click Print Spooler.

   4. In the Startup type list, click Disabled, and then click OK.

   5. Restart your computer.

   6. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for each printer file.

10. Click Start, point to Control Panel, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.

11. In the console tree, expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
    
    

12. In the Services pane, double-click Print Spooler.

13. In the Startup type list, click Automatic, and then click OK.

After you update the printer files, reinstall your printer. To install a printer driver, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

2. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.

3. Click Local printer attached to this computer, and then click Next.

4. Click Use the following port, click the port that you want your printer to use, and then click Next.

5. In the Manufacturer list, click the name of your printer manufacturer, and in the Printers list, click the name of your printer model.
   
   Note If you are not sure of the manufacturer or the printer model, of if you do not see your printer model in the Printers list, see your printer documentation.

6. To make this your default printer, click Next, and then click Yes.

7. Click Next three times, and then to indicate that you want to print a test page, click Yes.

8. Click Next, and then click Finish.

9. Click OK if the test page printed correctly.
   

After you update the printer files for a network printer, you must create a local port. To create a local printer port, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

2. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.

3. Click Local printer attached to this computer, clear the Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer check box, and then click Next.

4. Click Create a new port, click Local Port in the Type of port list, and then click Next.

5. In the Enter a port name box, type \\server name\printer name, and then click OK.
   
   Note The server name is the name of the printer server and the printer name is the printer share name.

6. Click the name of your printer manufacturer, and in the Printers list, click the name of your printer model.
   
   Note If you are not sure of the manufacturer or the printer model or if you do not see your printer model in the Printers list, see your printer documentation.

7. Click Next, and then click Yes to make this your default printer.

8. Click Next three times, and then to indicate that you want to print a test page, click Yes.

9. Click Next, and then click Finish.

10. Click OK if the test page printed correctly.

If the test page does not print, you may have a network connectivity problem and you may have to contact your network administrator.

If the test page prints, your printing problem may have occurred because of corrupted printer files. Set this printer as your default printer, and then try to print from WordPad. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click WordPad.

2. Type This is a test.

3. On the File menu, click Print.

If your printer prints a page with the words This is a test, your WordPad test is successful.

If the WordPad test is successful, try to print from your program. If you cannot print from your program, then check the program.

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How to check the disk space

To check the available space on your hard disk to make sure that your computer has sufficient available disk space to print your document, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.

2. Right-click your system disk, and then click Properties.

Note The system disk is wherever you installed Windows. It is typically drive C.

A pie chart appears that indicates how much space on your disk is being used, and how much disk space is free.

You want about 32 megabytes (MB) of free disk space to print a simple document. You may require more free disk space to print larger documents, such as documents that contain graphics. We recommend 120 MB of free disk space. Note that 1 gigabyte (GB) equals 1024 MB. If there is not sufficient disk space available, try to remove files and programs that you have to have. After you increase your available disk space, try to print from your program.

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How to check the program

At this point, you have determined that you can print from WordPad and that the printing issue seems to be specific to one program. To troubleshoot problems in the program, think about what the printing problem is. For example, does your program print graphics correctly? Or, are you having problems with a particular font? Does the problem occur in only one document? Or, does the problem occur in all document in the program? As a test, try to print a blank page from the program. If this prints correctly, the program may have problems with memory or with fonts.