Problem with Printer Spooler Service

[Erik Mostert]

I know that this forum is for XP related issues, but I am desperate i
my search for an answer on the following scenario.

I have a print server running Windows 2003 with the latest servic
packs and updates. For as long as I have been working at the company
there has been issues with printing every now and again. We hav
recently the problems have become much more frequent and we started t
investigate the problems more seriously and found the following:

Each time the users are experiencing printing problems, there is
string of Event ID 6161 errors in the System Event Log. We found tha
an error occurs somewhere in the printing subsystem, but that the even
is logged with an "error code 0 - Command completed successfully"

Restarting the printer spooler appears to solve the problem temporaril
but we need to find a permanent solution to the problem.

Recently we also noticed that sometimes when we restart the printe
spooler we are unable to see any local printers in the Printers an
Faxes folder. When this occurs we are also unable to add any new loca
printers. These symptoms appears to be similar to a user who does no
have admin rights on the machine, yet we are logging in with only on
account and that account has full admin rights on the machine.
Sometimes if you restart the printer spooler several times, the proble
disappears and we can see all of the printers and add new local printer
again. This is a strange problem which I have never seen before.

Any ideas?

Regards
E

 

[Alan Morris [MSFT]]

If you also hit error 6162 you have an application that leaks GDI resources.
Yes GDI likes to return success when it fails and the spooler happily passes
along this information. The Office 2003 MODI printer has this issue (there
was a patch later for this) but I recall there was a veterinary application
that had the same issue.

Track the GDI resources using task manager when logged onto the console of
the local machine. If you TS to the machine be sure to run "mstsc /console"
..

taskman
Processes
View
Select Columns
GDI Objects

be sure to check Show processes for all users

If spoolsv.exe gets above 500 most likely you have some issue. Any process
at 10000 GDI objects can no longer allocate any more objects and weird stuff
fails.

If you only see 0 GDI object for spooler you are not in the console session.

Here's the link to the TechNet print / fax forum.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverprint/threads


--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

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

 

[Erik Mostert]

Hi Alan

Thank you for your feedback. I monitored the GDI objects for the las
couple of weeks and they newer go higher than 56. I think the proble
might be related to one or more of the printer drivers. We are runnin
a wide selection of 135 printers of different brands and models. I hav
now replaced the Windows Printer Spooler and have started to install th
latest available printer drivers, trying to use the Universal Printe
Drivers as far as possible. If history is to repeat itself, we expec
the problem to occur either today or during next week. I will post ne
information as soon as I have something.

;3391498']If you also hit error 6162 you have an application that leak
GDI resources.
Yes GDI likes to return success when it fails and the spooler happil
passes
along this information. The Office 2003 MODI printer has this issu
(there
was a patch later for this) but I recall there was a veterinar
application
that had the same issue.

Track the GDI resources using task manager when logged onto the consol
of
the local machine. If you TS to the machine be sure to run "msts
/console"
..

taskman
Processes
View
Select Columns
GDI Objects

be sure to check Show processes for all users

If spoolsv.exe gets above 500 most likely you have some issue. An
process
at 10000 GDI objects can no longer allocate any more objects and weir
stuff
fails.

If you only see 0 GDI object for spooler you are not in the consol
session.

Here's the link to the TechNet print / fax forum.
http://tinyurl.com/3a48xgv


--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base he
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

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

"Erik Mostert" (e-mail address removed) wrote in message

I know that this forum is for XP related issues, but I am desperat
in
my search for an answer on the following scenario.

I have a print server running Windows 2003 with the latest service
packs and updates. For as long as I have been working at th
company,
there has been issues with printing every now and again. We have
recently the problems have become much more frequent and we starte
to
investigate the problems more seriously and found the following:

Each time the users are experiencing printing problems, there is a
string of Event ID 6161 errors in the System Event Log. We foun
that
an error occurs somewhere in the printing subsystem, but that th
event
is logged with an "error code 0 - Command completed successfully"

Restarting the printer spooler appears to solve the proble
temporarily
but we need to find a permanent solution to the problem.

Recently we also noticed that sometimes when we restart the printer
spooler we are unable to see any local printers in the Printers and
Faxes folder. When this occurs we are also unable to add any ne
local
printers. These symptoms appears to be similar to a user who doe
not
have admin rights on the machine, yet we are logging in with only one
account and that account has full admin rights on the machine.
Sometimes if you restart the printer spooler several times, th
problem
disappears and we can see all of the printers and add new loca
printers
again. This is a strange problem which I have never seen before.

Any ideas?

Regards
EM