Missing printers

[Dvord Direwood]

Ok, I'm almost certain this is a Windows problem. However, it only seems to
affect Adobe software.

I can replicate this problem on about 5 Windows XP machines on our network.
Not all have XP SP2. All are kept up to date with patches (which might be
the problem) via SUS.

The problem is, (for example) when try to print a PDF, many of the printers
installed on the workstation are not shown in the list of available
printers. I even had one computer which the Reader software said I had no
printers installed, and offered the wizard to add one. I added one, and it
looped back to showing me the wizard again. Despite the fact there were two
printers in the list.

This happens exclusively with printers added from Active Directory, BUT NOT
ALL printers. Some printers appear on some machines, and the same ones might
not appear on other machines. If I set up a printer by IP address, I do see
it in the list: HOWEVER I cannot print to it. It appears that it prints, but
nothing comes out of the printer, nothing is in the queue.

The software this problem occurs with includes JASC Print Shop Pro, Adobe
Acrobat, Reader, Photoshop. The software this problem DOES NOT occur with
includes Notepad, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office Applications, and
Microsoft Paint.

We're running W2K Advanced Server, part of Small Business Server 2000. This
problem seemed to occur out of the blue, which makes me think it's a patch
from Microsoft, however there's no clear time when it started and it seemed
to start sometime in early Sept. when there were a few releases. The
releases from that time don't mention printing at all, so I really don't
have any good places to start from.

I suspect I'll just have to take the most troublesome machine and start
removing patches until I find the culprit, but I'm trying to avoid several
days of tedium. Any suggestions?

 

[Dvord Direwood]

I said that it happens exclusively with printers added through active
directory.

I was wrong. It happens with print queues on other computers as well.

 

[Dvord Direwood]

Complete Update:

Ok, I'm almost certain this is a Windows problem. However, it only seems to
affect Adobe software, and other software which DOES NOT use the standard
Windows Printer Dialog. If you wonder what I mean, have a look at this
document: http://www.riversedge.cc/swade/lprinters.pdf

The problem developed sometime in late September. It seems to have slowly
spread to XP workstations on the network since then. NONE of the printer
queues on the network changed at ALL. All users have access to print on
these.

I can replicate this problem on about 5 Windows XP machines on our network,
and more machines are now being reported as having problems. Not all have XP
SP2. All are kept up to date with patches via SUS.

The problem is, when try to print a PDF (or other document from Adobe
Reader, Elements or even some other applications), some of the printers
installed on the workstation are not shown in the list of available
printers. I even had one computer which the Reader software said I had no
printers installed, and offered the wizard to add one. I added one, and it
looped back to showing me the wizard again. Despite the fact there were two
printers in the list.

If I attempt to print to the same printer from an application that uses
Microsoft's printer dialog box, it prints fine, so it's not a permissions
issue.

This happens with printers added from Active Directory (domain\printer), or
from individual shared printers attached to workstations on the network
(\\computername\LPT/USB printer) as well as queues for network print servers
(built into printers) on workstations (\\computername\ipaddy_printer). Some
printers appear on some machines, and the same ones might not appear on
other machines. If I set up a printer by IP address at the workstation, I do
see it in the list: HOWEVER I cannot print to it. It appears that it prints,
but nothing comes out of the printer, nothing is in the queue.

We're running W2K Advanced Server, part of Small Business Server 2000. This
problem seemed to occur out of the blue, which makes me think it's a patch
from Microsoft, however there's no clear time when it started and it seemed
to start sometime in early Sept. when there were quite a few releases. The
releases from that time don't mention printing at all, so I really don't
have any good places to start from.

I suspect I'll just have to take the most troublesome machine and start
removing patches until I find the culprit, but I'm trying to avoid several
days of tedium. Any suggestions?

Latest update: Three printers are causing problems. #1 is a color printer
attached to an xp workstation via USB, it's shared through AD and through
the computer name. #2 is the same as #1, but the workstation is 2000. #3 is
a plotter connected through a proprietary cable to a proprietary embedded XP
workstation as an LPR (unix) device. It is connected to AD from the DC which
hosts the print queue to the network.