Standby then printer problems

[Paul D.Smith]

Problem:
HP Laserjet 6L
Windows XP SP2

When the PC comes back from Standby, attempting to print appears to hang.
Pressing the "Throw Page" button on the printer results in a page with some
gibberish about "PageProtect..." and then the document. this happens EVERY
TIME.

Secondary issue, is there any way to make a printer that is in standby
wake-up when another computer attempts to print a document to a shared
printer on the first PC?

Thanks,
Paul DS.

 

[Alan Morris [MSFT]]

Is the port ECP? Try changing the BIOS setting of the LPT port.

This device also support a language monitor, you can disable Bidirectional
on the ports properties.


If you already enabled the network card to Wake on Lan, then no.

--
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.

 

[Paul D.Smith]

Sorry to be dense but change the properties via BIOS to be what? Actually
it will be through some other software as this is a Startech dual PCI
parallel port card (PCs don't come with parallel ports anymore!).

From memory, a choice would normally be between...

ye olde parallel type
bi-directional (sometime nibble)
EPP
ECP (and sometimes different variants too)

Which should I choose?

Also, what's all this about Bidirectional and language monitor? Do talk
techie - I can take it ;-).

Thanks,
Paul DS

 

[Alan Morris [MSFT]]

Try them all until you find the right one. HP probably has a recommendation
for the device

I'm sure there is some config utility for the PCI card.

The printer supports PJL language monitor. On the ports tab of the printer
properties there is a setting to Enable bidirectional support.

--
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.

 

[Paul D.Smith]

Alan,

Thanks for the extra info. I've not tried all the combinations (yet) but I
have tried a number including enabled bi-directional support but its made no
difference.

It also seems to be affecting my other printer, a colour Deskjet 5552, in a
similar manner. After coming back from standby the first attempt to print
is garbage.

I may try connecting to another PC over the weekend to see if that makes any
difference. Prior to this my printers were connected to a win2K box which
didn't "standby" so I've never hit this before.

Paul DS.

 

[Alan Morris [MSFT]]

I've seen something similar when there was "garbage" in the cable that
produced odd behavior with the first page.

I think you will find if you detach the printer cable before sleep mode, the
garbage page will go away after resume and cable reattach, print job. I
don't have a real solution since you don't want to be performing this
operation every day.

--
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.

 

[Paul D.Smith]

Update...

I've just realised that despite my having only just purchased my Startech
parallel port card, the supplied drivers are dated 2002! I've found some
newer 2006 drivers on their website and these seem "better". I say "better"
because I'm not seeing the same problems, but them my PC is never going to
standby either anymore!

Some more investigation required I guess :-(.

Paul DS.

 

[Tom Ferguson]

Do you mean that there is written to the Windows printer spooler or buffer
in the printer when the computer goes into standby that either should not
have been or should be flushed after the computer resumes and before any
actual printing? The cable, itself cannot actually store anything.
--

Tom
MSMVP 1998-2007

 

[Alan Morris [MSFT]]

Normal sent from the computer bios or the parallel port device driver.

I don't know who should do the flushing since the bytes are sitting at the
printer.

--
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.

 

[Tom Ferguson]

Hmmm. If detaching the cable before going into "sleep mode" solves the
problem, the data must originate in the printer driver/spooler and get sent
to the printer when resuming from "sleep". Is there some sort of handshaking
upon coming out of "sleep mode" that the printer is processing as printable
rather than control codes? If so, the fault lies in the driver. Or so it
seems to me, as someone who knows just enough about this to be dangerous.

Tom