7.6 PM - any way to have it talk directly to the Printer under XP?

[GAC05]

I have asked this before - figured with a new year it couldn't hurt to ask again.
Under win2k the production manager would send the file directly to the encad1000i through a direct cross over cable. The windows print spooler would stay off and not redirect the job.

Same set up under XPpro
I can't the PM to go direct to the printer.
It starts the windows print spooler and this causes problems with starting and stopping jobs- some jobs don't finish without the spooler timing out.
Pinter is set up as an IP address - I deleted the printer from the printer control panel but it still starts the spooler.

any ideas



wayne k
guam usa

 

[Matthew Scher]

It will use the Windows spooler based on what port you select in Production Manager. For example if you choose a system port (such as IP x.x.x.x) it will go through the OS spooler. However, you can choose port as TCP/IP in PM and it will be able to communicate directly to the device.

I have also seen that it will use the OS based on port settings in PM. For example if you have an LPT port selected, and option is set to use standard LPT port, then it will use the OS spooler.

 

[GAC05]

Thank you for the reply.
I think you have zero'd in on the problem.
I had it TC/IP on win2k and just the IP address under XP.

Almost there:
It will print when set to the correct IP address - but goes thru the OS spooler.

If I set it to TCP/IP (-w- the correct ip & port # - same as it is set in the Win2K system) it will rip, but the PM will error out when starting to print with the message "can't open port"
I have everything turned off - no firewalls, no anti-virus, no spyware etc.
I know the printer is there and I can ping it from the command line.

Any clues on this?
Right now I am ripping and printing off my old win2k system to get around this and would really like to run everything from the newer XP box before the win2k system takes that final dirtnap.

thanks again
wayne k
guam usa

 

[Matthew Scher]

Hi Wayne,

Do you have a Roland printer? There was an issue with Roland printers on XP having this issue, but I don't remember the work around. Let me know the model you have and I can do some more inestigation.

 

[GAC05]

Hi Wayne,

Do you have a Roland printer? There was an issue with Roland printers on XP having this issue, but I don't remember the work around. Let me know the model you have and I can do some more inestigation.

I do not have a Roland, I'm running a Kodak/Encad 1000i 60" dye-pigment printer (same printer as the 1200i).

Here is the laundry list:
The printer defaults to a static IP of 192.0.0.192 on port 9100 - DHCP off.
I set the PC to 192.0.0.193, same subnet for both printer & pc.
I have the Production Manager local to the Flexi 7.6 install on the XP system.
It is connected to the printer with a direct cross over cable through the ethernet cards. Running direct there is little in the way between the two, no firewalls, no router or hub - all the AV stuff is off as nothing is hooked to the net. Printer and PC(s) are in the same room - short cable.
The system is running XP Pro+ SP2 on an Intel dualcore with 2 gigs ram and lots of drive space.
I've removed and re-installed the printer a few times but it has not helped.
In the windows print manager I have the Encad set to print directly to the printer and not use the spooler at priority 99. Switching the options to there did not do anything to help.
As far as I can tell I have everything set up the same on both win2k and XP. Except for getting XP to open that port to the TCP/IP address.
The printer seems to use the same driver for both versions of windows.

Can't think of anything else to include.

Thanks for looking into this.
(you may be able to tell that this is driving me a little nuts)

wayne k
guam usa