Error in Printing using "Print To File" and RAW Print mode

I have an application that has worked for many years taking data from a
Unix system and printing it to a Windows printer using the RAW mode.

This program is written in "C" using standard OpenPrinter,
ClosePrinter etc API calls. The DOC_INFO_1 pDataType - set to \"RAW\".

In Vista, this works fine sending data to a physical printer. But, if
the user sets the printer to \"Print To File\" for the port number, the
print job hangs. When you look at the jobs in printer, the spool job
shows \"Error - Printing\" and the printer in the control panel shows
\"Error\".

If I run another application, like Notepad, when the data is printed, I
get the normal dialog box for \"Output File Name\".

I cannot find any messages in the event viewer, so I don't know what
the message means.

I also tried a third party application, \"Frogmore Raw Print\"
('Frogmore - Software for printing'
(http://www.frogmore-raw-print.com/)) and I get the same results.

The printer is defined as an HP Laserjet 5 Printer, but I also get the
same result if I define the printer has a Generic / Text Only printer,
except the printer in the control panel goes into an Error state and
there is no error message in the spool job detail form.

Does anyone know why this is happening?

I would appreciate any help.

Doug


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DougFarmer123

Post in reply to: DougFarmer123
Make sure the application is not generating UI in session 0 since logging
onto Vista is no longer session 0.

--
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.

Alan,

Both of these applications are windows forms applications. My
application uses a telnet session to talk to a Unix host. The 3rd part
application asks for a file to print and then sends it to a printer in
RAW mode.

Everything else works in both applications. All UI functionality is
present.

I am not sure of your meaning regarding session 0. I have only used
session numbers when working with CITRIX and then only to determine
which session number I was currently assigned.

Doug


--
DougFarmer123

Post in reply to: DougFarmer123
Same thing. Will the application work when using remote desktop to another
Vista machine?

--
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.

Alan,

I set up a remote desktop session from an XP machine, to the Vista
machine and logged in as a user with Administrator priviledges. I ran
both my program and the 3rd party program and still the same result. If
I watch the printer form (with the jobs displaying), I first see a
status of "Spooling" immediately followed by "Error - Printing". If I
then open up Control Panel -> Printers, the printer shows 1 job, with
the word "Error" below it.

I've attached some screen shots if that helps

Thanks for responding!!!

Doug


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--
DougFarmer123

Post in reply to: DougFarmer123
Check the system eventlog for print errors

Also enable informational events for the spooler in Printers Folder, right
click any white space, Run as administrator, Server Properties, Advanced.

I did not get the image files. It's okay.

Where are the files getting written to? Make sure the user has write access
to this folder. If the app writes to %windir%\temp, the user context does
not have write access in Vista.

Error 5 is access denied.

--
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.

Hi Alan,

I enabled informational messages as you suggested, cleared the
Application Events, System Events and Security Events and made sure the
queue was clear. When I run the application, I still get the error, but
there is nothing in the event log (except the event that says I cleared
the event log). I also checked the Applications and Services logs, and
no messages their either.

As for where the printer writes the file, that is prompted for at run
time. Every time you send a file to the printer (in non RAW mode), a
dialog box pops up and asks for the file name. You can enter the entire
path.

I do not get that far, no dialog box pops up.

If you use the web interface for the forum, you will be able to get the
attachments (if you want to look).

Again, thanks for the ongoing conversation!

Doug


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DougFarmer123