Printing Hangs

Yahoo Archive
1
Thanks, that ought to keep me busy for awhile. ;)

The problem is limited to Vantage's Progress based reports and I think I
concur with support that it is related to Progress' "least comon
denominator" strategy of writing for older drivers. I am pretty certain
that it is due to the message box that shows % completed not "hearing" the
printer/spooler say "I'm done!". So it sits at 99% forever and does not
close the progress (little p) window and this leaves the rest of Progress
(big P) hung. I'm not sure why it affects the mouse cursor until the task
is ended.

As soon as I can get at one of the users' PC when she leaves at 3pm (CST)
I'm going to install IE 6.0 because I have had other printing issues which
this resolved. Apparently IE 6.0 updates a lot of Windows stuff (like
MDAC). The downside is that the problem is not consistantly reproducable so
I'll have to wait sufficient time (a week?) and see if it stays gone and
even then not be totally sure it is fixed. The issue first came up with
Vantage 5.20.211 on Progress 9.1D. I'm going to do patch 305 this weekend.

-Todd C.

-----Original Message-----
From: wmc20@... [mailto:wmc20@...]
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 2:33 PM
To: pml@...; vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Printing Hangs


At 01:00 PM 1/2/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>Hey Wayne,
>Todd already tried the HP Series II driver and is still having the same
>problem. What else should he try?

Unfortunately, I don't have any sure-fire fixes or suggestions. But for
strange PC hangs, here are some:

* Down grading the drivers is a good start (done that)
* Basic PC sanity checks, like ScanDisk or Norton Disk Doctor, and a virus
scan.
* Deleting all the contents of \VntgWork and the various temp directories
is a good idea (close Vantage 1st)
* Windows registry fixer-uppers, like WinDoctor in Norton System Works can
correct strange problems. Microsoft RegClean, too.
* Uninstall / Reinstall Progress & Vantage.
* Uninstall other printer drivers. Many of HP's ink jet drivers install
monitoring programs that run at windows' startup, and have been known to
affect other printers. Uninstall them, and check in the Start Menu ->
Startup and the various registry locations for them also.
* Any little "mini databases" or log files that windows maintains may
become corrupted and cause odd things to crash. Usually deleting (or more
safe - renaming or moving) the file and allowing it to be re-created from
scratch works. Any of the \Windows\*.PWL files are notorious. Also had
one with corrupted stuff in \Windows\AppLog -- a directory where windows
records frequently used EXE and DLL files in hopes of making the defrag
utility work better - del *.* fixed it.
* And [on more of a stretch with this one] -- Advertising spy-ware
installed by some applications monitors many windows and network activities
(often loading at boot time, and running even when the app' isn't in use)
and sometimes make other things crash. Plus, they're a damn invasive
nuisance. But, back at usaero I didn't have any way to prevent people from
downloading & installing free software, and this was occasionally the
culprit. LavaSoft's AdAware will remove much of it.

Any other "general purpose" fixes? I've been meaning to document a
standard check list for a long time.

-Wayne Cox
Twenty Three - Information Technology Consulting
828-685-2338




Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

ADVERTISEMENT

<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=234081.2814790.4175286.1925585/D=egroupweb/S=17050071
83:HM/A=1327985/R=0/*http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;4870024;7586687;x?http://
www.ameriquestmortgage.com/welcome.html?ad=Yahoo01>

<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=234081.2814790.4175286.1925585/D=egroupmai
l/S=:HM/A=1327985/rand=142423506>

Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.>
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages>
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links>

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
2
I know printer issues are a fairly frequent topic but this one seems a
little different and I have not seen it addressed here before.

We are getting several reports, mainly edit lists but also WIP/Cost, which
hang when printing. Progress locks up (not responding) and the mouse
freezes). Ctrl-Alt-Del and end-task frees it up. It always hangs at 99%
completed. The report prints OK (and completely) so it looks like something
related to the printer (or spooler) telling the program it is done. This
only involves Progress based reports (not RB or Crystal). On advice of
Epicor Support I changed the printer driver for the two people who are
seeing this so that it uses an old HP II driver (the printer is a LaserJet
8000) but this has not helped.

Anyone else ever see this of have something else to try?

Thanks,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
3
Vantage support always says to use the HP II Series driver. If that didn�t
change anything I would try removing the progress client and then install it
again. I would also make sure that the latest version of Internet Explorer
is installed and the service packs for your operating system.

Paul L.

-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 8:42 AM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] Printing Hangs

I know printer issues are a fairly frequent topic but this one seems a
little different and I have not seen it addressed here before.

We are getting several reports, mainly edit lists but also WIP/Cost, which
hang when printing. Progress locks up (not responding) and the mouse
freezes). Ctrl-Alt-Del and end-task frees it up. It always hangs at 99%
completed. The report prints OK (and completely) so it looks like something
related to the printer (or spooler) telling the program it is done. This
only involves Progress based reports (not RB or Crystal). On advice of
Epicor Support I changed the printer driver for the two people who are
seeing this so that it uses an old HP II driver (the printer is a LaserJet
8000) but this has not helped.

Anyone else ever see this of have something else to try?

Thanks,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT

<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=234081.2814790.4175286.1925585/D=egroupweb/S=17050071
83:HM/A=1327985/R=0/*http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;4870024;7586687;x?http://
www.ameriquestmortgage.com/welcome.html?ad=Yahoo01>


Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
4
At 12:02 PM 1/2/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>Vantage support always says to use the HP II Series driver. If that didn't

At Vantage 5.0 or maybe 4.0, Epicor started supporting newer, err... less
obsolete drivers (from 15 years old up to 7 - woo hoo!) The LaserJet 4
series and maybe a couple others.

Still, the LJ-II is very standard and a least common denominator. It's
probably the best first try if you're going to experiment with a
downgrading drivers. Unfortunately, the low 300 DPI resolution stinks for
those fine-print reports and printer features may be unavailable with it,
or I'd just install it all the time :(

Oh yeah - product recommendation - got sick of messing with an inj-jet on
the home network, and bought myself an x-mas present. An HP LaserJet 1200
<VBG!> $400 (w. $40 Staples rebate pending), 15 pages / min, 1200 DPI,
decent paper handling for a personal-sized laser. *Very Nice* machine for
personal or small office use. If you have higher-ups at your company that
don't want to walk 30 feet to a shared printer, get 'em one of these (or
one for yourself.)

-Wayne Cox
Twenty Three - Information Technology Consulting
828-685-2338
5
Hey Wayne,

Todd already tried the HP Series II driver and is still having the same
problem. What else should he try?

-----Original Message-----
From: wmc20@... [mailto:wmc20@...]
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 12:38 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Printing Hangs

At 12:02 PM 1/2/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>Vantage support always says to use the HP II Series driver. If that didn't

At Vantage 5.0 or maybe 4.0, Epicor started supporting newer, err... less
obsolete drivers (from 15 years old up to 7 - woo hoo!) The LaserJet 4
series and maybe a couple others.

Still, the LJ-II is very standard and a least common denominator. It's
probably the best first try if you're going to experiment with a
downgrading drivers. Unfortunately, the low 300 DPI resolution stinks for
those fine-print reports and printer features may be unavailable with it,
or I'd just install it all the time :(

Oh yeah - product recommendation - got sick of messing with an inj-jet on
the home network, and bought myself an x-mas present. An HP LaserJet 1200
<VBG!> $400 (w. $40 Staples rebate pending), 15 pages / min, 1200 DPI,
decent paper handling for a personal-sized laser. *Very Nice* machine for
personal or small office use. If you have higher-ups at your company that
don't want to walk 30 feet to a shared printer, get 'em one of these (or
one for yourself.)

-Wayne Cox
Twenty Three - Information Technology Consulting
828-685-2338





Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT

<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=234081.2814790.4175286.1925585/D=egroupweb/S=17050071
83:HM/A=1328027/R=0/*http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;4870030;7586687;u?http://
www.ameriquestmortgage.com/welcome.html?ad=Yahoo01>


Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
6
At 01:00 PM 1/2/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>Hey Wayne,
>Todd already tried the HP Series II driver and is still having the same
>problem. What else should he try?

Unfortunately, I don't have any sure-fire fixes or suggestions. But for
strange PC hangs, here are some:

* Down grading the drivers is a good start (done that)
* Basic PC sanity checks, like ScanDisk or Norton Disk Doctor, and a virus
scan.
* Deleting all the contents of \VntgWork and the various temp directories
is a good idea (close Vantage 1st)
* Windows registry fixer-uppers, like WinDoctor in Norton System Works can
correct strange problems. Microsoft RegClean, too.
* Uninstall / Reinstall Progress & Vantage.
* Uninstall other printer drivers. Many of HP's ink jet drivers install
monitoring programs that run at windows' startup, and have been known to
affect other printers. Uninstall them, and check in the Start Menu ->
Startup and the various registry locations for them also.
* Any little "mini databases" or log files that windows maintains may
become corrupted and cause odd things to crash. Usually deleting (or more
safe - renaming or moving) the file and allowing it to be re-created from
scratch works. Any of the \Windows\*.PWL files are notorious. Also had
one with corrupted stuff in \Windows\AppLog -- a directory where windows
records frequently used EXE and DLL files in hopes of making the defrag
utility work better - del *.* fixed it.
* And [on more of a stretch with this one] -- Advertising spy-ware
installed by some applications monitors many windows and network activities
(often loading at boot time, and running even when the app' isn't in use)
and sometimes make other things crash. Plus, they're a damn invasive
nuisance. But, back at usaero I didn't have any way to prevent people from
downloading & installing free software, and this was occasionally the
culprit. LavaSoft's AdAware will remove much of it.

Any other "general purpose" fixes? I've been meaning to document a
standard check list for a long time.

-Wayne Cox
Twenty Three - Information Technology Consulting
828-685-2338