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1997-02-14
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OSPRDOS - COMMON PRINTING PROBLEMS
01/25/96
=======================================================================
Common Printing Problems
=======================================================================
Please Read Entire Document for Full Explanation of Procedures
--------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
This document contains solutions to common printing problems.
RESOLUTION
The print job spools but does not print. (Green arrow still points to
the document in the job object found in the print object.)
The DOS application has not closed the printer data stream. If the
DOS application is printing using BIOS interrupt 17h, use the
PRINT_TIMEOUT DOS setting to force the data stream closed. You might
be able to determine if the application is using interrupt 17h, as
opposed to 21h, by the destination name. LPTx in WIN-OS/2 uses
interrupt 17h; LPTx.OS2 uses interrupt 21h function calls. PARALLELx
in DOS uses interrupt 17h; LPTx in DOS can be either one; older
versions of applications use interrupt 17h. The PRINT_TIMEOUT setting,
by default, is turned ON and set to 15 seconds. After 15 seconds, if
the job doesn't complete spooling, the DOS application is not using
interrupt 17h (see the discussion about LPTDD.SYS below).
The print job is split into several spool files.
If the DOS application opens and closes the printer data stream for
every character, line, or page, you need to disable the spooler for
that printer to correct the problem. An alternative might be to
upgrade the application. Contact the manufacturer. If the problem
occurs with complex printouts, you might need to increase the DOS
setting PRINT_TIMEOUT value.
The print job does not begin printing until the application is ended.
The DOS application has opened the data stream and sent the print
output, but has not closed the data stream. If the application is
printing using interrupt 21h, use the DOS_DEVICE DOS setting to load
the C:\OS2\MDOS LPTDD.SYS device driver to convert the interrupt 21h
calls to interrupt 17h calls. The PRINT_TIMEOUT DOS setting can be
used to close the print job.
My security device attached to the parallel port doesn't work. Any of
my DOS applications that use the security device can be started from
only one DOS session. An error message appears when I try to start
additional copies of this application.
Press Ctrl+Alt+PrtSc to have the security software release access to
the parallel-port software before starting the second copy of the DOS
application.
After printing from one DOS application and then trying to print from
anywhere else within OS/2, nothing prints. When I end the DOS
application, other printing works fine.
The DOS application you are initially printing from is accessing the
parallel-port hardware directly. OS/2 prevents two or more
applications from trying to access the same parallel-port hardware
simultaneously by preventing the second access until the first DOS
application ends. This happens even if the second application is the
OS/2 print object.
My printer has a supported WIN-OS/2 printer driver but not a PM printer
driver. How should I configure my system?
If you are doing primarily WIN-OS/2 printing, set up the proper
Windows printer driver in the control panel. Set up the OS/2 print
object with the IBMNULL printer driver. You should be able to print
from WIN-OS/2 without problems. Contact your printer manufacturer to
get an OS/2 printer driver or to determine what other printers your
printer emulates.
Printing from WIN-OS/2 is very slow; everywhere else is OK.
If printing from WIN-OS/2 and Print Manager is specified for the
printer, you might need to set the Print Manager Options menu to a
higher priority than what it is currently set to.
My system has an AT bus (ISA) and my parallel printer prints slowly
from anywhere under OS/2, DOS, or WIN-OS/2 sessions.
Your parallel-port address and hardware interrupt levels are not set
correctly. Valid parallel-port combinations include 3BC/IRQ7,
378/IRQ7, and 278/IRQ5. Turn off your system, remove the
parallel-port adapter, and set up the adapter by adjusting the DIP
switches or jumpers to set the parallel port to one of these
industry-standard combinations. Make sure that other adapters are not
interrupting on the same interrupt levels. Sound, MIDI, and serial
adapters can share these same hardware interrupt levels.
Printing works just fine in DOS, but after installing OS/2, printing
does not work.
If the print output can be seen in the print object (if the spooler
is enabled), the problem is most likely either the cable or the
hardware interrupt level. See the solution above for directions for
setting up your parallel port. Some signals used to transmit data
under OS/2 are not used when printing under DOS; some cable
manufacturers do not wire these signals. You might need to buy a new
cable. Some older parallel-port adapters do not interrupt properly.
Because DOS did not use this feature, you might not have seen this
problem. You might need to upgrade your parallel-port adapter.
______________________________________________________________________
IBM disclaims all warranties, whether express or implied, including
without limitation, warranties of fitness and merchantability with
respect to the information in this document. By furnishing this
document, IBM grants no licenses to any related patents or copyrights.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1996 IBM Corporation. Any trademarks and product
or brand names referenced in this document are the property of their
respective owners. Consult your product manuals for complete trademark
information.