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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51
SYMPTOMS
Applications run from the Windows NT Schedule service fail to print.
CAUSE
Printing fails because no default print device is defined for the service
account. When an application sends a print request, Windows NT queries the
Windows NT registry for the default print device and the print driver.
Applications run from the Windows NT Schedule service should be running
under the context of the System account to work correctly; however, there
is no default print device defined for the System account (which is
actually relying on the default user information in the registry). Such an
application, therefore, is unable to print and usually issues an error,
the text of which varies from application to application.
RESOLUTION
To ensure successful printing from a scheduled application, complete the
following procedure:
- Open Control Panel, click the Services icon, and from the list of
available services, select the Schedule service. Then click the Startup
button and verify that this service is configured to log on as the
System account and that it is allowed to interact with the desktop.
NOTE: For a scheduled application to print correctly, and for these
instructions to produce successful results, you must use the System
account for the service (Log On As) account.
When you have verified the above settings, click the OK button, and
from the Services window click the Stop button (with the Schedule
service selected), if the Stop button is available. This ensures that
the changes take effect the next time you start the Schedule service.
- In Print Manager, create a local printer--regardless of whether the
printer is actually a local printer or a remote network printer--by
choosing Create Printer from the Printer menu, using the printer driver
appropriate for the type of printer you are using. Configure the
printer to print to LPT1, and set it as the default printer.
- Start and maximize Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-
wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct
them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the
use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.
Minimize the windows titled "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine" and
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT on Local Machine" and position the remaining two
windows, titled "HKEY_CURRENT_USER on Local Machine" and "HKEY_USERS on
Local Machine," such that they are tiled vertically on the screen with
each filling about one half of the available window space in Registry
Editor. This step is provided for convenience in completing the
remaining steps, in which you will review and edit certain registry
keys.
- Select the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Devices
and note the information for the value of the key that represents the
default printer created in step 2 above (for example, "LocalPrinter :
REG_SZ : winspool,LPT1:").
- Select the key
HKEY_USERS
\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Devices
and choose Add Value from the Edit menu to create the same value you
noted in step 4 (using the above example, "LocalPrinter" is the value
name, "REG_SZ" is the data type, and "winspool,LPT1:" is the string).
- Select the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\PrinterPorts
and note the information for the value of the key that represents the
default printer created in step 2 above (for example, "LocalPrinter :
REG_SZ : winspool,LPT1:,14,45").
- Select the key
HKEY_USERS
\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version
\PrinterPorts
and choose Add Value from the Edit menu to create the same value you
noted in step 6 (in the example from step 6, "LocalPrinter" is the
value name, "REG_SZ" is the data type, and "winspool,LPT1:,14,45" is
the string).
- Select the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Windows
and note the information for the device value of the key (for example,
"LocalPrinter,winspool,LPT1:").
- Double-click the device value of the key
HKEY_USERS
\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Windows
and edit it to reflect the same information you noted in step 8 (in the
example from step 8, you would enter "LocalPrinter,winspool,LPT1:" for
the string).
- Close Registry Editor.
- Open Control Panel, click the Services icon, and from the list of
available services, select the Schedule service. Click the Start
button to start the Schedule service with the above settings changes
in effect.
- If the printer is actually a local printer, schedule the application
to run at the desired time, using the following command as a model:
at 10:00am /interactive c:\excel\excel.exe c:\excel\macro.xls
- If the printer is a remote network printer, create a batch file to
start the application, using the following file, Example.bat, as a
model:
EXAMPLE.BAT
-----------
@echo off
net use lpt1: /d
net use lpt1: \\<PrinterServer>\<PrinterShare> <password>
/user:<DomainName>\<AuthorizedUserName>
c:\excel\excel.exe c:\excel\macro.xls
net use LPT1: /d
NOTE: The third and fourth lines of the above batch file are actually
only one line, with just a space between "<password>" and "/user".
Schedule the application to run at the desired time, using the
following command as a model;
at 10:00am /interactive example.bat
Use of a batch file is necessary in this case because by default the
System account does not have network access to the printer share, so
the batch file establishes the connection to the network printer with
the required credentials (the user name and password of a user granted
access to the printer share).
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