Windows NT Printing is Slower than OS/2

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you compare Windows NT printing performance to OS/2 printing performance, using printer command language (PCL) on Windows NT and Hewlett- Packard graphics language on OS/2, slower printing performance has been observed on the Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet 5Si, 4Si, and IIISi printers. When you run tests using a multidocument spreadsheet, the following was observed:

When you print using OS2, the first document passes from the printer and all subsequent pages follow without delay. When you use Windows NT, the first page passes from the printer, but subsequent pages do not follow immediately. This can be overcome on the HP 5si by turning off Enhanced MetaFile spooling, and using the option to "Print text as graphics". Also, adding additional memory improved the printing times. Upgrading to the latest HP driver for the 5si printer also improved printer throughput. Only increasing the amount of memory made a difference for the HP 4si and HP IIISi printers, (although not as much as the HP 5si printer); it still had significant pauses between printed pages.

Observed Printing Time Examples

HP 4Si printer with 22 MB of memory: 44 seconds until 1st page is completely out of printer, each page thereafter takes 11 seconds until it is in the bin.

5Si with 12 MB of memory: 8 seconds for 1st page is completely out of printer, rest of the pages immediately follow.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.