Applications Run from the Schedule Service Fail to Print

ID: Q152451

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 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).

Additional query words: prodnt 3.50 3.51 scheduler program process

Unable to initialize device printer service

Keywords : ntprint ntconfig NTSrvWkst
Version : 3.5 3.51
Platform : winnt
Issue type :