Print Directly to Printer is not Supported with LPR Devices

ID: Q175865

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When a print job is sent to a line printer remote (LPR) print device, either local or remote, the server may receive the following error:

Error writing to x.x.x.x:xx for document xxx.xx An unexpected network
error occurred. Do you wish to retry or cancel the job?

Print jobs will print intermittently or partial pages, however, the message continually pops up after each attempt to print. Clients connecting to a shared printer configured as above cannot print to the shared printer at all. The clients will get a printing error only when the job is deleted from the queue.

CAUSE

In Printer Properties, the printer is configured to Print directly to the printer under Windows NT 4.0 or Print directly to port under Windows NT 3.51.

RESOLUTION

Under Printer Properties for the printer in question, click to clear the option for Print directly to printer or Print directly to port so the printer will spool print jobs.

MORE INFORMATION

The Print directly to printer/port option is not supported with LPR print devices under Windows NT 3.5x or Windows NT 4.0. This is by design.

Additional query words: tcp/ip hangs lprmon print direct

Keywords : kbprint ntprint NTSrvWkst
Version : WinNT:3.5,3.51,4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug