Excessive Processor Usage on Print Servers

ID: Q182333


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition


SYMPTOMS

Print servers show high processor usage (70 percent to 90 percent) in Performance Monitor. The print servers also receive RPC Server Too Busy errors, and clients report slow printing problems.


CAUSE

These symptoms occur because named pipe connections and server sessions are not timing out and disconnecting, which causes an excessive load on the server. Other symptoms of this issue are a high handle count for Spoolss.exe (more than 15,000) and a high number of named pipes or spoolss sessions for any one user connected to the server.


RESOLUTION

Windows NT 3.51

To resolve this problem, obtain the following fix.

This fix should have the following time stamp for Windows NT 3.51

04/09/98 03:17p 72,896 win32spl.dll (Intel)
04/09/98 03:19p 111,376 win32spl.dll (Alpha)

Windows NT 4.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

This is a client fix that will result in idle pipes from the client to the print server being closed. The more clients it is applied to, the more relief the print server will experience.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

Additional query words: 4.00 spooler CPU utilization

Keywords : NT4SP4Fix kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00.sp4 NTSrvWkst
Version : WinNT:4.0
Platform :
Issue type : kbbug


Last Reviewed: April 10, 1999
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