DOCUMENT:Q195746 13-JUN-2001 [sna] TITLE :Print Server Sends a Continuous Stream of Formfeeds to Printer PRODUCT :Microsoft SNA Server PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.0,4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbfixlist ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft SNA Server, versions 3.0, 3.0 SP1, 3.0 SP2, 3.0 SP3, 4.0, 4.0 SP1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== Under certain conditions, the status of a print server session may stay as "spooling" after a print job should have completed. When this is happening, the status of the print job in the Windows NT printer queue may also stay at spooling, while the size of the spool file keeps increasing. Under other conditions, the printing device may eject an endless stream of blank pages until the SNA Server print session is stopped and the print job is purged from the print queue. CAUSE ===== This problem can occur if the following conditions are true: - An SCS code has set the top margin of the print job to a value greater than 1. - The last printable character in the host print job is a formfeed (0x0C). Normally, if the last printable character in a print job is a formfeed, SNA Print Server will not flush it to the printer, because the Windows NT printer will eject the page anyway. Otherwise, there would be an extra formfeed at the end of the job, resulting in a blank page being ejected. However, if the top margin on the job has been altered, SNA Print Server does some additional processing when a formfeed is encountered, in order to prepare to print the next character in the proper position on the next page. A problem with this additional processing was causing a continuous stream of formfeed characters to be sent to the printer. RESOLUTION ========== SNA Server 3.0 -------------- To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SNA Server version 3.0. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q184307 How to Obtain the Latest SNA Server Version 3.0 Service Pack SNA Server 4.0 -------------- This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft SNA Server version 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining this Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): S E R V P A C K WORKAROUND ========== To work around this problem, a formfeed character is not needed at the end of a print job when printing through SNA Server. If this character is removed, the problem will not occur. Additionally, if a Set Vertical Format SCS code at the beginning of the print job sets the top margin to 1, or does not set the top margin at all, this problem will not occur. STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server version 3.0 3.0 Service Pack 1, 3.0 Service Pack 2, 3.0 Service Pack 3, 4.0, and 4.0 Service Pack 1. This problem was first corrected in SNA Server 3.0 Service Pack 4. MORE INFORMATION ================ The Set Vertical Format SCS code is 2BC2. The Top Margin setting will always be the fifth byte in this SCS code (2B being the first byte). Additional query words: ====================================================================== Keywords : kbfixlist Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbSNAServSearch kbSNAServ300 kbSNAServ400 kbSNAServ300SP3 kbSNAServ300SP1 kbSNAServ400SP1 kbSNAServ300SP2 Version : WINDOWS:3.0,4.0 Solution Type : kbfix ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.