PDF Printing, in the x64 Terminal Server / Citrix forum on BrianMadden.com

Hi

I am having problems with printing pdfs on X64. We are running published desktops on our servers with thin clients on the desktops.

I have applied the MS hotfix that adobe discusses here http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb401730 however I still have some users who cant print.

What happens is that when they try to print a pdf it crashes the spooler.

If I recreate their profile from scratch it then works for them however I have found that after about 2-3 days the problem reoccurs.

If I log them out of the x64 server and onto a x32 one then they can print pdfs ok.

Pretty much the main problems I have had with trying to move my PS to x64 has come from Adobe software, specifically acrobat reader and flash. While I think this is more a problem from MS than Adobe its still pretty frustrating as users are wanting to be removed from Citrix because of these issues.

Has anyone else had problems with users printing PDFs that cause the print spooler to stop?

Thanks
Geoff.

Hi,

I don't run 64-bit servers myself, but I had a client who likewise used Adobe Acrobat but didn't experience any issues with it - perhaps this is a version specific issue.

As an interim measure, you could use PDFCreator:

http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator

Actually, I'm not sure that PDFCreator will work either. I thought they had a 64-bit version, but I guess they don't.

Are your users printing to client mapped or network based printers?
If network, are you using the same printer driver versions on the x64 TS server and the printer server?

Also what specifically are your problems with flash?

hi Geoff,

we currently have about 140 users on x64bit PS 4.5. and printing a pdf as well as converting documents to pdf's is working ok.

what printer model are you trying to print the pdf's too? also which drivers are you using for this printer device?

have you also made sure that adobe reader is updated to the latest version?


On a side note, when users try to convert a document from office 2003 suite into a pdf by printing to the adobe pdf printer the entire session does freeze, we have had to teach users to use the convert to adobe pdf options from the menus. this may not be related at all to your issue however, its something we still need to find a solution for.

Hi Everyone

Thanks for replying.

The printers are installed locally and print direct to the printers ip address. We have a mix of HP laserjets and Xerox photocopiers. It does not make a difference if I print to one of these local printers or map a printer off a print server. It crashes when you click file then print. Instead of the box popping up that lets you choose what printer etc it just says no printers installed and the the spooler stops too.

It seems to bring the error up regardless of which printer is default im not 100% sure its driver related but am going to delete all the printers/drivers and see if it still happens on the weekend.

It doesnt matter if im using Adobe or another pdf program to print the files.

I have also tried making the user an administrator on the local box and it still does it.

It seems pretty similar to the problem mentioned in the MS KB but the hotfix doesnt work!

Im almost at the point of having to create 4 virtual machines running 32bit windows on this server because 64bit isnt quite ready.

Cheers,
Geoff.

Hi,

It sounds like the problem is more of a generic printing issue than an Adobe specific issue.

Are you using native drivers or the Citrix UPD?

I would suggest you try recreating the ICA listener and the Ctx_CpsvcUser service account:

http://support.citrix.com/article/ctx115152

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX113555

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX113554

Then, before allowing users on the server, configure a Citrix policy to NOT automatically install native drivers, then setup the Citrix Universal driver setting to use the UPD exclusively.

Thanks ill check out the ICA listener.

I cant use the Citrix UPD because we use photocopiers that have hole punching and stapling which wouldnt work with the UPD.