Remote Downlevel doc problem

We use an older program for payroll that utilizes dot matrix printers to print reports, checks, etc. The problem I am having is that while printing these documents, my PC's processor is running at 100% and it takes the breath out of anything else you are doing. If you look at running processses, 'System' is consuming 97 to 98% of total resources while printing.
My settings/equipment are as follows:
PC: Athlon XP 2200+, 512MB RAM, Windows XP Professional

Printer: Okidata Microline 320

Printer settings:
generic/text only driver,
set to spool documents and start printing once last page is spooled

If you need any other info, please let me know. I would appreciate any assistance anybody can offer!
Thanks
David Scrimpshire
Hattiesburg, MS

 

Is the app DOS? If so, is your printer set up to print DOS jobs? If not, it may still print but will struggle.

Other things you can try:

- create a desktop shortcut to the app and then set the shortcut to compatibility mode and pick an OS version where it behaved.

- setting up a generic/text-only device that prints to a file rather than to the printer. Then copy that file to the printer.

- setting your printer to direct rather than spool and run this particular job. If it runs lots faster, might be worth making that change whenever you need to print from the app.

- if you don't need the printed output right away, do up a batch file to send the file to the printer (not the print job but the file as above) and use scheduler to run the batch job when you aren't using the PC for a while.

 

Thanks for your prompt reply Newt
It is an older DOS program that is running in VPro5 now. I haven't tried printing directly to the printer yet, thought it would take too long ... but I'll do that first thing in the morning. Think I'll try the compatability mode setting too ... it ran fine in Win 2000.
Thanks again Newt ....
David

 

Be sure to post back with your results. Be nice to hear everything was rosy. But if not, there gotta be more tricks that can be tried.

 

Long overdue reply

Sorry it took me 9 months to let you know what transpired I really could not relocate my post..lol

I read somewhere that Win XP does not fully support parallel port printers. This sounded ridiculous to me, but I thought maybe I would proceed from there. I bought 2 USB to Parallel bridge cables from Belkin, and voila! No more lag. None. Zilch. Zero. Maybe there is something to the parallel port theory after all. I just wish I could remember where I read that ......

By the way ... not all parallel printers are compatable with the usb bridge. I found that older dot-matrix ticket printers that are not bi-directional do not function at all this way. Bummer. My Shuttle XPC systems I have been building for our convenience stores only have one PCI slot .... and I HAD been putting modems in them. Now I have kick-butt state-of-the-art systems running serial modems so I can accomodate 15 yr old ticket printers on the sole PCI slot. What a deal ....
Dave

 

Thanks for the feedback.

Love this computer stuff, I do, I do, I really, really do.

If you ever lose track of a thread like that again, go to the Members section, pick a username and click on it. Near the top of the page and toward the right is a button for finding all posts by a user.