Re: Printing Windows Print Manager Spooled Files

Neal Benson (nbenson@biotech.ufl.edu)
Wed, 28 Aug 96 09:30:54 edt

Louis,

My lab has been using PC-Lysys and an HP 550C printer for several years now.
When we purchased the HP printer, it came with a coupon for a discount on a
program called SuperQueue, from Zenographics (now called "SuperPrint";
800-366-7494) which we purchased. I believe the current version sells for
around $40. I highly recommend it for this kind of setup. When you click
"Print" from PC-Lysys, the computer is unavailable for only seconds, and
then you can continue to analyze while printing occurs. On our 486-66, 16mb
system, there is almost no noticable delay in use of the computer while
printing occurs in the background.

We find a major advantage in this program is that we can spool a large
number of files to the queue (sometimes over 200) and allow it to print
overnight (however occasionally the printer runs out of paper). If anyone
needs a quick print of a subsequent analysis during this time, they can
"hold" the spooled jobs and then print a page or two (or more) ahead of
them. When they're finished, the printing of the remaining held pages can
be restarted. We can even shutdown the computer and restart printing in the
morning if we want, using the same procedure.

SuperQueue uses its own format for spooled files. Essentially it replaces
the Windows Print Manager. I know that won't help you recover from your
current situation; but while we have had numerous Windows crashes (none
traced to SuperPrint), I don't recall ever losing a printout.

Regards,
Neal

At 11:38 AM 8/27/96 -0400, you wrote:
>
> I need advice from someone in FACS land on how to print Print Manger
>spooled files after a Windows 3.1 crash. A gremline caused PC Lysis to
>crash in such a way that Windows could not detect the PC lockup condition.
>I knew many files wer in the Print Manager print que. A minimal attempt at
>interrupting PC Lysis resulted in a total lock of Windows, Print Manager,
>and the printer (HP Deskjet 560). On reboot, I found 41 spooled print files
>setting in the Windows temp directory--which represent several hours of work.
>
> I am sure others out there have had some similar tragedy & probably
>likewise found Windows provides no means to reconstruct its own print que
>file list even though the files exist. DOES A PRINT PROGRAM EXIST THAT WILL
>READ WINDOWS SPOOLED PRINT FILES AND SEND THEM TO THE PRINTER???
>
> Please say yes!! and send me the answer.
>
> Discussions with B/D turned up an interesting suggestion as to a possible
>cause of the lockup, namely Windows may have a limited memory space for
>spooled file names and 41 files exceeded said space. Please consider not
>duplicating my test as the intense rage you may experience on duplication of
>my feat IS LIFE SHORTENING.
>Louis King
>Email: kingl@pilot.msu.edu
>
>

--
Neal A. Benson
Biotechnology Program, University of Florida
E-mail: nbenson@biotech.ufl.edu   


Home Page Table of Contents Sponsors Web Sites
CD ROM Vol 2 was produced by staff at the Purdue University Cytometry Laboratories and distributed free of charge as an educational service to the cytometry community. If you have any comments please direct them to Dr. J. Paul Robinson, Professor & Director, PUCL, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Phone:(317) 494-0757; FAX (317) 494-0517; Web http://www.cyto.purdue.edu EMAIL robinson@flowcyt.cyto.purdue.edu