I have a strange issue and this is the case:

All users have Windows 8.1, including me, who is doing the test and reproducing the problem on my computer.

A large number of users have a print queue on their computers named safecom_hp_black, which is a print queue configured on a 2008 R2 server and a HP Universal Printing PCL 6 driver. They are complaining that this queue goes offline several times a day, and when they want to recollect their documents, of course, they are not there.

I have this queue and another queue named safeprint (another printserver) on my computer. I added the safecom_hp_black queue to reproduce the issue on my own computer.  The offline state lasts for 10-15 seconds on my computer, and then goes back online, so that I am able to print perfectly while its state is online. In other words, I experience the same problem as our users. It goes offline just like that, without me doing anything. It never goes offline on the printserver, only on my computer. I have done a ping test to and from my computer to/from the two printservers to see if a network drop was ocurring at the same time, but no. Network connections seems to be OK. They are however in different office subnets, but I don't know if this has anything to do with it, as long as I don't see network connection drops.

The safeprint queue never goes offline, and works all the time. That is set up on a 2003 server. I use the safeprint daily and have never had problems with it.

Both printqueues have a HP Universal Printing PCL 6, but the version of the safeprint queue is one version earlier.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I forgot to mention, that on some printed documents, pages are missing aswell, if the printserver was unable to finish processing the printjob

EDIT: I have tested with a Windows 7 computer, and the issue does not exist on Windows 7, both print queues are online all the time.

EDIT: All printqueues coming from the 2008 R2 server goes offline intermittently, sometimes at the same time, the one from the 2003 server is OK.

• Edited by CesarTabares 20 hours 48 minutes ago

Hi,

In my opinion, first of all, it would be better to check Event Viewer if it identify this events. If that it is, please post the detailed error message here.

Event Viewer (local)\Applications and Service Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PrintService

Then, access to the link below to download and install the hotfix on Windows server 2008 R2:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2713128/EN-US

Also install another update rollup on Windows 8.1:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2955164

In addition, check the printer driver on Windows 8.1, make sure it was upgraded to be latest.

Ok, thank you so far. I hope it helps.

Neither of those hotfixes/updates are installed. I'll install on the server and my computer and see what happens.

I saw something interesting in the event log, although it does not say much about the cause, only what the computer "sees" once the queues come online again. I enabled the Microsoft-Windows-PrintService/Operational eventlog, there was nothing interesting in the Microsoft-Windows-PrintService/Admin event log, nothing there since yesterday, and I've seen the problem several times today.

I have now three queues from the printserver with issues, therefore you can see three 304 events below sometimes. Take a look. Does this event give a hint to what is happening?

By the way, the event ID 306 says:

Settings for printer {99853F71-4139-4583-81D5-10825592932C} were changed. No user action is required.

I don't know what this means, nor which printer this is.