W7 x64 hangs at log in, probably GPO/printer related

[LeMarchand]

Not sure if this is the right place, but...

 

The Business Manager's machine at one of my sites has started hanging at "Welcome" if any domain user tries to log on. It's fine for local users, and also fine in Safe Mode with networking (though then Office won't open).

 

I think I have narrowed it down to the printers/GPO as it logs on fine when I deny read access to this. However I am then unable to add the printers either by a script or via Devices and Printers (which just hangs). The machine still hangs at "logging off" when shutting down though, and certain documents (Publisher ones that seem to have printer details embedded) won't open.

 

I'm not aware of any changes that would have caused this - she claims it's shut down daily - and the last changes to the printing setup was a few weeks back.

 

Any ideas before I'm back there again? I'd like to re-image, but she's not keen on letting me at it until next Friday.

[DavR]

Sounds like print spooler is knackered, which could be a whole can of worms to try and fix.

 

Have you tried the MS print spooler reset tools?

 

Other than that you could manually remove all the print drivers from Print Server Properties, and start hacking around in C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers, but you could spend hours on it, by which point you could have reimaged. Broken print spoolers are a real time sink!

[LeMarchand]

Sounds like print spooler is knackered, which could be a whole can of worms to try and fix.

 

Have you tried the MS print spooler reset tools?

 

Other than that you could manually remove all the print drivers from Print Server Properties, and start hacking around in C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers, but you could spend hours on it, by which point you could have reimaged. Broken print spoolers are a real time sink!

 

Thanks - I was planning on looking at the spooler and drivers next visit, but that gives me a much better idea.

[LeMarchand]

Alas, the Fixit just sat there too .

 

However, deleting the contents of C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers and rebooting seemed to do the trick. Yay!

[DavR]

Alas, the Fixit just sat there too .

 

However, deleting the contents of C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers and rebooting seemed to do the trick. Yay!

 

Ah good, glad to hear it! I don't know why MS can't put together a decent fixit for a factory reset of the print spooler, it's a right pain! (Yes, I know, something something third party drivers...). The one they did for XP worked quite well on the couple of times I used it.