www.helmig.com Network BasicsTrouble ShootingStep-by-StepIndexPage OverviewSite Download
Windows95Windows98Windoiws MENT4 WorkstationNT4 ServerWindows 2000
Direct CableDCC Cables
Contact me
Feedback Created: Dec. 2,2000
Sound/Animation
Back
Printer Spooler File Location

It is important to ensure, that there is free diskcapacity on the NT4 systems drive (which is usually
the C-drive, for example: if the C-drive is full, DHCP-server will fail).


While you can control the disk-usage by limiting the installation of software on the NT4-server
(or selecting an installation path to another disk-drive) and while you can control the size of
the swap-file (Virtual memory), you have no control on the size of the print-queues:

When installing printers on the NT4-server (either directly on the parallel port or via the network
when using printers with build-in network interfaces) and sharing them for all network users to be
able to print to them, NT4-server will handle Print-Queues:
Any print-job is temporary stored on the NT4-server (allowing the user to continue to work),
and printed usually on the "first-in, first-out" method. This process is called "spooling".

And when users print Word-documents with embedded high-resolution graphics, such print-jobs
can use large disk-capacities, 100 MByte or even much more !

By default, these print-files are
stored on the C-drive in the
Windows System directory (SYSTEM32)
in SPOOL\PRINTERS.

Therefore, large printer spool files can
fill up the System drive of an NT4-server.

To change the location to store these Printer
Spool-files, open "Printers"
(either in
"My Computer" or the "Control Panel")
and
select from the menu:
"File" : "Server Properties"
on the tab: "Advanced", you can now define
the path to a new location of Spool Folder,
placing it on another disk with sufficient
free disk-capacity.

Note:
That folder MUST ALREADY EXIST
,
it will NOT be created if you just enter a new
path here !
According to the NT-Resource Kit, the system will
continue to use the old path, if the new path for a
Spool Folder is not valid.
You will have to reboot for this change
to take effect.