prints disappear into thin air

[aidlin darling 0]

I have VWorks 10.5, on Mac OSX.

I'm running it on a Powerbook G4, printing to HP Laserjet 5100tn and to HP Laserjet 4mv, across ethernet network.

Yesterday I printed my files to 11x17 format no problem.

Today, when I send them they vanish--and never print. Sometimes they show up in the printer monitor, status "starting printing," then they disappear, and don't print.

This has happened to me a couple times before. Once a file has this problem, I have never successfully printed it from my machine again. But, when I open the same file on another machine in the same network, I can print it fine. This happens to both printers. I have never had this problem with any other application--only with VWorks.

I've tried reinstalling the application, but just by copying over from another location. That doesn't seem to be a clean install (doesn't lose preferences or serial numbers), but I haven't yet found instructions to uninstall VWorks so I can start over. I have done permission repair under OSX.

Any tips on clean reinstall and/or other printer troubleshooting?

[Guest]

What version of OS 10 are you using?

Are you using custom presets for the printer?

Have you tried running Disk Utility's First Aid?

[ 04-23-2004, 08:55 AM: Message edited by: Katie ]

[jnr 73]

A:

I've had this problem on a PC printing to a HP500ps in non-postscript mode. The problem may be with vectorworks and the HP driver code. It happens if there is a class or layer that is grayed out. The file tries to print and them vaporizes. The only way I can get it out is to print using the postscript rip and driver, which unfortuately, just takes longer but seems to work.

[Guest]

JNR, The problem aidlin is having is most likely entirely different than the problem you had. Not only is it with a different printer, but OS 10 has it's own set of issues differnt from Windows issues.

[Guest]

Have you tried to remove the printer from the Print center and then reinstall it?

[aidlin darling 0]

Yes, unfortunately that didn't help.

I created a new file from scratch this afternoon, that prints fine so far.

In case it helps, the files that I work on most of the time are shared across our network. They also contain title blocks that are imported from old MiniCAD files via VWorks 8.5. However, I have 7 other machines in the office (same OS, same hardware, same Vworks) that don't have any printing problems.

[Guest]

Next time it happens, open print center and try to print. See if you get a PS Stream Error message.

[aidlin darling 0]

Hi Katie,

Thanks for the quick reply.

1. I'm using OS 10.3.3

2. Nothing custom in my printer settings, just using defaults.

3. Yes, I've run disk utility, but that didn't help.

Pete

Aidlin Darling Design

[DigitalBear 0]

I'm having pretty much the same problem...

Printing from OS 10.3 to a HP Designjet 500 using Vworks 10.5.1

Every now & then - a drawing just won't print... sometimes crashes Vworks. Allthough you can then restart Vworks & print a different drawing just fine...? As Aidlin says - once a file has had this problem it won't print from that machine - ever !

Have remade the printer Q & re-installed printer drivers & Vworks.

Have checked the print centre when trying to print & the job never appears - no error message - nothing...

This is driving me mad & costing me a lot of time & money - please help !

[Guest]

Are you using OS 10.3.3?

[Guest]

Go back to VW, and print the document, but follow these steps. It will produce an error report that we can use to aid in diagnosing the problem:

Try printing a report of PostScript errors. Choose File > Print and choose Error Handling from the Copies & Pages pop-up menu. Click the "Print detailed report" button. If a PostScript error occurs, you should see a printed report of the problem. This may help you solve the problem, or may be useful if you call the manufacturer for help.

[aidlin darling 0]

okay, tried that, several times.

sometimes the file showed up in the printer monitor, then disappeared, and i got nothing (no print, no error printout, no other printer error message).

sometimes the file just sits in the printer monitor as long as I let it. it says "starting job" with a spinning non-progress bar for a long time, then the status simply says "printing" but nothing happens. it stays like that until i delete it from the print queue.

[Guest]

When it says "printing", how long do you wait before you delete it from the queue?

[Guest]

Digital Bear - the crashing problem you are having with the HP printer is a somewhat common OS issue.

Apple's help system has a resolution for the crashing problem. Go to their website and search for OS 10 not printing or OS 10 and HP plotter/ printer

[aidlin darling 0]

The first few times I let it go for several minutes.

The last time, I let it sit there for a couple hours.

[G-Pang 0]

Aidlin darling...

Which protocol are you using for network printing.

AppleTalk? LPR/LPD? Rendezvous? etc??

All those perform deferent protocol and speed.

Currently , We are running over 100 of Apples with

TDS800, TDS400, HP5500PS, HP1055CM x 4 , 5100 x 4

Everything is running perfect.

G-Pang

[aidlin darling 0]

I was using Appletalk for my old HP4mv.

I am now using Rendezvous for my new HP5100.

I am having this problem with both.

Again, this problem is limited to one computer. Other computers (same model, same system, same printers, same files--same everything) do not have this problem, and they can print all files fine (including ones that I can't).

Katie, can you give me instructions on a clean install for Vworks? Or how to completely uninstall so I can try starting over? Or do you think that's not a productive avenue to explore? What else can I try?

[Guest]

I don't think it's VW that's causing the problem.

How long ago did you repair disk permissions?

Did you verify and repair or just verify?

[aidlin darling 0]

I have verified and repaired disk permissions several times, both before and after experiencing this problem. I'm focused on VWorks because all of my other apps work fine.

[Guest]

Have you done it since you've reinstalled the printer?

It's still something on your specific computer causing the problem, mainly because everyone else in your office is printing fine from VW.

You can also try to create a new user account and print from that. If a new user account works, then you'll know it's something in your user permissions that's out of whack.

You can try to reinstall *- Drag the VW folder to the trash can and empty the trash. There is also a VW Prefs file in the user library, preferences folder. Drag that to the trash and empty thet trash.

Reinstall from the CD.

[aidlin darling 0]

I seem to have fixed it, but I had to completely reinstall my system from original CD's then redo all my patches and upgrades.

For curiosity's sake, here's what I tried that didn't do it:

-new user account

-permission repairs

-reinstall Vworks

-printer repair utility

Thanks for all your help, and have a good weekend,

Pete

[paulsheldon 0]

Aidlin,

When you said you completely reinstalled your system, did you mean Vectorworks, or OSX?

[brendan 0]

Hi,

Glad to read that someone else is spending as much time as me with this problem.

I have a similar situation with 2 G4s running OS10.3.4 with print jobs vanishing & not even previewing from Vectorworks 10.5.1. Yet one other G4 running all the same versions can print with no problems.

I can print some lines and stuff. But anything more complex can't even get a print preview happening.

We have tried the following:

*Tried printing a whole drawing - Progress bar appears for a while, then nothing else happens

*Tried printing a small section of a drawing -Prints OK

*Tried printing to Local and Networked printers - none of them print or can even preview

*Repaired Disk Permissions

*Re-installed the OS up to 10.3.4

*Removed Vectorworks and Vectorworks Prefs and reinstalled up to v10.5.1

*Re-installed the print drivers

*Ran Print Center Repair - no errors detected

*Opened Print Manager - no sign of print job there

*Ran CUPS interface - no sign of print job there

Any suggestions?

[ 06-04-2004, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: brendan ]

[G-Pang 0]

Replace/overwrite the PPD files from perfect computer. ( same OS and Version ).

Sometimes, PPD files is corrupted.

[spe2d 0]

Hi

I am having the problem of print jobs disappearing as well. I am having the problem on both an xp machine and os x machine with a designjet 500ps with the hpgl2 card. The problem on both machines is very bad when I try to use large custom size pages. I can print from other software from the same machine to the plotter but VW won't work the print jobs just disappear. If I use smaller sheet sizes B & C then I can get it to print sometimes from VW. I was told that since I was using VW 9.5.3 it was a problem so I have now upgraded to VW 11 and it still won't work. I am able to print to pdf and then from acrobat print the files to the plotter.

Any suggestions?

[G-Pang 0]

Simply use postscript.