Bullzip as shared network printer

[JRome]

I installed Bullzip on our network print server. I shared the printer. When using this printer on a client pc everything works OK. Back at the printer server a dialog box opens when it processes the print job. This leads me to believe that the program is unable to find the settings ini files.

Any idea where the program may be looking for the files when the printer is being run by the print spooler service?

Thanks

[jr]

The current version of the printer is not really meant to run as a shared printer. However, it is possible to run it as such. There are limitations in what you can do. You cannot have individual settings for different users, since it cannot read the settings.ini. It has to run with settings from a global.ini and you have to create settings in global.ini that will disable any dialogs.

More information on global.ini can be found here:

http://www.biopdf.com/guide/global_ini.php

Regards,
Jacob

[Judgeland]

Hi I've been trying to set this up as a network printer to see if it works in a 'domain enviroment' but there seems to be issues with permissions? This printer works when logged on as an administrator but as a normal user it just doesn't go through. Trying to get it so it prints as a PDF to a shared folder on the network all works fine on administrator but nothing as normal user and sometimes just gets stuck in the printer and have to delete the que/reset spooler service. Any ideas?

Judgeland

[jr]

What are your APPDATA and TEMP environment variables set to when it fails?

Does the user have read/write access to these locations?

Regards,
Jacob

[erikrambo]

I added this global.ini file to the same directory where gui.exe are located. Bullzip are then able to output pdf without any dialog.

global.ini
[PDF Printer]
DisableOptionDialog=yes
Output=R:\<basedocname>.pdf
ShowSaveAS=never
ShowSettings=never
ShowPDF=no
ConfirmOverwrite=no

[frbird400]

Has anyone been able to get this to work as a shared network printer? I have added the global.ini with the contents:

[PDF Printer]
DisableOptionDialog=yes
Output=c:\PDF\<username>-<basedocname>.pdf
ShowSaveAS=never
ShowSettings=never
ShowPDF=no
ConfirmOverwrite=no

* all users have read/write on c:\pdf

It works as a user who is a member of the administrators group but not standard user. The TEMP directory when printing as a standard user is c:\windows\temp\bullzip\pdf printer. The postscript file is created and the port.log file shows the following:

[MyStartDocPort] Start Doc
[MyStartDocPort] Session Id: 6bd2741e-adbf-4b50-97ff-03f882a5e9d2
[MyStartDocPort] Printer Name: Bullzip PDF Printer
[MyStartDocPort] DocumentName: Test Page
[MyStartDocPort] Printer Job - Machine Name: \\192.168.0.167
[MyStartDocPort] Printer Job - User Name: user1
[MyStartDocPort] Postscript file name: C:\Windows\TEMP\BullZip\PDF Printer\6bd2741e-adbf-4b50-97ff-03f882a5e9d2_printer.ps
[MakePDF] Work Area: C:\Windows\TEMP\BullZip\PDF Printer\
[MakePDF] Unable to read GUITimeout setting from the registry. Defaulting to 0.
[MakePDF] PostScript: C:\Windows\TEMP\BullZip\PDF Printer\6bd2741e-adbf-4b50-97ff-03f882a5e9d2_printer.ps
[MakePDF] Build parameter string for GUI
[MakePDF] Postscript file: C:\Windows\TEMP\BullZip\PDF Printer\6bd2741e-adbf-4b50-97ff-03f882a5e9d2_printer.ps
[MakePDF] Document Name is : Test Page
[MakePDF] Printer Name is : Bullzip PDF Printer
[MakePDF] GUI parameters: ps="C:\Windows\TEMP\BullZip\PDF Printer\6bd2741e-adbf-4b50-97ff-03f882a5e9d2_printer.ps", sessionid="6bd2741e-adbf-4b50-97ff-03f882a5e9d2", doc="Test Page", printer="Bullzip PDF Printer"
[RunGUI] Launch GUI
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: Start
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 1
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 2
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 3
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 4
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 5
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 6
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 7
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: 9
[RunProcessAsUser] Impersonate: End
[MakePDF] Cleanup
[MakePDF] Status: Success

Any ideas?

[jr]

Take a look at the link below.

http://www.biopdf.com/guide/examples/network_sharing/

/Jacob

[andr4s]

Hello,
Do you know the solution for the problems above? I have the same problem, for administrator wverything is OK but printing is not working for normal user. Thank you!

Regards,
Andras

[chaos13]

Just resolved this issue on a 2003 server printing from a web based application. I copied the global.ini to C:\Documents and Settings\all users\Application Data\PDF Writer\Bullzip PDF Printer\ directory, and to the same directory for the user that submitts the jobs from the application. Not sure why but all users has another folder called Option Sets that I copied the file to as well just to be sure. Also make sure the destination folders rights are set to full for the users or everyone. I noticed on the server with the shared printer that in Task Manager the gui.exe was launching and never closing. Check and make sure you dont have any hung processes from previous jobs before you try again.

[chaos13]

It will work as a shared network printer, just go it working this morning. Make sure and copy the global.ini to the all users folder indicated. The application I am using submits all the print jobs under the same username so I copied the global file to that user as well. Check your Task Manager for gui.exe and it will show which user is submitting the jobs, also make sure there are no hung instances of gui.exe. The destination folder needs to have everyone set to full rights, or a least the user that is submitting jobs.

[hour0862]

The current version of the printer is not really meant to run as a shared printer. However, it is possible to run it as such. There are limitations in what you can do. You cannot have individual settings for different users, since it cannot read the settings.ini. It has to run with settings from a global.ini and you have to create settings in global.ini that will disable any dialogs.

[rmi]

I suppose these days network printing is fully supported? Having problems though..

I'm trying to create shared pdf printer to server which can be accessed from client computer. Files should be created to specific folder on same server automatically without user interaction. Files are invoices, order confirmations and such.

I have installed bullzip pdf printer to 'server' (one computer in my network acting as file/printer server). Os windows 8 on all computers. I have configured all interaction disabled in settings.
Printing in server (locally) works fine, but when I try to print from client to shared printer, nothing prints out? Everything should be fine, I can open target folder (located on server) in explorer and create files.
I can access all the properties of printer and there is no errors visible.
Sometimes I can see the file printed in local print queue, but in server there is no files to be printed on this pdf printer.

Question about target folder, if you set the folder on shared printer C:\temp\ - would it be local folder on client computer or does it mean the specific folder on machine where printer is installed?
This should be not the problem in my case since all machines have R:\ -letter indicating to same folder, just asking out of curiosity.

I have tried to create this simple function this with other pdf creators with similar problems, any help highly appreciated.