Slow Printing from Windows XP on a Linux Printer

This one has driven me nuts for several years, and it happens, without fail, every time I set up a new machine on my small network here at my office.

The deal is this:

• Server running Mandriva Linux with Samba
  
• Printer connected to Linux server and using CUPS
• Server connected to network
• Workstations connected to CUPS printer via windows printer sharing a la Samba
  

So far so good, right? But I'm not finished. The problem comes when you try to open the printer properties dialog, or open a document with MS Word and then try to print it. Here's what happens, for example, when you try to print a Word document through the above-noted CUPS printer:

1. Open MS Word
2. Open or create a document
3. Enter the printing process
4. Wait
5. Wait
6. Wait
7. Realize you'll be waiting for a while
8. Notice Word says "Connecting to printer. Press (Esc) to cancel"
   

OK. You get the picture. It takes a while

Apparently there's some problem with bad registry entries in Win XP or something that causes this to happen. Based on the symptoms, I'd say the bug rears its ugly head when the OS tries to connect to the printer and say hello via the network. Anyway, I've bookmarked my favorite solution, and it goes like this:

1. Click "Start"
2. Click "Run"
3. Type "regedit"
4. Click "OK"
5. Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USERPrintersConnections
6. Delete the thing that says "DeviceOld = REG_SZ"
7. Now delete everything else in there:
•  HKEY_CURRENT_USERPrintersConnectionsConnections
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERPrintersConnectionsDevModePerUser
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERPrintersConnectionsDevModes2
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERPrintersConnectionsSettings
8. All of it
   
9. Restart

So this all sounds scary, but it's worked for me over and over again. I hope it works for you, too. If it doesn't, or if your computer explodes, please don't blame me. Editing your registry can cause problems sometimes, so be careful.

For more info, here's the site where I found these instructions long ago: edoceo.com (CUPS printing...)

Good luck!

• Software
• Open Source