I have a client server network with 20 clients. The server is running Windows NT 4.0 and the clients are on Win98. Most workstations have their own HP DeskJet printers and we have a Canon Laser printer that is on the server that is shared to everyone. At times, some of the workstations are unable to print at all, preview documents, or work in Excel. When you try to open “Printers” in Control Panel nothing happens, or it freezes the PC and when you try to reboot you get the blue screen of death. This is when the message comes up – Spooler Process not responding.
There have been times when I try to open “printers” in control panel and there is nothing there! (They come back when the printers come back online.) Every time, for no apparent reason, everything comes back on line after a few hours and everyone can print again. (The NT Server can always print to the Canon laser, but if a workstation is experiencing this phenomenon they can’t print anywhere.) Has anyone else out there ever experienced this? I have had two “network experts” out here and they left scratching their heads. They had never heard of anything like this.