After countless hours troubleshooting this problem and attempting all of the fixes found online it turned out my issue was as simple as Network configuration.
I had the exact symptoms of Jobs 'spooling' to the printer slowly, typically during higher printserver use and with larger printjobs. I attempting all of the fixes I could find:
-- Driver Configs
-- Updating drivers
-- OS Patching
-- Modifying spooling Directories
-- Disabling firewalls & VirusScan
-- etc..
Ultimately it simply turned out to be a mis-match in the NIC Duplex settings. Turns out the standard Win 2008 build is built with the NIC duplex setting of 100/Auto, however my companies standard Switch port config is 100/Full. This mis-match caused the server NIC Settings to sit at 100/half ultimately causing packet loss and TCP packet retries. Once the NIC settings were updated to 100/Full to match the switch port config we noticed an immediate improvement. (Note changing the NIC settings on the fly causes the Adaptors to re-start, you will loose server connectivity for 5 seconds or so.)
Hope this helps!!!
> On Friday, February 27, 2009 11:30 AM JoeP wrote:
> Since my organization has deployed Server 2008 users have been complaining of
> slow printing. We have both Lexmark and HP printers and have tried many
> different driver scenarios but that does not seem to be the issue. larger
> jobs seem to be what generate the most complaints. It seems like the print
> job from an XP client takes alot longer to completely spool up in the queue
> thatn it previously did under Server 2003. The data spools up in blocks of
> .25MB at a time. Does anyone have a suggestion to improve the spooler
> performance ? I read something about Vista clients and new print
> architecture in Server 2008 to improve performance. We do not have any Vista
> clients. Could this be the issue ? Could our XP performance actually
> degrade with the attempt by Server 2008 to improve performance with Vista
> clients ?
>
> Help would be greatly appreciated.
>> On Wednesday, March 04, 2009 12:38 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>> There is a print queue setting on the server to force rendering on the
>> client rather than the print server. I'm unsure if this will do anything.
>>
>> launch Print Management
>>
>> Select a print
>> right click, Manage sharing
>>
>> uncheck
>> Render print jobs on client computers
>>
>> Another advantage to having a Vista client is SMB2 which the network group
>> says the data transfer speeds are great.
>>
>> --
>> Alan Morris
>> Windows Printing Team
>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>
>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>
>> "JoePa" <JoePa@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:90F0E7E3-693E-4EB8-978E-B21BF7A4D8B6@microsoft.com...
>>> On Thursday, March 05, 2009 12:42 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>>> There is this QFE for the spooler. I states for Vista clients but I think
>>> the memory leak would happen with any client load.
>>>
>>>
>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;951638
>>> Performance issues are caused by a memory leak on a Windows Server
>>> 2008-based print server that has many Windows Vista-based printer clients
>>> --
>>> Alan Morris
>>> Windows Printing Team
>>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>>
>>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>>
>>> "Alan Morris [MSFT]" <alanmo@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:eOxqDAPnJHA.1292@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>> On Thursday, March 05, 2009 1:27 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>>>> you will need this QFE as well
>>>>
>>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952178
>>>>
>>>> The Print Spooler service consumes a large amount of memory because of
>>>> unsuitable RPC caching in Windows Server 2008 and in Windows Vista
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Alan Morris
>>>> Windows Printing Team
>>>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>>>
>>>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>>>
>>>> "Alan Morris [MSFT]" <alanmo@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:%232EYAnbnJHA.4912@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>>> On Friday, March 13, 2009 1:20 PM T wrote:
>>>>> The fix is for Vista clients. If the MS Windows Printing team believes that
>>>>> this leak could be on different client loads, does Microsoft have a plan to
>>>>> make a patch available for XP clients? I am afraid that if i have to run
>>>>> this patch on an XP load, that the client may fail/bsod.
>>>>>
>>>>> "Alan Morris [MSFT]" wrote:
>>>>>> On Monday, March 16, 2009 1:07 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>>>>>> the fix is for the print server. The clients do not require any files
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Alan Morris
>>>>>> Windows Printing Team
>>>>>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>>>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "TJ" <TJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:E2769E86-96BE-41A9-8636-34D4217F189C@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>> On Monday, March 16, 2009 3:27 PM T wrote:
>>>>>>> Perhaps I didn't phrase my question properly in my last post.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Granted that these two fixes will resolve an issue with a Vista client and
>>>>>>> Server 2008, what help can Microsoft provide when I have an XP client submit
>>>>>>> a 100KB print job, that spools up to 20MB on my Windows 2008 32-bit server?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> All print queues have 2008 certified drivers using standard tcp/ip ports.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This issue is really causing a major issue for our organization. The fixes
>>>>>>> listed in this thread do not appear to apply to a xp/server 2008 shop.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks for any help.
>>>>>>> TJ
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Alan Morris [MSFT]" wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:32 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>>>>>>>> Are the files from the XP clients in EMF format? What happens if you
>>>>>>>> disable rendering on the server and offload to the client
>>>>>>>> printer properties , Advanced, uncheck Enable advanced features.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Are the clients using a set of fonts that are not installed on the server?
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Alan Morris
>>>>>>>> Windows Printing Team
>>>>>>>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>>>>>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "TJ" <TJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>> news:C24FEC43-4DC2-4346-AFA4-95B08B02DFBB@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>> On Wednesday, March 18, 2009 2:11 PM T wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Alan,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks so much! Who would have figured that having "Enable Advanced
>>>>>>>>> Printing Features" would cause so much havoc. We unchecked this option in
>>>>>>>>> our print queues and we are getting positive feedback for our users. The
>>>>>>>>> documents spool up quick like grease lightnin' now. Honestly, I cannot tell
>>>>>>>>> you how much of a thorn this has been for several of us and we really
>>>>>>>>> appreciate the asisstance.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hopefully this will help the multitude of others out there!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> TJ
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "Alan Morris [MSFT]" wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On Wednesday, March 18, 2009 10:12 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> glad that worked. I think you will find that installing the fonts that the
>>>>>>>>>> clients are using onto the print server will also resolve this. When the
>>>>>>>>>> print server renders the documents and the fonts are not available on the
>>>>>>>>>> server, all the font data is contained in the EMF record from the clients.
>>>>>>>>>> When the server has the fonts, GDI gets this data from the server rather
>>>>>>>>>> than the EMF file.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>> Alan Morris
>>>>>>>>>> Windows Printing Team
>>>>>>>>>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>>>>>>>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> "TJ" <TJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>> news:E90021C4-44BA-484A-9392-BC17CD6D1517@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>> On Wednesday, March 18, 2009 10:19 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> PS.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I like a success story. Come back for more answers.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>> Alan Morris
>>>>>>>>>>> Windows Printing Team
>>>>>>>>>>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>>>>>>>>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "TJ" <TJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>>> news:E90021C4-44BA-484A-9392-BC17CD6D1517@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>>> On Thursday, March 19, 2009 5:06 PM T wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> Alan,
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I'll check into this solution, is there link you could provide? We're
>>>>>>>>>>>> having the same spooling issue with our HP series printers now and unchecking
>>>>>>>>>>>> the "advanced/not-so-advanced" features is not doing hte trick.
>>>>>>>>>>>> thanks,
>>>>>>>>>>>> TJ
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Friday, March 20, 2009 12:17 PM Alan Morris [MSFT] wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> no link. You would need to find out what fonts the clients are using and
>>>>>>>>>>>>> copy them to the server in the system fonts folder.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Alan Morris
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Windows Printing Team
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> "TJ" <TJ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:6EC654D7-4137-42D5-9BDA-E092979269DE@microsoft.com...