I am at my absolute wits end! *H-E-L-P!!!*
OK... breeeeaaaattthhhhe...
OK... first? Sorry for the long post, but I want to make sure I explain
myself thoroughly... :-}
In a nut shell: I have a B&W G3/400 that refuses to "capture" our BestColor
RIP, for our new Epson 7000, and create a Desktop Spooler for it.
I also have 3 other G3's EXACTLY like this one that are working fine. Same
software. Same OS. Same Everything... we purchased them all together and I
have maintained them all the same. Plus, several other various machines
without any problems acquiring the RIP and creating a Desktop Printer.
This "bad" G3 will capture every other printer on our network without a
hitch! Just not the BestColor RIP. It tries, but all it does is spool to the
RIP, without ever actually acquiring it, eventually giving up. The other
Macs in the department capture it almost immediately, so you can tell it's
not going to be successful if it starts to "spool it."
Sometimes, I can get it to finally capture it and create a desktop spooler
by stopping it right after it starts to "spool," then immediately going back
in and acquiring it again. This will usually work in creating a Desktop
Printer. But when you try and print using it, it won't go across to the RIP.
It just sits there and loops: spooling, then after a while, it'll say it's
starting up, then come back and say "was unable to print, do you want to
cancel, or retry," to which retrying is just as unsuccessful.
Randomly (can't explain it!), I can acquire, and create a Desktop Printer
and it WILL work, somewhat sporadically, but at least it WILL successfully
output a proof. Until, after a while, it just quits and I have to go back
through the process of trying to recapture the RIP all over again. When it
starts to fail, I'll have the artist take the file not wanting to print and
drag it out of the Desktop Printer and then drag it back in if it tries to
spool it for too long (knowing it'll fail eventually), and this worked,
printing successfully for about a week, until today... when it decided to
stop altogether again.
This RIP is a Wintel machine (our BIGGEST mistake!!) running NT 4.0 with the
current Service pack (installed THREE TIMES!).
The Mac is a G3/400, 512 RAM, 100BaseT, a Gig or so of free HD space, fairly
stock machine.
I have reinstalled the 9.1 OS... Twice!
I tried a clean install of OS 9.1.
I even upgraded the machine to OS 9.2.1, all to no avail.
I even moved it and gave it to a different artist to work on, and it
FOLLOWED that computer, even with a different IP address! Argh!
What I can deduce from all of this, is that it has got something to do with
the communication between the RIP and THAT computer. Hence, when it's got an
open connection to the RIP, but doesn't like it, I can immediately try again
and it will take it, i.e.: Creating a Desktop Printer by trying again
immediately after it starts to try and spool; Dragging the postscript file
outside and then immediately back into the Desktop Printer, both create what
appear as good results. But both appear like there is a problem
communicating, or opening a good connection between the two initially. But,
if you react quickly enough, it will keep that connection open, and then do
what you're asking of it.
1.) I have tried BestColor's tech support: not the best! Plus, they wanted
me to call Germany! I got through once to someone here in the states, but
they kept coming back to the Service Pack for NT (like I said... installed
THREE times!)
2.) I haven't called Apple, because it works for every other printer on the
network: how are they going to reproduce that in their tech labs?
Well, I guess I've been about as thorough as I can be for now. Any help out
there, before I put my fist through either the Mac or the PC (OK, no
contest... the PC will win! :-) out of sheer frustration? This has been
going on for over a couple of months now.
Kyle? Your expertise help out here? Anyone? Anyone at all? I'm begging!
Here's to hoping I see a positive reply tomorrow when I come in to work!
Thanks people!
Peace.
--
M. Shon Hall
Web and Information Development
Macintosh Administrator
Phenix Label Co., Inc.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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