High CPU Utilization When You Print to a Hewlett-Packard Multifunction Printer (299956)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
This article was previously published under Q299956

SYMPTOMS

When you are printing to a Hewlett-Packard (HP) multifunction printer (such as the HP OfficeJet series) that is attached to a parallel port, CPU utilization may rise to 50-100 percent and remain high. For computers with a single CPU, utilization may reach 100 percent.

NOTE: This problem does not relate to the HP single function line of printers.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:
   Date         Time       Version         Size      File name
   ------------------------------------------------------------------
   6/20/2001    02:43p    5.0.2195.3760    60,176   Parallel.sys

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, change the port mode in the BIOS to ECP.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 3.

MORE INFORMATION

To further identify this problem, check the port mode settings in the BIOS. If the port mode setting for "ECP" is not selected (AT mode may be in use), this problem can occur. Port modes that support ECP may be listed as ECP, PS/2, EPP, or ECP/EPP. The preferred workaround to this problem is to change the port mode in the BIOS to ECP.

NOTE: Besides resolving this problem, changing to ECP mode may result in improved scanning and storage media access gains of up to 2-4 times or more.

If ECP (or some ECP combination) is selected and the high utilization occurs, this may indicate that ECP communications negotiation did not work. In this case, the computer and printer may attempt communication by using conflicting communications methods. The hotfix that is listed in the "Resolution" section of this article may be used to resolve the problem.

Additional Troubleshooting Steps

  • If you have not already done so, try to change the port mode in the BIOS to ECP.
  • Check the tasklist (or use the Qslice.exe tool) to identify the process that is causing the high CPU utilization.
  • If the high CPU utilization is against the system process, the problem that is described in this article may be occurring. If some other process shows high CPU utilization, that process should be investigated and stopped by using the tasklist (or the Kill.exe tool) to return the computer to normal CPU utilization levels.
For additional information about how to install Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 hotfixes at the same time, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

249149 Installing Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Hotfixes

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/26/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbbug kbenv kbfix kbOSWin2000fix kbprint kbWin2000PreSP3Fix kbWin2000sp3fix KB299956
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