Application Error When Installing DLC (102836)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
This article was previously published under Q102836

SYMPTOMS

You receive an application error from SPOOLSS.EXE when reinstalling the data link control (DLC) protocol.

CAUSE

This error may occur because you still have a printer set up in Print Manager that is printing to a Hewlett-Packard (HP) network port.

RESOLUTION

To recover from the application error, do the following:

  1. Choose the End Task button in Task Manager to exit Control Panel.
  2. After exiting Control Panel, the DLC Setup task will appear in Task Manager. Choose End Task to exit this as well.
  3. Run Control Panel and choose the Network icon. In the list of installed protocols, select DLC and choose Remove (because the installation was only partially successful).
  4. Exit Control Panel, but do not restart the system yet.
  5. Start Print Manager and remove the printer that is on the HP network port.
  6. Restart the system.
  7. Run Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE).

    WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.
  8. Within Registry Editor select the following key 
         \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors
    and remove the following key and all of its subkeys: 
         \Hewlett-Packard Network Port
  9. Restart the computer.
  10. Run Control Panel and choose the Networks icon. Reinstall DLC.
If you have removed DLC without removing the printer but have not yet tried to reinstall the protocol, start at step 5.

MORE INFORMATION

If DLC is currently installed on your system and you have a printer that is using the protocol to print to an HP network port, to safely remove the protocol you must first either remove the printer or change its settings so it no longer prints to the HP network port. Removing the protocol without removing or changing the printer port will not immediately cause any errors, and the printer will still appear in Print Manager. However, any attempt to reinstall the protocol will give an application error from SPOOLSS.EXE and cause Control Panel to hang, resulting in a partially installed protocol.

Once you have removed the protocol, removing the printer will not allow you to reinstall DLC without receiving an application error. The error occurs because there are still references in the Registry to the HP network port that were not removed when the protocol was removed.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/29/2003
Keywords:kbnetwork KB102836
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.