Disabling Printing Notification Dialog Boxes in Windows (122160)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q122160
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

In Windows, you can disable the Printing Notification network dialog boxes that are sent by the spooler on a print server when a print job has been completed, there is an error, or a job has been deleted.

NOTE: This option is not available in Windows NT or Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1. Also note that this setting applies globally to all the printers on a particular print server. It is not possible to set this option on a per-printer basis.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Use the following steps to disable Printing Notification network dialog boxes:

NOTE: This procedure must be performed on the server that is sending the dialog box. The only way to disable a dialog box on a client is to disable the messenger service on the client. Disabling the dialog box from the server will affect all clients.

Windows NT 3.51

  1. Start Registry Editor.
  2. Locate the following subkey:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers

  3. From the Edit menu, click Add Value.
  4. In the Value Name box of the Add Value dialog box, type NetPopup.
  5. Select REG_DWORD for the Data Type, and then click OK.
  6. In the Dword Editor dialog box, type 0 (zero) in the Data box, and then click OK.
  7. Quit Registry Editor.
  8. Quit Print Manager if it is running, and then stop and restart the Spooler service from the Services portion of Control Panel so the new setting will take effect.

Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
  2. From the File menu, click Server Properties.
  3. On the Advanced tab, click to clear Notify when Remote Documents are Printed.
  4. Stop and restart the Spooler service from the Services portion of Control Panel so the new setting will take effect. In Windows 2000, start and restart the Spooler service from the Services snap-in under Administrative Tools.
NOTE: If the print notification is turned off and the printer is directly connected by means of a parallel or serial cable, error messages will appear on the server. While the error is displayed, printing will not resume to the printer, even if the cause of the error is cleared from the printer. Someone must log on to the server and click Retry or Cancel in the Error Message dialog box. This does not affect network-connected printers.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/6/2003
Keywords:kbnetwork kbprint KB122160
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