Clients Open Many \Pipe\Spoolss Connections to WinNT Print Server (154541)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
This article was previously published under Q154541 SYMPTOMS
Windows NT client workstations may open large numbers of \pipe\spoolss
connections to a print server. This usually occurs when you start an
application (such as Microsoft Word) that queries printers. The spoolss
process on both the client and the server will open a large number of
handles related to these connections.
CAUSE
When the application opens the printer, the spooler detects that some of
the printer attributes on the server have changed and the local cache is
invalid. The client then refreshes the cache, including form information.
For each form, a WM_DEVMODECHANGE is issued, which causes the problem.
When winword.exe sees this message, it thinks the printer configuration
has changed and reopens it. A lot of these messages are sent, causing
Word to go into a tight loop opening printers.
A Remote Procedure Call (RPC) requires one named pipe instance for every
active RPC call. Because there are all these OpenPrinter calls (which are
hanging), RPC needs many named pipes. RPC won't destroy these instances
until all context handles (that is, all OpenPrinters) have been closed.
RESOLUTION
Obtain the fix referenced below. Apply this fix to the Windows NT client
system(s) to correct the problem.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT versions 3.5 and
3.51. This problem was corrected in the latest Windows NT 3.51 U.S. Service
Pack. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following
word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 11/4/2003 |
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| Keywords: | kbnetwork kbprint KB154541 |
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