How to Change Print Job Priority in Windows NT Server 4.0 (156689)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q156689

SUMMARY

You can adjust print performance and the priority used to assign print jobs to ports by setting the SchedulerThreadPriority setting in the registry. You can also use this entry to improve overall system performance by reducing the priority of the Scheduler thread.

MORE INFORMATION

Use the steps below to add or edit the SchedulerThreadPriority value.

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.
  1. Open Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and navigate to the following path in the registry:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Pri
  2. Click to select the Print key.
  3. On the Edit menu, click Add Value.
  4. Enter the following information in the Add Value dialog box and click OK:
    Value Name: SchedulerThreadPriority<BR/> Data Type: REG_DWO
  5. Use the following table to determine what value you want to put in the Data field of the DWORD Editor dialog box: 
          Value          Description
      --------------------------
      1             Above normal
      0             Normal (default)
      ffffffff      Below normal
  6. Restart the computer or restart the Spooler service to make the change take effect. To restart the Spooler service, type the following at a command prompt:

    net stop spooler
    net start spooler
You can use Pviewer.exe from the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit to observe the thread priority for the fifth thread of the spoolss process. Note that you must use the Refresh key in Pviewer.exe to see the change.

You can use System Policy Editor on computers running Windows NT Server 4.0 to configure the SchedulerThreadPriority entry for individual computers, or as a default configuration for all computers. To do this, perform the following steps:
  1. Start Poledit.exe and click the icon representing the computer you want to modify.
  2. Locate the following path in the Computer Properties dialog box: 
          Windows NT Printers\Scheduler Priority

    Assignable values are normal (default) above normal and below normal.
For more information on the use of system policies, see chapter 3 of the Windows NT Server 4.0 Concepts and Planning Guide.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/7/2001
Keywords:kbhowto kbprint KB156689
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