Print Server Translates Characters Below 0x40 to Spaces (0x20) (194558)

SYMPTOMS

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

SNA Print Server translates EBCDIC characters below 0x40, including null characters (0x00), to ASCII spaces (0x20). This can cause unwanted lines and incomplete sections in HP-GL plots.

CAUSE

In the HP-GL language, an ASCII space is treated as a command terminator. An HP-GL print job from a host may contain null characters in the middle of a command. When SNA Print Server translates the null to a space, it may cause the plotter to terminate the command in the wrong place, possibly in the middle of a plot address. This can cause the address to be truncated and a line to be plotted incorrectly.

EBCDIC characters below 0x40 are control codes that are not normal printable characters. Therefore, the SNA Server Print Server is designed to convert these to ASCII spaces.

RESOLUTION

SNA Server 3.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SNA Server version 3.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

184307 How to Obtain the Latest SNA Server Version 3.0 Service Pack

Note: A fix is also available for SNA Server 3.0, which is newer than SNA Server 3.0 SP4. The updated module is PPD3270.DLL, which needs to be applied on the SNA Server 3.0 SP4 computer.

SNA Server 4.0

This problem was corrected in the latest SNA Server version 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining this Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K

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.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

In addition to the fix, a registry entry is required to enable the translation of characters below 0x40. After applying the hotfix:

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
Locate the following key in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SnaPrint\ParametersNOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value:

Value Name: HonorCharsUnder0x40

Data Type:  REG_SZ
      Value:      (leave blank)

Quit Registry Editor.