I’m deploying PDFCreator with SolarWinds and it sets itself as the default printer after installation. This is not the typical behavior when installing it by hand, and it is definitely not desirable (lots of phone calls asking why PDFCreator is popping up every time they try to print). How can I prevent this from happening?
Hi,
this is weird and should not happen usually, which Windows version(s) does this happen in?
Have you asked SolarWinds for a possible cause?
I will ask our developers.
regards,
Robin
Robin,
I’ve only seen it in Windows 7 x86, but that’s because the vast majority of our workstations run that.
I don’t think SolarWinds is a factor here only because it passes the install package information to WSUS, which then uses the Windows Update Agent to do the actual work. SolarWinds doesn’t have much to do with the configuration of the package.
The command line I’m using is:
PDFCreator-1_7_2_setup.exe /ForceInstall /LOADINF=“pdfcreator.inf” /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /Log="pdfcreatorinstall.log"
The inf file contents are:
[Setup]
Lang=english
Dir=C:\Program Files\PDFCreator
Group=PDFCreator
NoIcons=0
SetupType=custom
Components=program,ghostscript,languages,languages\english
Tasks=winexplorer
Printername=PDFCreator
ServerInstallation=0
Win9xPrinterdriver=0
WinNtPrinterdriver=0
Win2k32bitPrinterdriver=0
Win2k64bitPrinterdriver=0
Offer=0
And the SetupLog.txt that's in the PDFCreator directory (Part 1):
----- Setup - Start: 2014-01-21 04:03:33 -----
Install PDFCreator: 1.7.2
InstallerDirectory: C:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution\\Download\\Install
X64: no
Start AnalyzeCommandlineParameters
Parameter /VERYSILENT: true
Parameter /SILENT: false
Parameter /FORCEINSTALL: true
Parameter /REMOVEOPTIONS: false
Parameter /DONTINSTALLPRINTERS: false
Parameter /EXPERT: false
Parameter /LoadInf: pdfcreator.inf
Adjusted parameter /LoadInf: C:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution\\Download\\Install\\pdfcreator.inf
No Parameter /SaveInf
No Parameter /REGFile
No Parameter /PPDFile
No Parameter /Printername
End AnalyzeCommandlineParameters
WindowsVersionNumber: 6.1.7601
Silent installation: true
Update: 0
Installed PDFCreator version: 0.0.0
Installed PDFCreator version is lower 1.5.1 = true
nationCode: 244
InstallPDFCreatorPrinter = true
Load inf file: C:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution\\Download\\Install\\pdfcreator.inf
Section: Setup, Key: ServerInstallation; Value: 0
Section: Setup, Key: Win9xPrinterdriver; Value: 0
Section: Setup, Key: WinNtPrinterdriver; Value: 0
Section: Setup, Key: Win2k32bitPrinterdriver; Value: 0
Section: Setup, Key: Win2k64bitPrinterdriver; Value: 0
Section: Setup, Key: Printername; Value: PDFCreator
Section: PDFArchitect, Key: LicenseKey doesn't exist!
Section: Setup, Key: Tasks; Value: winexplorer
Section: Setup, Key: Offer; Value: 0
Finished loading inf file.
OS:
AppPath: C:\\Program Files\\PDFCreator
InstalledPDFCreatorVersion: Not installed
DontInstallPrinters: false
SPT: false
Printerstatus before installing:
Spooler service: is running
Printermonitors [3]:
WSD Port
Standard TCP/IP Port
Local Port
Printerports [11]:
10.62.156.205
SHRFAX:
COM2:
COM3:
COM4:
FILE:
LPT1:
LPT2:
LPT3:
XPSPort:
COM1:
Printerdrivers (Windows 4.0) [0]:
Printerdrivers (Windows NT x86) [5]:
Wincor Nixdorf HighPrint 4915
Remote Desktop Easy Print
Microsoft XPS Document Writer
Microsoft Shared Fax Driver
HP LaserJet P2050 Series PCL6
Printerdrivers (Windows x64) [0]:
Printerdrivers (Windows IA64) [0]:
Printerdrivers (Windows NT Alpha_AXP) [0]:
Printers [4]:
TELLERLINE
Microsoft XPS Document Writer
HPR 4915
Fax
Printerdriver-Directory (Environment: Windows 4.0):
Result: Success = C:\\Windows\\system32\\spool\\DRIVERS\\WIN40
Printerdriver-Directory (Environment: Windows NT x86):
Result: Success = C:\\Windows\\system32\\spool\\DRIVERS\\W32X86
Install printerport:
Portname : pdfcmon
Result: Success
InstallMonitor:
Monitorname : pdfcmon
Environment : Windows NT x86
Result: Success
Install printerdriver for Win2kXP2k3 (32bit):
Drivername : PDFCreator
Environment : Windows NT x86
Result: Success
InstallPrinter:
Printername: PDFCreator
Drivername : PDFCreator
Portname : pdfcmon
Result: Success
Part 2:
Printerstatus after installing:
Spooler service: is running
Printermonitors [4]:
pdfcmon
WSD Port
Standard TCP/IP Port
Local Port
Printerports [12]:
pdfcmon
10.62.156.205
SHRFAX:
COM2:
COM3:
COM4:
FILE:
LPT1:
LPT2:
LPT3:
XPSPort:
COM1:
Printerdrivers (Windows 4.0) [0]:
Printerdrivers (Windows NT x86) [6]:
PDFCreator
Wincor Nixdorf HighPrint 4915
Remote Desktop Easy Print
Microsoft XPS Document Writer
Microsoft Shared Fax Driver
HP LaserJet P2050 Series PCL6
Printerdrivers (Windows x64) [0]:
Printerdrivers (Windows IA64) [0]:
Printerdrivers (Windows NT Alpha_AXP) [0]:
Printers [5]:
PDFCreator
TELLERLINE
Microsoft XPS Document Writer
HPR 4915
Fax
IC:1|1.7.2|0|en|b4|d0
— Systeminformation - Start —
Windowsversion: 6.01.7601
WinDir: C:\Windows
Win64: false
ProcessorArchitecture: X86
.Net 2.0: true
.Net 2.0 regasm.exe:C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\RegAsm.exe
SystemDir: C:\Windows\system32
TempDir: C:\Windows\TEMP\
CurrentDir: C:\Windows\system32
Computername: [REDACTED]
Username: SYSTEM
UILanguage: 1033
Internet Explorer version: 9.0.8112.16421
Path: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Shared
C:\Windows\system32\Wbem\framedyn.dll: NOT found
framedyn.dll: found in path
— Systeminformation - End —
— Environment - Start —
[REDACTED]
— Environment - End —
----- Setup - End: 2014-01-21 04:03:56 -----
Anything? It’s been a week now.
Hi,
sorry I wanted to wait with the answer untill there is a result, but this is still a puzzle.
We haven’t been able to reproduce this here using your .inf file and the same parameters.
Do I understand correctly that this only happens when installing with SolarWinds, or are you able to reproduce this behaviour otherwise?
regards,
Robin
To be honest, the problem is intermittent no matter what. I deployed to a couple hundred workstations and it happened on maybe 5-10% of the installs. We have noticed it in the past when installing by hand as well, at about the same ratio.
Hi,
thanks for the response, although it only happening on some of the installs and not on others, makes it even more difficult to track down the potential bug. I guess there are no obviously noticable differences between the systems where this problem occurs and those where it doesn’t?
I am asking this to get a more usefull approach to reproduce this here. Was it deployed as an update, or as a fresh setup?
regards,
Robin
There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, no. I’ve seen it happen both when 1.7.2 was a fresh install and when there was a previous version. The only time I really expect it to happen is when there aren’t other printers available, and that’s obviously fine.