Printing Issues Related to Splwow64.exe

[nzorn]

We randomly get calls from our users about them unable to print (to a local printer, networked printer, or Adobe PDF) (from Adobe Acrobat, IE9, Word, WordPerfect) when they are working from their Zero Client connected to a View desktop.  Problem is usually resolved by ending the Splwow64.exe process.

We found a Microsoft hotfix (http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/2815716) that we are currently testing with in a test pool to see if that helps.

Has anyone else seen this before in a physical or virtual environment?

View Info:

Windows 7 x64

ESXi 5.5

View 5.3

Thanks

[Gaurav_Baghla]

I can see these Threads

VMware WS 7.1.4 triggers SPLWOW64.exe to consume memory

splwow64.exe consumes memory

Splwow64 leaking memory

[nzorn]

Those threads talk about the same process running, but different issues.........

[ChrisBCarlson]

yes we have had this issue. I don't know exactly why this happens but it has to do with a 32bit application IE MS OFFICE, Adobe on 64bit machine. we had this issue when they try to load up a print driver (a canon one). Make sure that both print drivers are installed, 32bit and 64 bit. i believe splwow64 is something that is for the 32bit application to print on a 64bit computer.

one thing i know that works for us is we have to uninstall the printer from device and printers and reinstall them.

[nzorn]

Thanks for the reply.  I'm not sure what to do next as my pools are all non-persistent linked clones that get refreshed on logoff so the user gets a clean desktop every login, but this problem doesn't happen every day.

[ChrisBCarlson]

our desktops get refreshed every month. do you have persona running?

[nzorn]

Not yet, we are using windows roaming profiles currently.  We've even started users over with a new clean profile and they still randomly run into this.

[ChrisBCarlson]

when you try and print something does the application just hang? just wondering if it the same problem we have.

[nzorn]

Yes, the application either hangs, or nothing happens when you click print, sometimes nothing is even sent to the printer queue.

[ChrisBCarlson]

interesting ours does not always happen either.. and i have yet to pin point what it is.. but uninstall the printer and re installing the network printer works.

[nzorn]

If the user logs off and logs back into a clean machine it fixes the problem, but no one wants to do that.

Killing the splwow64.exe process does the trick as well. 

Someone already mentioned to me that they did not get any resolution with that KB article I listed, and they just ended up placing a VBS script on everyone's desktop to kill the process.