I just had something wierd happen to me over the past few days... My system kept sending UDP packets out to a long-disconnected WAN segment... probably well over a year ago and it was causing problems with our routers to the point where the load on the routers was making them nearly unuseable.
At first we couldn't figure it out. We tried ActivePorts to see if we could see what was trying to connect, but it never showed any activity for the remote IP. I finally installed Kerio Personal Firewall and it showed the Spooler SubSystem was trying to connect to the remote address, so I blocked that at my firewall. I got a bright idea yesterday to search the registry and I found two printers still defined in the registry with IP addresses in the WAN segment we no longer use. The printer spooler was, suddenly last week, trying to reconnect to two printers I'd removed from my system long ago. I have no idea why, but I've fixed it so that won't happen again by searching my registry and removing all references to that network and all other networks we no longer use!
I just thought I'd mention that here in case anyone else has a problem like that. Probably not likely to happen, but I figure if I post here, I might save someone else all the headaches I went through! :-)
Full Version: Router problems
QUOTE(mrmaxx @ Sep 9 2005, 12:36 PM)
The printer spooler was, suddenly last week, trying to reconnect to two printers I'd removed from my system long ago. I have no idea why, but I've fixed it so that won't happen again by searching my registry and removing all references to that network and all other networks we no longer use!
Thanks for the info. One possibility is a system restore type of activity, restoring the machine back to a set time in history, when that subnet existed? I've had enough problems with people trying to "fix" their own problems with that tool that I have disabled it anywhere I find it. I have also seen Win98 era computers "lose" all the printers, only to find them again at a later date. Gotta love the registry sometimes.
QUOTE(StevenUnderwood @ Sep 9 2005, 01:12 PM)
Thanks for the info.
One possibility is a system restore type of activity, restoring the machine back to a set time in history, when that subnet existed? I've had enough problems with people trying to "fix" their own problems with that tool that I have disabled it anywhere I find it. I have also seen Win98 era computers "lose" all the printers, only to find them again at a later date. Gotta love the registry sometimes.
One possibility is a system restore type of activity, restoring the machine back to a set time in history, when that subnet existed? I've had enough problems with people trying to "fix" their own problems with that tool that I have disabled it anywhere I find it. I have also seen Win98 era computers "lose" all the printers, only to find them again at a later date. Gotta love the registry sometimes.
Nope. This is a Win2k machine. No system restore here. :-) As for the Win98 machines... yeah, we have that problem enough that I know what the solution is: reboot the machine and the printer magically re-appears. :-)
QUOTE(mrmaxx @ Oct 5 2005, 11:54 AM)
As for the Win98 machines... yeah, we have that problem enough that I know what the solution is: reboot the machine and the printer magically re-appears. :-)
IIRC, that would happen when the spooler died. Restarting spool32 would get printing back without having to reboot.
QUOTE(Jeff G. @ Oct 6 2005, 12:21 AM)
IIRC, that would happen when the spooler died. Restarting spool32 would get printing back without having to reboot.
Jeff:
What I am talking about is all the printers "disappear" from the printers "folder". I have tried restarting the spooler and the jobs continue, but any future attempts to print find no printers installed.
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