Structure of spoolfiles (SPL) changed from Win7 to newer Win-Versions

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Hello,

I noticed the following problem about windows-spoolfiles:

If the print-processor of a printer-driver is set do "winprint" and Datatype is
set do "NT EMF 1.008" (for example) normally the created spoolfiles (SPL-Files in
"windows\system32\spool\printers") contain EMF-Pictures (one Picture for each site)
I used this for over 10 years (since Windows NT) to extract EMF-Pictures out of
the Spoolfiles for an application.
This works without problems since Windows NT and till Windows 7.

Testing this with Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (and the same printer-settings) I
found out that the structure of the created SPL-Files is completely different.
I can not find any EMF-Header-Bytes and the SPL-Header also is different.

I tried the following to solve the problem (on Win8.1 and Win10-PC):
- I changed the compatibility-mode of the printing-application to Windows 7
- I changed the compatibility-mode of the SETUP.EXE of the printer-software to
Windows 7 (bevore installation)
- I tested several older and newer printer-drivers

Nothing works! SPL-Structure is still different!

I tested several SPL-Viewer-Tools (including "EMF Printer Spool File Viewer" from
this site) and none of the tools could open SPL-Files created on Win8.1 and Win10
PC!

Is there anybody who knows something about this problem?

Thanks.

Greetings

Posted 26-Jan-16 3:41am

Member 12288194

Updated 23-Feb-16 22:26pm

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Patrice T 26-Jan-16 10:20am

New structure is not a problem by itself.
Please explain why i is a problem for you, What you want to do with spool files.

Member 12288194 26-Jan-16 11:02am

As I wrote in my post:
I extract EMF-Pictures out of SPL-Files. This means you search binary in SPL-Files
for a specific byte-combination which represents an EMF-Header.
If print-processor and datatype is set as I wrote, you will find for each printed site an EMF-Header so you can extract the bytes which contains to the EMF-Picture.

From Windows NT to Windows 7 these EMF-Header-Bytes are in every Windows-Version
always the same. Which makes sense... an specific Header should look always the
same way.

So the problem is, that since Windows 8.1 there are NO EMF-Header-Bytes within
the SPL-File. Means you could not find EMF-Pictures within an SPL-File although
the printer-driver (processor + datatype) is set as always.

THIS is the problem.

Maybe I forgot something or I'm doing something wrong, I don't know.
Hope somebody knows something about this problem...

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Member 12288194 · Answer 1 · 2016-02-23T22:26:00

ok, after searching the internet und much testing, here is the solution:

Since Windows 8 all Print-Drivers in Windows are "Typ 4-Drivers". These Drivers
IGNORE all settings made in the driver to the Datatype of the Print-Processor!

Means you can select all different Datatypes as usual but Windows will ALWAYS ONLY
use "RAW"!

To solve this problem you have to install "Typ 3-Drivers". To do so you have to click on "Windows Update" while installing a driver in the System Controlpanel.
This takes some minutes and after that the driver-list is updated with Typ 3-Drivers. Unfortunately the driver-typ is not marked here.

In Windows 10 you see the Driver-Typ after selecting a driver and klick on "next".
In Windows 8.1 you don't see this. You have to install the driver and after that
you can test the driver with the following steps:
- set Print-Processor to "winprint" and Datatype to "NT EMF 1.008"
- stop the printer queue
- print a testpage
- left click on the printjob and select "options"

In the next Options-Dialog you can see Information to Processor and Datatype
of the printjob.
If it is a Typ 4-Driver the Processor is NOT "winprint" and the Datatype is "RAW"!
if it is a Typ 3-Driver Processor and Datatype are correct as set in the Driver-Options!

So if a Typ 3-Driver is installed on Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 the driver-settings
(Datatype of Print-Processor) will be correct accepted and the spoolfiles contain EMF-Pictures as usual! (if Datatype is set to NT EMF 1.00x)

From MSDN and Technet Support I got also the information that Microsoft changed
the printer-structure since Windows 8 and that this is not documented!

Greetings