Troubleshooting e-forms installation in Crystal Reports or with Windows NT Workstation

If the e-forms do not print, the following steps can isolate the problem to one of the Printer, Workstation, or Server.

1. Server/PMS system: You can quickly test to see if the workstation and printer are ok by clicking on Start / Programs / Accessories / Wordpad. Type "HELLO" and then select that text by dragging the mouse over it. Use the Format / Font menu to select the EFPlus font for the form you want to test.  (Note: OnQ5 can be set to use either Folio21 OR Folio25. Properties that use the Registraton Keypacket will use RegKey41 and those that print registrations on plain white paper will use OldReg51. Statements will be efplus netstmt31 or detstmt32). Select File / Print. Verify that the printer selected is the one installed for eForms. After the page prints, if you see HELLO and nothing else, the workstation OR printer are a problem (the server may still be a second problem). If the form prints, then the problem is the server. In general, EFPlus is NOT able to help with server related problems although we are more than happy to help diagnose them and suggest corrective action.
    
   If the Workstation and Printer are ok, OnQ users might verify that the "Print pre-reg and check out forms using VB" option is NOT enabled in Start / Programs / System 21 / Database Maintenance / Hotel Defaults / Reciept Printing. See: Configure System 21 to use the new printer for more information.
    
   Also make sure the eForms driver is selected under File / Printer assignements in the Reports list. In OnQ2, the "Registration / Keypacket Printer" should be set to "unassigned" if registrations will be printed on plain white paper. In that case, both registrations and reciepts will print to the printer selected as the "Folio Paper Printer". Statements and Invoices will print to the White Paper Printer.
    
2. Printer: If you have another printer that does print eForms correctly, the easiest way to separate problems with the printer from problems with the workstation is to swap the working printer and eForms device with the one at the workstation that is not working. If you want to test just one printer this next test will absolutly verify if the problem is in the eForms device or not. This example tests the standard folio form (ID #21); for other forms change the 21's to 25 for OnQ5 folios, 31 or 32 for statements, 41 for key packets, 51 for plain paper registrations and so on.
   • From the Command prompt (Start / Run type: CMD press Enter) type:
     echo ^[^&f21y4X21^L > prn
     
     Note that the "^" (a.k.a. caret) is not always entered the same way. The first caret is entered along with the "[" by holding down the Ctrl key and tapping the [ key (just to the right of the P key). The second caret is a shifted 6 followed by a shifted 7 for the "&" and the last is entered with the "L" by holding down the Ctrl key and tapping the L key.

     The actual key presses are: e,c,h,o, ,Ctrl+[,Shift+6,Shift+7,f,2,1,y,4,X,2,1,Ctrl+L, ,>, ,p,r,n,Enter

     or, if the printer is shared between workstations:
     echo ^[^&f21y4X21^L > \\workstation\printername
     where workstation is the name of the workstation that the printer is connected to, and printername is the name that the printer is shared as from that workstation. If the printer is shared from the local workstation, you can use \\127.0.0.1\printername

     Note that printers connected via ethernet / CAT 5 cables e.g. haveing thier own direct IP addresses will not work, you need to share an IP connected printer from a workstation and copy the file to the \\workstation\sharename.

   You can also make a file that can be saved and copied to the printer as needed:

   • From the Command prompt (Start / Programs / Command prompt) type: EDIT TEST.PRN
   • Hold down the Ctrl key and tap the P key. Release the Ctrl key and tap the Esc key. A left-pointing arrow should appear on the screen
   • Type &f21y4X21 Take care to enter lower and uppercase letters as shown.
   • Press Ctrl-P then hold down the Alt key and, on the keypad, type 012 then release the Alt key.
   • Save the file and exit Edit by pressing Alt-F, X, and Y or clicking File / Exit / Yes (or File / Exit and Enter.)
   • At the DOS command line, type:
     COPY TEST.PRN PRN /B
     or
     COPY TEST.PRN LPTn /B
     or
     COPY TEST.PRN \\workstation\printername /B
     where workstation is the name of the workstation that the printer is connected to, and printername is the name that the printer is shared as from that workstation.

     Note that network connected printers with IP addresses will not work, you need to share and IP connected printer from a workstation and copy the file to the \\workstation\printername.
      

   • The folio form should print. But,
     • If a page with 21 in the upper left corner prints, the problem is in the printer; stop trying to fix it and contact us.
     • If any other characters appear on the page, especially the hotel logo at the top, the eform is working; review the instructions above. If the form is incorrect in some way (layout, text, logo incorrect) please fax a copy of the form showing the problem to us. Our fax number is listed at http://www.efplus.com
     • If nothing prints, investigate how the printer is connected to the workstation and adjust the port in the copy command. The help desk needs to get the printer to the point that it can print, then we can help make it print eForms.
        
3. Workstation. If some workstations are able to print any of the eforms, then at least part of the problem is most likely with the workstations that cannot or with their printers. If you have a working workstation and printer, the easiest way to separate problems with the workstation from problems with the printer is to swap the working printer with the one at the workstation that is not working.
   
   If none of the workstations can print e-forms, then the problem is more likely to be in the server.
   
   This test will absolutly verify if the problem is in the workstation.
   • Click on Start / Settings / Printers.
   • Double click the EFPlus.com HPLJ4n printer.
   • From the menu, select Printer and then Pause printing
   • From OnQ, print the item you are having problems with. Nothing should print but the print job should appear in the window where you paused printing. Note: the name of the crystal reports RPT file will probably show up in the Document Name column. If the problem is with registrations and the name is "System 21 Document" then the problem is that "print pre=reg and check ins using VB" has been turned on in Database maintenance / Hotel Defaults / Reciept printing.
   • Click on Start / All Programs / Accessories / Windows Explorer. (on older PCs this will be NT Explorer
   • In the left panel, open the windows folder (probably WINNT) then open System32 \ Spool \ Printer
   • In the right panel, you should find two files with numbers as a name and with the extensions .shd and .spl
   • Open the .spl file in notepad by selecting it and clicking on File / Open with… and selecting NOTEPAD from the list of available applications.
   • Select Edit / Find and enter y4X. You should find a string in the garbage that looks like  &f21y4X  where the 21 may be replaced with the ID number of the form (and font) you are testing. For the Folio, this will be 21, the registration will be 41 for the keypacket version and 51 for the one that prints on plain paper.
   • If the string is not found, the problem is at the workstation. Verify that the correct printer and fonts have been installed and that the true type fonts were deleted before the printer fonts were installed.
     • Delete all the true type fonts having name that start with "efplus"
     • Delete the efplus.com printer driver and repeat the first two steps of the installation ("Install an updated e-Forms capable printer driver" and "Install the e-Forms fonts")
   • Click on Start / Settings / Printers.
   • Double click the EFPlus.com HPLJ4n printer.
   • From the menu, select Printer and then check Pause printing

Other little known or rare issues.

Logos print double size: The printer or driver or application is setting the maximum resolution to 300 dpi and the 600 dpi logo is then printed at twice the correct size. Reset print driver / printer to factory defaults. On a Windows printer driver, right click and select Printing Preferences then change Quick Sets to Factory Defaults. In a non-windows system, reset the printer to factory defaults. This will be different for each printer.