Windows 7 SP1 x64 network printer offline

Question

I've got a interesting problem within my newly installed windows server 2008 r2 domain. the environment is like this:
all the servers were installed as windows server 2008 r2 with sp1 already integrated and got patched up to date. after the domain was running just fine and the best practice analyzers got peased i turned towards the clients. all of the clients got installed
as windows 7 professional x64 with sp1 already integrated.
one of the servers has the file and print roles with the latest whql compatible drivers for various models of hp and canon printers.
everything works fust fine but every two to three days a random windows 7 client insists that the printers on the print server were offline - which is not true, in fact they work just fine. anfter i restart the spooler service on that client it takes some
seconds and then - oh wonder! - recognizes that the printers are not offline. until now there were never more than one client at once which had this problem but there were various client in total which had the problem.
please spare me advices like "update the printer driver" or "install the latest windwos updates" or "make a system restore" because as already stated i have
the latest x64 windows server os only recently installed with up to date service pack and updates
the latest x64 windows client os only recently installed with up to date service pack and updates
the latest whql printer drivers i could get from the vendors
on a last note: i'm not inclined to disable snmp on the printers to avoid false positives - i'm on the search for the cause so i can fix that problem instead of hiding it.
thanks in advance
dom

Answer 1

Hi,
Please run the printer troubleshooter first and check if it helps.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Open-the-Printer-troubleshooter
I suggest to perform these tests you can try:
1 Temporally disable firewall on Windows 7
2 The problem may be caused by the printer change its IP address itself. Please set the IP address of the printer to a static address.  If you add the printer
again by browsing the network, the Standard TCP/IP port will only work as long as the printer retains the same IP.  If the print device support DNS or WNS name registration you can add a Standard TCP/IP Port using the hostname rather than a
transient IP address for DHCP enabled print devices. 
3 If the printer changed IP address, go to Devices & Printers --> Printer Properties --> Ports --> Standard TCP/IP Port for your printer --> Configure
Port. Then change the IP address where it says “Printer name or IP address” to the new IP address that you found. 
In addition, sometimes disable SNMP could fix the issue. You can make a try to check if it will avoid the same issue occurs.
Furthermore, this link may helpful to you:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/172811
Hope that helps.
Regards, 
Leo   Huang
TechNet
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