Printers not
being counted:-
If there isn't a thick black arrow to the left of the list of
printers - in Pcontrol, Server Configuration, Printers - then
they are Not being counted by Pcounter; probably due to only
running Setup & not the Service & Ports installs.
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Printing
working but not being counted:-
Possible cause is that the evaluation has expired.
Check in Pcontrol under server configuration and the "registration
and trial period".
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Error -61
opening xxxx.dbf when clicking on a user in PAdmin:-
This is access denied, they need read/write permission to the
Data subdirectory (see manual).
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Error -60
opening xxxxx.dbf in PAdmin:-
Means that the path is invalid (often happens first time in -
set Preferences to correct path, then exit & re-enter).
Also, it is necessary to run PAdmin once on the workstation to
configure it's settings before Pcontrol can run reports by
right-clicking on a printer. When Pcontrol runs reports and
histories, it is actually using PAdmin.
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To allow
non-admin personnel to be able to update account balances on
Pcounter for Windows:-
Only users who have Read/Write permission to the
\\DataServer\Pcounter\Data directory can modify account balances
and the PCOUNTER.LOG file.
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When updating
versions:-
There is no need to un-install first. New versions can safely
be installed over previous so long as you are within your
maintenance licence period; otherwise the update will change
Pcounter to be an expired evaluation! (To check this, use the
Register link from the Global settings tab in PControl, Pcounter
configuration. Check-
Registration status: Registered
Maintenance valid through m/yyyy
such that the date m/yyyy is Greater than the date specified in
the version warning.)
Running Setup to install the software does not automatically
update the Ports & Services. These need to be updated using
PControl:
- Select the Windows computer and press the P icon or
choose the Server, Pcounter, Pcounter configuration menu.
- Next, select the Services/Ports tab. Stop both services,
click the Update button for each service, then re-Start both
services.
- Click the Update button for the Ports. This takes you
through a 5-stage menu, temporarily interrupting printing.
- Ensure that any utilities being used, e.g. WBalance for
workstations or Balance for Web, are also updated if they
are being run from anywhere other than the default Pcounter
install directory.
All configurations are left as before the update.
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When
uninstalling:-
Uninstalling the software from your server desktop does not
automatically uninstall the services and port monitors.
You need to configure Pcounter not to be used for
printer ports & uninstall the services and port monitors
first by running PControl. Select the Windows computer and
press the P icon or choose the Server, Pcounter,
Pcounter configuration menu.
Take the Pcounter ports off all printers (i.e. no thick black
arrows to the left on the printing tab); Select the Printers tab
and for any printers shown with a bold arrow to the
left- Either run the Port Wizard to delete the port &
return to a non-Pcounter port; Or click Properties,
click Ports and change to a non-Pcounter port.
Then Stop & Remove the services & ports from the
Services/Ports tab; Select the Services/Ports tab, Stop
both services, Remove both services, Uninstall
the ports.
Finally exit Pcontrol & run uninstall for the Pcounter
software from the Windows; Start, Settings Control Panel,
Add/Remove programs.
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If
page-counting errors seem to be occurring:-
- Put the Printer/Queue
on hold in Pcontrol.
- Print a job that causes the miscounting
- When the job is sat in the queue to be printed, please
highlight it on the right side of Pcontrol, R-click &
Save as...
- You can now take the Printer/Queue off hold.
- Please email the saved spool file & also the original
document.
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Multiple
(trusted) Domains:-
Pcounter handles multiple domains by creating a database for
each - so long as a trust exists allowing the users to be
accessed - although all can be on one Data Server.
Pcounter Administration (PAdmin) only deals with one domain at
a time.
However, you can select a different domain by pressing the
button on the toolbar or via the menu (Utility, Select
Domain/Server). Then you will see all users in the new domain,
and be able to do accounting operations there.
To do this, access the userlist on the other domain's
PDC server directly - instead of via the domain - by
expanding the domain, servers are shown, select the PDC. Then
all Groups & users in the other domain should be displayed.
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Jobs from
Macintosh clients :-
Mac usernames
When Macintosh users submit print jobs to Windows Windows printers,
the username typically shows up in parentheses, such as
(username). Pcounter automatically strips off the parentheses
and processes the print job based upon the username inside them.
This name is usually the desktop owner name from Control Panel.
Mac authentication
Windows Print Services for Macintosh do not require
Macintosh users to logon to the Windows machine in order to print, so
it is possible for Mac users to impersonate other users.
Unknown users can be prevented from printing.
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Jobs from LPR
clients :-
LPR usernames
When LPR clients submit print jobs to Windows printers using
the Microsoft LPD service, the username typically shows up as a
username followed by the client IP address in parentheses, such
as username (192.168.1.27). Pcounter automatically strips off
the IP address portion and processes the print job based upon
the username.
LPR authentication
There is no protocol for user authentication using LPR/LPD, so
it is possible for LPR users to impersonate other users.
Unknown users can be prevented from printing.
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Using the Popup
- Print job Client/Cost-centre billing and Password Security :-
Popup Overview
Any Win32 station on the network can be
setup to have a window pop up after each print job, allowing
users to enter additional information for the logging of the
job. All that is necessary on the workstations is to run
PPOPUP.EXE on each station where this feature is required.
PPOPUP is activated for each printer by checking the Enable
popup window box in the Pcounter printer configuration. Pcounter
uses Super Pause automatically if PPOPUP is enabled. When a
print job is submitted, Pcounter pauses the job until the user
enters the information, and then releases it.
For PPOPUP to automatically run when a user logs on, create a
shortcut to PPOPUP.EXE in Start Menu, Programs, Startup, or add
PPOPUP.EXE to a login script. If PPOPUP is launched from a login
script, use the following syntax: START DRIVE:PATH\PPOPUP
[/options] PPOPUP can display in English, French, German,
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Finnish, Dutch, and Swedish.
See PPopup Start_Up for
additional information.
Requirements and limitations
If Pcounter is running on a Windows NT 4.0 server, it is
required that each Windows 95/98/ME client have its own separate
logon account. This does not mean that users require individual
logon accounts, but that each station needs a logon account.
(Pcounter running on Windows 2000 servers and Windows NT 4.0 or
2000 clients do not have this problem.) For example,
workstations can logon as STATION1, STATION2, etc. However, if
everyone is logged on as GUEST, PPOPUP will not work reliably.
There are no problems if users are logged on with their own
account names.
The following Window types are supported; Client code list,
Entry Form, ID and password (Shared logon accounting), Matter
number list, Confirmation.
The default window is Client code list; this & the options
can be changed form the Popup tab in Pcontrol, Server
configuration.
The Pcounter Adminstrator (PAdmin.exe) can be used to
create/import/amend/delete client codes & also produce
reports on printing by client codes.
Certain users can be configured to be exempt from Popup.
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How does
Pcounter interact with Active Directory and Domains:-
Pcounter for Windows works with mixed or native mode domains. It works with and can display user lists in NT4 and Active
Directory domains and AD organisational units. Any users added
to AD or NT Domain are automatically available to Pcounter for
printing.
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I am about to
buy a new printer - will Pcounter work with it:-
I have installed a new printer - Pcounter doesn't seem to
work with it:-
Pcounter counts pages printed on any PostScript or PCL printer,
from all major manufacturers such as HP, Xerox, KonicaMinolta,
Lexmark, Canon and more. Also included are Ricoh RPCS, Canon
BubbbleJet, Epson (ESC/P, ESC/P2) inkjet and Epson (ESC/Page)
AccuLasers. This covers most lasers, inkjets and multi-function
devices on the market today. Support for TIFF printing is
included and Pcounter also tracks plot size on HPGL/2 and
PostScript plotters.
Note:
Any WPS (Windows Printing System) or GDI (sometimes also call
Host-based) printers - including some of the low-end models from
the above manufacturers - or printers not able to support the
above languages are not currently supported
except counting by job.
If you are unsure of the printer's support, please check the
Manufacturer's web pages for full protocol/emulation details.
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Upgrading from
Pcounter 1.x:-
- Run the DBUpdate utility on the Pcounter 1.x accounting
server. This will convert Pcounter 1.x registry and database
accounting formats to the new DBF format. Accounting files
will be placed in the \\ServerName\Pcounter\Data directory.
The Pcounter Data Server service should now be run on this
server.
- DBUpdate will also convert the PMAX.INI client code popup
information file to the new DBF format and place the file in
the \\ServerName\Pcounter shared directory.
- Once it is certain that the data is safe, the Pcounter
1.x PDB files that were previously used can be deleted if
Database files were used for accounting - if Registry
accounting was used, the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Pcounter\Balances registry key
can be deleted.
- If a different data server will be used to run the
Pcounter Data Server service, move all of the accounting
database files to \\DataServer\Pcounter\Data, and client
code database files to \\DataServer\Pcounter.
- If Pcounter 1.x is currently being run, uninstall the
Pcounter service using Psetup 1.x.
- It is necessary to use Pcounter port monitors for
accounting. Configure existing Pcounter printers to use
Pcounter port monitors.
- The PcounterService account used for accessing remote
servers in Pcounter 1.x is no longer needed nor required and
can be deleted.
- Print job datatypes no longer need to be RAW, although if
the Pcounter LPR Port monitor will be used, it is a good
idea to force RAW printing. See the Pcounter LPR Port
section in the manual for more details.
- Printer configurations and prices will migrate directly
from Pcounter 1.x to 2.x, so no reconfiguration is
necessary. However, the Banner Position option has been
removed, as all banners are printed before the job in
Pcounter 2.x.
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If you cannot find your answer here and wish to raise a
question or report a problem, please go back to the
support page and use the email to
send us full details of your environment and the problem requiring
attention. |
