Has anyone had MS Print to PDF get totally messed up after NTLite session?

S

Sonicmojo

Member
Messages
97
Reaction score
9
I have a thread rolling at Eleven Forums:

What is going on with Microsoft Print to PDF in Win 11 24H2

Open Administrator command prompt. Hit enter after each line entered. net stop spooler dism /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:"Printing-PrintToPDFServices-Features" /NoRestart dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:"Printing-PrintToPDFServices-Features" /NoRestart net start spooler...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

With the strangest printing error I have ever seen where MS Print to PDF is installed, looks fully operational yet will not generate anything but a zerobyte PDF file.

Have been going at this for a few hours now - and have done everything I could read up on or think of.

Now getting into a thought that maybe just maybe - I clipped something somewhere in my NT Lite travels that would cause this scenario.

I have been rocking the same general template for a long while and it is fairly modest in changes and/or removals. Used the same general principles on all my Win 10 images for at least 5 years now and have never had a issue with Print to PDF.

Just wondering if anyone else has ever come across this. I also should state for the record that up to this weekend - any Win 11 images I created have always been used on VMs and I also fully admit that I wasn't exactly testing Print to PDF with any regularity.

This is my first production instance of it going on a physical machine with real physical hardware.

Anyone has any ideas - from obvious to super obscure - I would appreciate it.

S
 
TBH it doesn't sound like a NTLite bug, because a quick Google search has it reported by non-modders.
The often shared answer is to disable and re-enable the Print to PDF Feature. Whether that works or not is unconfirmed.
 
garlin said:
TBH it doesn't sound like a NTLite bug, because a quick Google search has it reported by non-modders.
The often shared answer is to disable and re-enable the Print to PDF Feature. Whether that works or not is unconfirmed.
Click to expand...

Yeah - I have done a billion and one things today. Not a single suggestion has worked yet. Will keep trying.

S
 
If you have a preset that breaks Print to PDF, and the same ISO (and Windows version) has it working without editing, then please attach or send me that preset for review.

I did have a similar report for Windows 10 from another user, it turned out Microsoft had a bug and fixed it in one of the recent cumulative updates - issue was replicated without NTLite in that case.
But haven't seen the same on Windows 11, so it's possible there is some component dependency.
 
nuhi said:
If you have a preset that breaks Print to PDF, and the same ISO (and Windows version) has it working without editing, then please attach or send me that preset for review.

I did have a similar report for Windows 10 from another user, it turned out Microsoft had a bug and fixed it in one of the recent cumulative updates - issue was replicated without NTLite in that case.
But haven't seen the same on Windows 11, so it's possible there is some component dependency.
Click to expand...

Nuhi

Thanks for offering to take a look. I have sent you my template.

Also - for all that have offered to help - be aware of two actual issues with this.

1. The PDF print job NEVER leaves the queue:

1739364850675.png

2. The PDF output is ALWAYS zero bytes

1739365367559.png

S
 
Sonicmojo said:
Nuhi

Thanks for offering to take a look. I have sent you my template.

Also - for all that have offered to help - be aware of two actual issues with this.

1. The PDF print job NEVER leaves the queue:

View attachment 13844

2. The PDF output is ALWAYS zero bytes

View attachment 13845

S
Click to expand...
Here the same problem.

Did you solve the problem?
I read on elevenforum that after patch it is working for you?


I have build a new image with Microsoft June update but have the same issue
Also tried everything and now building again a new image but without updates
 
If anyone is having a Print to PDF issue only after editing, please send me the preset to replicate the issue (or attach it here if it doesn't have any private data).
As a quick tip, try keeping Windows PDF Reader component, it was needed for PDF operations with previous versions.
You can Host Refresh the install with latest version to fix that situation.
 
helpdesk said:
Did you solve the problem? I read on elevenforum that after patch it is working for you?
Click to expand...

In my case - the PDF print thing did not work until I moved to Build 26100.3194 - but that was months ago.

That was the fix for me after hours and hours of documented troubleshooting.

Wish I had a more elegant solution - but that is all I did.

AND - still working just fine as of this writing.

S
 
I also have the same errors which Sonicmojo has.
PDF files are 0 byte
Also printing with "Generic" driver to File: or PortPrompt: gives error
I have NOT removed Components: Print to PDF or Features: Microsoft Print to PDF

When I have installed the image the PDF Print driver is missing but feature Microsoft Print to PDF is enabled.

In Windows I disable feature Microsoft Print to PDF
restart
Then enable feature Microsoft Print to PDF, sometimes this gives an error and I have to stop printspooler and again enable feature Microsoft Print to PDF
restart
Printing test page not working
 
garlin said:
https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1kp02gw/windows_11_24h2_again_missing_pdf_printer/
Click to expand...
I had seen and tried the solution many times in different ways.

With these instruction with disabled Print Spooler there is no printer installed
After installing printer manually I get the same failure, empty PDF file and unable to create printjob

With Spooler Enabled the printer get installed but also same failure, empty PDF file and unable to create printjob

Have tried 3 driver versions
prnms009.inf.......7e2
prnms009.inf.......a5a
prnms009.inf.......1fd

tried with
DISM /Online
pnputil
Have disabled Defender Memory Integrity
 
helpdesk, if you have a preset breaking Print to PDF, I will gladly test and find a dependency.
Thank you.
 
nuhi said:
helpdesk, if you have a preset breaking Print to PDF, I will gladly test and find a dependency.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
This has been a Windows issue since a few CUs it would seem
Not sure if NTLite is the cause, I posted a "fix" with drivers on Discord which works for many, while waiting for MS to resolve this issue

NTL.PNG
 
If deleting Component/ System/ Windows Reader (PDF) and keeping Print to PDF it works if chosing a standard app for opening PDF files.
OP try print to Adobe Acrobat and fault maby be standard app is not chosen - so what spooler should Windows send PDF to?
When Windows Reader (PDF) is removed MS EDGE can open PDF files, but if standard App for opening PDF files is not changed to either MS EDGE or a installed PDF software, it can't.
Have never since W10 19045 to now 26100.4351 experiened Print to PDF dosn't work.
I'm using NitroPDF.
Make sure to tire files to standard apps (programs).
 
Last edited:
Ok, sorry no solution for me yet.
Have tried every solution from Discord, Askwoody, Reddit, elevenforum, easeus.........etc ..etc
I am happy to try new solution but think this is also not a NTLite problem but Microsoft.
The only thing what must be working for me is the Microsoft PDF Printer, not Nitro, not Adobe, CutePDF

Now I have been trying a lot and still trying
Maybe the different with other "default" users where solution works is that I am making an AUDIT image, just because after NTLite I still need to make some extra changes.
And yes I also have tested NTLite image with AUDIT mode and Sysprep without changes, No PDF

I have used NTLite before but most of the time I used Anarethos.
Just this time I bought the license to also use NTLite for bussiness

This moment I am busy with some more testing and found maybe some interesting.
Install Windows from USB stick (Audit Mode) with Anarethos and before finish Sysprep, there are 3 locations with prnms009.inf (picture1)
And after finishing the sysprep the PDF is working.

Creating NTLite image and install Windows from USB stick (Audit Mode) before finish Sysprep, there are 2 locations with prnms009.inf (picture2)

In Picture3 you see the folder C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-printing-printtopdf_..............f9a\r
is missing the INF file??

I do not know why there is this subfolder "r" which should have the same files in it
Does somebody know more about this folder?

picture1.png




picture2.png




picture3.png

and continuing testing ....
 
WinSxS uses forward (f) and reverse (r) differentials to reduce the size of updates.

Instead of releasing a whole new file, WU reconstructs a replacement file based on a byte-by-byte comparison of the two versions. Forward differential means you're adding new byte data to the file, and reverse means you're subtracting bytes from the file.
 
There's something deeper to this mystery. It's been claimed that KB5043178 (Sep 2024 Preview) may have tried fixing the problem.

On the 26100.1742 ISO, we have:
amd64_microsoft-windows-printing-printtopdf_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.26100.1591_none_1deff062f692cf9a

Starting with KB5043178 (26100.1882):
amd64_microsoft-windows-printing-printtopdf_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.26100.1882_none_1dce698cf6ac23b7

Both sets of folders have identical file contents, except for prnms009.inf. So what changed in that file?
Code: 
< DriverVer = 06/21/2006,10.0.26100.1882
---
> DriverVer = 06/21/2006,10.0.26100.1

That's it, they only updated the version string. Print to PDF isn't an actual printer driver, they're redirecting print jobs through a pair of DLL's (PDFRenderFilter.dll, XpsRasterService.dll) to convert them into files. Both DLL's were last updated to .1882, which implies some other problems were addressed.
 
MS has rolled back this "driver" it seems
The prnms009.inf version with the latest LCU is 26100.1882 now (.4202 before, if I remember correctly)

And last version of PDFRenderFilter.dll is .4202, and for XpsRasterService.dll is .1150
 
I have been testing some images with different settings.
Can somebody confirm that this problem often happens when using the "audit" mode?

My latest images 24h2 I have added the driver printtopdf_31bf3856ad364e35 manually in NTLite
I did not know that printtopdf_31bf3856ad364e35 also has different build versions
I use the driver from original ISO, install Win11 & extracted driver from computer without internet!

results with added driver
NTLite direct finishing: No PDF
NTLite with finishing Microsoft Audit mode: No PDF
NTLite with finishing Anarethos Audit mode: Yes PDF
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top