Which log file for print driver errors

Question

I have written a print driver based on the GDI bitmap example. I can install this on a remote machine & print to it. The install logs on my development machine and the windows\inf\setup.api.log and setup.dev.log all indicate the driver has been installed correctly. However, if I try to access the printer properties it says the printer driver is not installed. 

If I click Yes to install the drivers, it doesn't indicate any errors (and I can still print) but if I try to access Preferences I get an "Operation could not be completed" dialog.

Is there a log file generated and if so, where should I be looking for it?

I suspect the issue could be with the GPD file but I cannot see any errors - is there any method of validating a GPD file?

Thanks,

Chris

Answer 1

But why would the GPD be OK on your system and not on another?  Are they different versions of Windows?  Did you build all your DLLs with the MSVCRT static library, instead of the DLL?  If you use the DLL, then the other system has to have the appropriate Visual Studio runtime installed.

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Tim Roberts | Driver MVP Emeritus | Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

Answer 2

Thanks for your reply Tim. I should clarify when I say the remote machine, I am developing in VS2017 and deploying the test signed driver to a remote machine running WDK. I haven't run the driver on the development machine. So the install/deployment log on the development machine isn't showing errors and the setup logs on the remote WDK machine are not showing errors.

Chris

Answer 3

Seems to be possible to check 'syntactical correctness' of GPD with Gpdcheck.exe
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/devtest/index-of-windows-driver-kit-tools

Does EventViewer 'Applications and Service Logs' (logging has to be enabled) give a hint?

Windows has some ETW providers in respect to printing: 

With kind regards

Answer 4

Thanks for the pointers.

Gpdcheck showed no errors although if I use the bitmap.gpd file from the Windows-driver-samples then I don't get any errors. I cannot use that file as it doesn't match my printer but it implies the fault is something to do with the GPD file.

The Event Viewer just reports "Failed to upgrade printer settings Error: 0"

The ETW / TaceView shows a spooler operation failed, CheckFileCopyOptions, Error Code 3

Regards,

Chris

Answer 5

There was an error in the GPD file. I took the GPD from the Windows-driver-samples and changed one section at a time, deploying the driver at each step until I got a working GPD file. I cannot remember what the fault was but it wasn't syntactical as gpdcheck wasn't showing errors.