We now have a resolution to our 'creeping' problem on laser printers, after
many hours working with HPRC in Singapore and USA.

The problem has been identified as a known 'feature' probably introduced
with a patch to MPE/iX 4.0 and now incorporated into 5.0 and 5.5. This
patch had not been made to 4.0 on the 957RX so we only discovered this
problem with our update to 5.5.

We have a letter print program that does not use form feeds to change page
but uses line feeds. Reports printed to the spooler use form feeds and
these reports print with no 'creeping' on the laser printers. If a VFC file
is referenced in the printer terminal type the driver unconditionally turns
on perforation skip which affects line feed codes (%2nn) used to control
paging. The only way to overcome the 1mm creeping on each page is to remove
the VFC file from being referenced in the terminal type.

Laser printers which do not have the perforation skip are not affected.

Ken Nutsford

____________ Original Message _________________________________

Subject: MPE/iX 5.5 Laser Printing Creep
Author:  Ken and Jeanette Nutsford ([log in to unmask]) 
Date:    10/9/97 2:33 AM


We did an upgrade from 4.0 to 5.5 Express 2 last weekend on a 957RX and it
was work as usual on the Monday for users. However, all letter printing on
the laser printers has been put on hold due to a 1mm creep up each page
when printing. After 8 pages the creep has moved a whole line up the paper.
These HP IIISi and IVSi laser printers are connected serially and have
printed the same formatted letters correctly under 4.0 for the past three
years. The HP Response Centre has been notified but no solution is offerred
so far (after overcoming initial difficulty in communicating that a 1mm
creep was anything to be concerned about). Has anyone experienced a similar
situation with laser printing on 5.5 or is aware of this problem and how it
can be overcome?

These same letters print with no creep on a Star Laserprinter 8 under HP
emulation attached serially to a 917LX which we upgraded from 5.5 Express 1
to 5.5 Express 2 on October 2 prior to the 957RX upgrade. This is not a
sufficient condition to exclude a problem with 5.5 but delayed us reporting
the problem for three days.

TIA

Ken Nutsford