TMP files are not deleted from the spool folder after print is done

Question

We assume PrintFilterPipelineSVC is creating the TMP files in the spool folder and not getting deleted after print is done.

Answer 1

Hi Uday Y, when you are using XPS based drivers, printfilterpipelinesvc.exe will be in play. You can set up a scheduled task to remove all the tmp files from the spool folder if Windows is not performing the work.You can also move away from XPS drivers thus printfilterpipelinesvc.exe will not be in use. Generally XPS drivers are Type 4 drivers but HP has been writing model Type 3 XPS based drivers for the past 5 years. Some people move to Type 4 drivers since these drivers are never copied to the client from the server thus the user on the client is not required to have administrative access to download the driver from the server. Move to Type 3 drivers if the tmp files when using Type 4 drivers is causing too much concern. Thanks

Answer 2

Hello there,

You can use this console command:

taskkill.exe /f /im printfilterpipelinesvc.exe

To restart the process you run this command:

printfilterpipelinesvc.exe

And see if it helps,

Thank you

--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept as answer--

Answer 3

Printfilterpipelinesvc.exe will create pp{longGUID}.tmp in the spool folder. Yes, sometimes they are not cleaned up but we never fully tracked down why. Are they filling up all disk space? Are they not deleting when you delete the files?

Answer 4

At this point, you can open a bug to MS but I am not holding my breath. A scheduled task to delete *.tmp from wherever the spool folder is. A couple other questions thought, is the print server a DC? Are you using C:\Windows\system32\spool\printers? Change that and see if that makes any difference

Answer 5

Hello @Kapil Arya

Looking for support in deleting the TMP files automatically using printfilterpipeline or is there a way not to create these TMP files and print successfully.

Please let me know if there's any possibility.