Install or Reinstall PDF-Xchange Printer on QlikView Server

[Daniele_Purrone]

Note: with QlikView May 2021 (12.60) PDF-Xchange is no longer needed, with the exception of systems running on Windows 2012.

When you install QlikView, windows service “Print spooler” must be up and running. If it is disabled, PDF-XChange 3.0  will not be added during the installation. 

If PDF-XChange 3.0 does not install with QlikView, or if you have uninstalled it and need to reinstall it, follow the steps in the Resolution. 

NOTE:  If installing in a QlikView Server cluster environment, the PDF-XChange 3.0 will need to be installed on each QlikView Server Service node.

Environment

• QlikView 12.40 and 12.50 (April 2019 to April 2020)

1. Download PDF Exchange 3. (NOTE: if the link doesn't work in your browser, copy and paste the URL http://da3hntz84uekx.cloudfront.net/pdf/9.00/7119/_MSI/QvPDFSetup.exe to a new window)
2. Ensure the Spooler (Print Spooler) service is running via Windows Task Manager
3. Run the installer downloaded in Step 1 above
4. Confirm the printer driver appears in the Devices and Printers applet under  \Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers

[john_oll]

Hello,
we had a QV Server reinstall on 12.50 _AFTER_ the Microsoft Patch for Print nightmare came out.

And we are running into the error of "Timeout has been exceeded",
but the installing and reinstalling of PDF X Change 3 ( with Spooler running (!) ) is not working,
and PDX X Change3 does not show up at all in the printers after the windows reboot.

Is this a known issue? We suspect this might be caused by the Microsoft Fix (KB5004945 ?), that modified the spooler to fix the exploit.

(Unfortunately upgrading to 12.60 is not an option.)

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

Hello @john_oll We don't currently have any records on this. We did however just publish an article generally dealing with the vulnerability, if any of that helps you?

Qlik coverage for June 2021 CVE-2021-1675 and CVE-2021-34527 PrintNightmare vulnerabilities 

[john_oll]

Thanks for the article.
The solution in my current case is something that the linked article indirectly hints at.
There may be security measures in place, that prevent the installation of PDF Xchange Print driver (both during QV Installation and manually).
My advice: If you encounter that problem: Ask the IT department to install the Print driver, since they should have more information about what specific security is running that prevents print driver installation.

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

@john_oll Thank you for the detailed reply, John.  Much appreciated! 

[ssapseid]

Hi there

We have recently installed Qlikview Server 12.60.  

In QV Desktop 12.60 you still have the option to choose the PDF printer you want to send the QV PDF reports to.

However, in QV Server 12.60 AJAX, it appears the QV PDF Report printer is hard-coded to use the 'Microsoft Print to PDF' printer. This gives us a problem as the 'Microsoft Print to PDF' is much slower than the old PDF-Exchange printer and the actual PDF files generated by the 'Microsoft Print to PDF' printer are 20 times bigger than the PDF files generated by the old PDF-Exchange printer.

We are hoping that QV Server can provide a setting where we can choose a different PDF printer (eg PDF-Exchange) to the one that seems to be hard coded - 'Microsoft Print to PDF'. But the setting does not exist. You can change the setting in QV Distribution Service, but that has absolutely no effect of reports generated on the AJAX QV Server client.

Using the 'Microsoft Print to PDF' often creates corrupt PDF files and takes so long that it is almost unusable.

Does anyone know if it is possible to change the default printer to anything but 'Microsoft Print to PDF' in QV Server 12.60?

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

Hello @ssapseid 

An option only exists to configure the printer for the Publisher (See QlikView May 2021 (12.60), running Publisher reports on a Windows 2012 server).

As for the experience you have with the new PDF printer used, I would recommend two things:

• Log a support ticket with an example of a print that has now grown in size. If necessary we can log this with RnD to get their input. 
• Log an idea - which I see you have already done! (I gave it a vote, I think this is a great idea)

I'll leave the link in here in case other users find it and wish to vote as well: Qlikview Server 12.60 - the ability to change/select PDF printer when printing from AJAX client 

[ssapseid]

Thank you Sonja

We have logged a case with Qlik Support and explained everything.  Qlik have recognised the file size and PDF corruption as a bug and assigned Bug ID QV-22394. There has been no time given for a fix as yet.

[p_verkooijen]

@ssapseid SR1 has been released the 21st

https://da3hntz84uekx.cloudfront.net/qlikview/12.60/126020100/QlikView%20May%202021%20SR1%20Release%...

Reports fail to print
Issue ID: QV-22394
Fixes the export to pdf action parameter PDF Printer Name and adds the setting DefaultPDPrinterName that makes it possible to specify the name of a default PDF printer. The problem only exists on Windows Server 2012.

Only no information how to change this setting

[ssapseid]

Hi P verkooijen

I know, Qlik didn't tell us how to change the setting.

I have put the following line in the QVS settings.ini file and it worked and printed the report to the PDF-XChange 3.0 printer:

DefaultPDPrinterName=PDF-XChange 3.0

Although the same PDF report now takes three times longer to generate compared to QVS 12.50 SR4, so I am not sure that this is a solution for us.

[p_verkooijen]

Yep worked, for the full info:

• Edit the : C:\ProgramData\QlikTech\QlikViewServer\Settings.ini
• Add: DefaultPDPrinterName=PDF-XChange 3.0 somewhere below [Settings 7]
• Restart QlikView Server service

And Yes, Qlik created the setting named DefaultPDPrinterName instead of DefaultPDFPrinterName 🤐