Both printers were in "print direct" mode, the NIS 2005 Automatic Program Control "enabled" and the MPSP set at "automatically configured." Within 24 hours the "MPSP automatically configured" pop-up reappeared.

Continued with both printers in "print direct" mode, reset the NIS 2005 Automatic Program Control to "disabled". and reset the MPSP to
"block all." Things looked good for a day or so, and then the "MPSP needs to be configured" pop-up, which requires action on the user's part, appeared (over and over again).

Continued with both printers in "print direct" mode, the NIS 2005 Automatic Program Control "disabled" and MPSP removed from the program Internet access list. The "MPSP needs to be configured" pop-up reappeared (over and over again).

So now I am back to where I started: The printers are in "spooling" mode, the NIS 2005 Automatic Program Control "enabled," the MPSP set at "automatically configured" and the "automatically configured" pop-up comes up whenever feels like.

Unless someone has another idea, the only options remaining are live with the problem, uninstall/reinstall NIS 2005 to see if it eliminates the problem or, the one which is rapidly becoming my favorite, uninstall NIS 2005.

I repeat my 4-4-2005 post to you.

looks the way to go... puke: symantec :knock:

I took the last shot: I uninstalled/re-installed NIS 2005. The MPSP pop-up reappeared after a day, popped-up several times on two occasions, and then went away. I assumed it was back and would randomly appear, but it has not been back for several days. Maybe the problem has been solved, but I'll wait awhile before making that final judgment.

Something new has appeared, a window alerting me that my browser is seeking Internet access, and asking whether I want to grant it access. This has happen several times and, strangely, even when I am on the Internet, conclusively proving that the browser has already been granted Internet access. This is similar to the MPSP problem in that it appears that NIS 2005 does not acknowledge that Internet access has already been granted for a specific program. I set Automatic Program Control to give the browser automatic access, so we will see if it happens anymore. I hope I have not traded one problem for another.

Reply to realblackstuff: I have installed and have been running AVG and I am very happy with it; I have had ZoneAlarm running for a long time, and I am also happy with it. I am also checking out Kerio and Outpost. As you can see, I am ready to transfer from NIS to these programs at a moments notice should the NIS problems continue. Question: You did not include ZoneAlarm in your recommendation, is there something about it you do not like?

I will post a final follow-up once I determine whether the NIS 2005 problem(s) disappeared, or are back.

I don't like the Vector Engine in ZA, it is a resource-hogger. It also causes shutdown problems on some PCs.

My favourite is Outpost, but is not for the faint-hearted, with its myriad controls.
But both Kerio and Sygate do a good job with their free versions, better than ZA.

On my PC I run Agnitum Outpost Pro (paid version). Nothing has ever passed it, IN nor OUT, without my personal consent. I am not paranoid, but I'd rather pay the mere Euro 23.- and have absolute piece of mind.
It's a small price to pay.

It is four days since my last post and I have not had one occurrence of the MPSP Automatic Access Configuration pop-up. It would appear that the un-install/re-install of NIS 2005 did the trick.

I am quite happy with AVG Antivirus and ZoneAlarm Firewall (and I am looking at Kerio and Outpost Firewalls as possible improvements), so I am well positioned to walk away from NIS 2005 should any other problems come up. However, provided no further problems develop, I will stay with NIS 2005 until the yearly subscription runs out because to uninstall NIS 2005 involves the un-install/re-install of Norton System Works because of shared files. I don't want to get involved with that because I am dependent upon Ghost in my backup scheme (Reference my thread: "Cloning C as a Backup Technique" under "Windows OS.").

I would like to thank everyone who responded to this thread.

After you removed Lexmark printer drivers in your computer these files keep running Lexbces.exe and lexpps.exe. These files cause NIS 2005 pop up messages about the spooling. I rebooted my computer in safe mode and then I renamed those files. I restarted in normal mode and I had to run the following command in CMD (Command Prompt)
sc config spooler depend= RPCSS
Please note the space after =
Then, I restarted my computer again and all my problems were gone. For more info refer to this web site
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/star....EXE-7634.html

I trust less on "free software" specially on issues related with security.

Thanks for the information. Had I known this prior to my uninstall/reinstall of NIS 2005, I would have certainly tried your suggested approach. Having said that, since the uninstall/reinstall solved the problem, I would have to conclude that the source of problem was a "bug" in NIS 2005 wherein NIS 2005 did not recognize that it had established Internet access rules for the Microsoft Printer Spooler Program and, thus, every time access was requested NIS 2005 proceeded again to establish access rules, notified you via the pop-up that it had done so, and then the process was repeated over and over again.

Again, thanks for the information, I have filed it away for future reference.

With your regard to your preference for purchased software over free software, where security matters are of concern: This personal preference is, hopefully, the result of a comparative analysis of several software programs, and not a belief that the price differential inherently denotes superior performance. For myself, I have a mix of purchased and free security programs. I have also found free programs which not only perform as well as purchased programs, but do so while utilizing far fewer resources. Price, in-and-of-itself, does not, by definition, guaranty superior performance.

Hi,

A newbie around here - I came across this posting because I was having a very similar problem. The popup came for me when I started PSP9. Really only there and a few other places - word on occassion. Either way it's enough to get me cheesed off.

Anyhoo, I was fiddling about and didn't seem to get very far, although I stopped and restarted the Spool service by going through the "computer management" services section.

After that I also restarted the Lexmark spooler service (I have a Z601) which restarted the spool service as they are dependant.

Since then I've not seen the popup.

It's not much - but if it makes the difference eh!

Paul.

i have soo many words to discribe all norton products but the only thing i eaver found useful was system works bootdisk but I.S that is just a pain in the ***...... :unch: :hotbounce
2 words for this "forget it"

get Zone Alarm or Kerio just as good as norton but les stupid and pointless...

I too am having this popup problem. For me it startred after I installed a Xerox network printer over TCP/IP. I tried reinstalling Norton but it did not help. I now disable Norton Internet Security because the popups come so often and it makes my computer unusable. If anyone has a solution to this crazy problem please reply.

Thanks

I solved the problem!!!! :giddy:

In the NIS 2005 main window go to personal firewall/configure/programs. Now remove all the programs u have on u´re list. After this UNCHECK "Turn on automatic program control" and press OK.

Now NIS 2005 will start to ask u what to do whenever u run a new program (just like when u first installed NIS 2005) including the programs norton regognizes as safe, wich includes the Microsoft printer spooler service. Say "automatically configure acess to all programs" except when it asks what to do with "Microsoft printer spooler service". Here i putted "block always" but i think "permit always" will do the job as well.

ATTENTION!: When u run a safe program after u said "automatically configure internet access" (or whatever u want to put there) NIS 2005 will ask u if u want to TURN ON automatic program control. Check the box dont show this again and say NO or else NIS wont ask u about the microsoft spooler service.

Hope it works for all of u!!

The problem I had was that NIS 2005 did not recognize that the program access setting for Microsoft Printer Spooler Program had been made, whether the setting was Automatic Access, Block Always, Permit Always, of Remove Program (from the access list). Consequently, every time the Microsoft Printer Program requested Internet access, NIS 2005 would either ask you to set the rule, or notify you if you had set Automatic Access, and this would continue on-and-on. Your suggested solution, which I had previously tried in several different ways, will not work in this situation. As long as NIS 2005 does not recognize any access setting for a particular program, the process will always start anew when that program requests Internet access.

How come you still run that PoS crap Norton/Symantec?
Read some other posts about this crime against humanity, which calls itself NIS or NAV! (NAV off, you Wally!)
Junk it, NOW!

Temporary Solution:

Start>Run>
Type: services.msc
Hit OK
Scroll down to the Print Spooler service.
Double Click on the Printer Spooler service.
Change Startup type to Disabled.
Click Apply then OK

NOTE: Although I don't know the exact cause of this error it seems to be related to the Print Spooler service in Windows, NIS 2005 and The Lexmark All in One software/drivers. The downside to this fix is you need to start the Print Spooler service with the steps above only changing the startup type to Automatic when you need to print.

Hopefully this issue will be addressed by Lexmark or Symantec soon. As for the solution mentioned about junking your Symantec software, I wouldn't recommend that as this error is pretty isolated to those particular drivers and will probably have a fix soon. I personally don't use local software based firewalls. I prefer products like SonicWALL (http://www.sonicwall.com/) or standalone Linux firewall solutions (http://www.smoothwall.org/) as local software based firewalls can be comprimised fairly easily.

Thanks for your input. As I noted in one of my previous posts, I uninstalled NIS 2005, purged the system of any residual NIS 2005 files post-uninstall, and reinstalled NIS 2005. The problem did not reappear.

With reference to your comments on not dumping NIS 2005: Although the subject problem disappeared after the uninstall/reinstall, NIS proceeded over time to get slower & slower, more and more cumbersome, until I finally gave up and recently uninstalled it and replaced it with Kerio and AVG.

With reference to your local software based firewalls: I have broadband, and use a Router along with a local software based firewall (Kerio). I use Kerio, in addition to the Router, for its ability to control outbound access and the (normally behind the scenes) interaction of applications. As of now, I am content with this dual hardware/software firewall set-up.

So, in all of this there is something I don't understand.

Why the heck does the MS Print Spooler need to access the internet at all? I'm not doing any printing over the internet (I am printing over my home wifi network).

Can I turn this off?

Jack

it's accessing another computer on your network or internet, and therefore your firewall program will detect access to another machine.

[COLOR=Blue]Hello
Apparently I have a similar problem with Microsoft Printer Spooler Service. It's only come up since I installed a printer, which I don't use! The problem: I'll be on the net, doin my thing, and if I right click my desktop, or in a window, everything freezes, then the Norton Internet Security pops up claiming that Microsoft Printer Spooler Service is trying to connect to the Internet. No matter what I do, my machine freezes. I then have to cold shut it down, disturbing any music I am playing, or any downloads, and instant messaging convo's open.
We have to find a way to kill this thing! I searched my machine for 'spoolsv.exe', and deleted as many of them as I could. (But Spoolsv.exe in C:\WINDOWS\system32 won't budge).
I found this ( http://www.liutilities.com/products/...brary/spoolsv/ )with Google. I'll try it and post feedback.
Ta,

-Cam.
[/COLOR]

It does have to do with lexmark most defenately i installed it i have the x75 print trio.. i get that same pop up...I haev also tried manyof the things said in this post.. and none worked and this post is kind of old soo i dont knwo if anyone will read this but yeah haha i doubt norton is gonna do anything about it.. i am just living with it.. as much as it pisses me off.. but NIS keeps my comp safe so yeah.