Printing from Macro, Opened from Batch while Logged Off (1 Viewer)

[tabitha]

I put this in General because it's actually a bit of everything.. So my goal is to print a report with a list of names, a stack of letters to each person, and an envelope with each persons name on it WHILE no one is logged onto the computer. I want this to run early in the morning on the first of every month so it's there when we get to work. All of the reports and everything run, my only hang out is getting Access to actually print the reports while being logged off.

Access 2013 & Windows 10

Okay, so, I have a macro that runs everything the database needs to do, I double click, it runs, it prints; beautiful. I have created a batch file that opens the database and runs the macro; beautiful. I have a task in Task Scheduler that runs the batch file while logged off (also waking it from sleep); beautiful. The batch has logging, so I can see when it's finished, not just when it starts; beautiful.

But Access doesn't seem to be able to send the message to the printers to actually print while I'm logged off. I don't actually know if it's possible, I just kind of assumed it is. Has anybody been success with this?

 

[XelaIrodavlas]

Fascinating, and no-one is in the office at this time? Doesn't that present a fire risk!? (Better not tell Health and safety)

Sounds like you're 99% there.. if your macros work, have you tested the batch files during the day, maybe there's an error with one of those?

Stupid questions: are your printers switched on overnight? Does the network stay active? Could it be a firewall/security issue?

How exactly does Access know when to print, is it built into some code, or part of the batch file perhaps?

Sorry I'm asking more than answering... maybe it will help

Good luck!

 

[tabitha]

A fire risk? I'm not OSHA, so I don't know what you mean haha

We're a small office, and we're only open 8-4:30, so ideally I'd like to have it run at 7:30am so it's finished when we get here.

I have only been testing it during the day, while I'm at work. I'm able to double click the batch file, and it runs and prints successfully, so I know that's good.

Our main copiers do get put to sleep when we leave for the day, but the printer I have these jobs going to is a small Canon MG5320, because it's right next to my desk and has the manual feeder for the envelopes, and whether it's a sleep or not, as soon as a job gets sent to it, it warms up and prints. It's actually not even on the network, it's directly connected to my computer.

The Task Scheduler manages when the batch file runs. I set it to a few minutes ahead, log off, put the computer to sleep, wait a good two minutes until after the set time, log back on, and can see in the Task Scheduler History when it started and in the log file when it finished.

 

[tabitha]

I also posted this question on the VBA board, and I've solved it. Here's the link to the post! http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=287879