Document Conversion troubleshooting without TC/Link
Issue
A send order might fail for multiple reasons. Even if the trace files or event logs point to a document converter issue, the problem might not be caused by the TCDCLink. (E.g. the message was converted successfully but for some reason the print output was not polled by the TC/Link. This leads to a Timeout.)
It this situation it might be handy to test the to-be converted files by testing the TCDCLink only.
In this way we can split up the message flow in two big parts:
- TCDCLink - responsible for the document conversion.
- TC/Link - responsible for pushing the message to the TCDCLink and polling the print output after the TCDCLink.
Depending on the test results the future investigation can be focused on one of these two modules.
Since there are two possible printer drivers (Fax Printer and TIFF Printer) that convert files into a TCI (KCS image format) or a TIF format, this knowledge-base article first covers the TCI conversion and then the TIF conversion.
Solution
Document conversion to TCI format without TC/Link presence
For a better overview this part is split up in 5 steps, followed by an example (conversion of a HTML file) and a couple of screenshots.
Step 1: Installation of TCfW on the TCDCLink workstation
For TCI conversion it is necessary to have the 'TCfW Communication Server Client' installed on the same workstation as where the TCDCLink is installed. In this way the TCI print output can be polled by and imported into a new message within TCfW. After troubleshooting, TCfW can be removed. For testing purposes it can be useful to keep it on the workstation though.
Step 2: Configuration of the AttachToPrinter registry key
This step is important for having the delivered TCI print output polled by TCfW and to have it imported into a new message. The needed registry key is located under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\TOPCALL\TCFW\Workstation\'AttachToPrinter' (32-bit System)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\TOPCALL\TCFW\Workstation\'AttachToPrinter' (64-bit System)
The 'AttachToPrinter' registry key is per default set to 'N' (No) and therefore TCfW won't pickup the print output. For this test it is necessary to set this key to 'Y'.
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Step 3: Script configuration
The scripts used for the document conversion are basically Visual Basic Scripts. They are saved in TXT format so they can be used by the TCDCLink.
The scripts are located in 'C:\TCOSS\TCLP\script' and they are created for the most common extensions. Copy/Paste the script with the extension of the to-be-tested test file. (In this case we have to copy the HTML.txt, since we are testing the document conversion for HTML files). Rename the newly created copy of the script so that it ends with the extension '.VBS' and delete the newly attached text ' - Copy'. Example: 'HTML - Copy.TXT' should be renamed to 'HTML.VBS'.
The newly created 'HTML.vbs' should be opened with a common text editor. For the 3rd, 4th and 5th line the comment character (' ' ') should be removed:
 IMPORTANT: These first 5 lines can ONLY be found in the HTML.TXT script file. If the testing should be done with a different file extension (*.doc, *.ptt etc.), the lines 1-5 from the HTML.txt script should be copy/pasted into the beginning of the newly created Visual Basic Script. |
Step 4: Preparation of the test file and command prompt
It is recommended to copy the test file locally to the workstation where the troubleshooting is done. (In this example there is a TestHTML folder located on the desktop which contains the test file 'search.html')
The Visual Basic Script can be executed with the cscript.exe command in the command prompt.
This can be found here:
- 'C:\Windows\System32\cscript.exe' - 32-bit Systems
- 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cscript.exe' - 64-bit Systems
Step 5: Execution of the Visual Basic Script
After performing Steps 1 through 4, it is necessary to restart the 'Print Spooler Service' and to start TCfW.
The used syntax is: 'cscript.exe [PATH TO THE VBS FILE] [PATH TO THE SAMPLE FILE]'
For this example it would be: '“cscript.exe C:\TCOSS\TCLP\script\html.vbs C:\Users\Administrator.RESO.000\Desktop\TestHTML\search.html”
In an ideal case, after the command has been executed, a new message will be opened in TCfW which contains the converted TCI result test file.
If no Print Output is received (no new message opened) the document conversion failed in the TCDCLink module. If Print Output is received in TCfW, the issue lies with the TC/Link.
| IMPORTANT: (Again) after testing and troubleshooting is done, the value of the 'AttachToPrinter' registry key (from Step 2) should be switched back to 'N'!!! (Otherwise TCfW will grab the Print Output if the application is running, instead of the TC/Link for which it's intended.) |
Document conversion to TIF format without TC/Link presence
For a better overview this part is split up in 5 steps, followed by an example (conversation of a HTML file) and a couple of screenshots.
Step 1: Configuration of the used printer
In this case the 'TOPCALL TIFF to TCDC' should be set as the default printer to ensure that the printing will be done via this printer.
Step 2: Configuration of the print output
In the registry it is defined what has to happen with the print output and where it should be placed. (Note: for TCI conversion the print output was controlled with the registry key 'AttachToPrinter')
The TIF conversion places the print output in the location defined in the registry key 'file' which is located in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\TOPCALL TIFF to TCDC\PrinterDriverData\'file'
Per default this registry key is changed for every conversion. The value depends on which TC/Link uses the TCDCLink. This registry key should be backed up by adding a '.bak' extension to the registry name (E.g. 'file.bak'). Now a new registry key 'file' (of type 'REG_SZ') should be created and it should hold the output location where the converted TIF file should be stored. (In the example the test.tif will be stored in the root of the C: drive.)
Step 3, 4 and 5 are the same as the steps for the TCI conversion (Script preparation and execution of the script)
The difference with TCI conversion is that TIF files will be placed in the configured location (instead of opening a new message within TCfW).
Level of Complexity
High
Applies to
| Product | Version | Build | Environment | Hardware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kofax Communication Server | All |