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Windows 10 LTSC 2021 (21H2) 64Bit.

SAPGUI 770 Patch Level 4

When I try to print anything from SAP to PDF at first nothing happens. I expect a dialog to pop up asking where to save the PDF. Instead, after the work process timeout triggers I get the Maximum work process hold time exceeded error:

Component - DPTM

Release - 753

Version - 10

Return Code - -21

Counter - 1

Then SAPGUI is completely hosed. I have to end the process manually.

SAPGUI 750 works fine with 21H2. However we need to move forward with the new SAPGUI 64bit RFC function so we need to move forward with SAPGUI 770.

Looking to see if anyone can reproduce this issue. Unfortunately we no longer have SAP Support.

Sandra Rossi
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Justin Emlay
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1 Answers1

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This was an odd one. I installed SAPGUI 750 to verify that it did in fact work on Windows LTSC 2021 (21H2). Microsoft Print to PDF worked as expected. I ran it again, the PDF save dialog popped up, I got distracted and turned away for a minute. I came back to the same error I outlined above. In all my many years of using SAP I never realized that leaving a save dialog open for a while would trigger the timeout period for a worker process. SAPGUI 750 terminated properly unlike 770. I also noticed the save dialog was different in 750 than 770. That got me to thinking, is something wrong with the new SAPGUI Quartz Theme?

I went back to SAPGUI 770 on Windows 21H2 and changed the theme to SAP Signature Theme. PDF printing worked fine. The dialog opened and I was able to save the PDF.

Something is very wrong with the new Quartz Theme as well as the Belize Theme (maybe more). The print dialog won't open properly when using these themes and when your timeout triggers the GUI will catastrophically fail. I went back to 770 while using the SAP Signature theme and triggered the print dialog then waited for it to timeout. It did and while using the older theme the GUI terminated properly. Strike two for the new theme.

If anyone here has access to SAP support and has some time, please point them to this issue. Hopefully this can be fixed quickly in a future patch level.

Justin Emlay
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  • Looks like the print dialog might not be the problem. I tested CuteWriter (free) and was able to use that PDF print driver to print from the new themes. Other PDF solutions might work, I only tested that one. I also noticed that if I remote (RDP) into the machine (same account) then I can use the new Theme and Microsoft Print to PDF. I wonder if that bit of info can point someone to what exactly the issue is. Why would it work over RDP and not locally? – Justin Emlay Dec 15 '21 at 16:40
  • I've also found an instance where a customer had a problem with printing and changing the SAPgui theme to the SAP Signature Theme solved it. The problem was a bit different from the one you described, but still related to printing. I would give details but I'm not sure how: not enough space in a comment, but it can't be a reply, or can it? – MacThePenguin Mar 17 '23 at 15:20
  • Since then I've tried every patch level possible all the way up to the most current (as of now) patch 11. It still doesn't work. I also tried the new SAPGUI 8. Again, still doesn't work. This is an absurd problem. I guess we're just stuck installing CuteWritter on all our machines. I'm sure not paying for full blown Acrobat. – Justin Emlay Mar 23 '23 at 16:59
  • There is a slight change however. If I RDP into the machine I was able to use Microsoft Print to PDF. That no longer works. However I can use a redirected Microsoft Print to PDF printer and that works fine. Nothing about this makes sense. Again, this is ONLY for the new themes. Older themes work fine. – Justin Emlay Mar 23 '23 at 17:03