startdocprinter returns bad non-zero print queue JobID. It's invalid and decreases on subsequent runs

Question

I'm using a slightly modified version of the vb.net/win32 example of the MSKB RawPrinterHelper code to send RAW print jobs to the print queue.

Everything works perfectly, It spools, it prints, and generally life is good, however the ID I get back from StartDocPrinter cannot be used to lookup the print job status. It's just wrong.

The JobID needed to lookup the Job Status with ManagementObjectSearcher does not match the ID returned by StartDocPrinter.

Even more strange, is that StartDocPrinter returns a handle that decreases each time it's called.

It looks almost like some sort of signed/unsigned overflow condition.

One thing I've considered, that I can't seem to find a reference for, is that StartDocPrinter and "everything else" does not return/use the same JobID, but I haven't found a definitive reference or a way to convert between them.

Any help is appreciated!

Terry

EDIT

WEIRDNESS-LEVEL: Infinite

I wrote an app to monitor the print queue and continuously return a list of PrintSystemJobInfo.JobIdentifiers from the print queue.

While the print job is spooling, it has an ID that's in the 29,000 range, and each new job decrements it by one. HOWEVER . . . .

Once the job has finished spooling, the PrintSystemJobInfo.JobIdentifier changes and becomes a "normal" JobIdentifier in the 200 range, in increasing sequence, right inline with all the other jobs.

What I have learned is that my declaration seems to be fine and the JobIdentifier actually changes when the job finishes spooling.

?????

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<StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet:=CharSet.Unicode)> _
Structure DOCINFOW
    <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)> Public pDocName As String
    <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)> Public pOutputFile As String
    <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)> Public pDataType As String
End Structure

<DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint:="StartDocPrinterW", _
   SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Unicode, _
   ExactSpelling:=True, CallingConvention:=CallingConvention.StdCall)> _
Public Shared Function StartDocPrinter(ByVal hPrinter As IntPtr, ByVal level As Int32, ByRef pDI As DOCINFOW) As UInt32
End Function


Public Shared Function SendBytesToPrinter(ByVal szPrinterName As String, ByVal pBytes As IntPtr, ByVal dwCount As Int32, JobName As String) As UInteger

    Dim hPrinter As IntPtr
    Dim dwError As Int32
    Dim di As New DOCINFOW

    Dim dwWritten As Int32
    Dim pjID As UInteger = 0

    Dim PrintQueueName As String = ""
    Dim PrintServerName As String = ""

    Try
        Dim pd As New PRINTER_DEFAULTS

        With di
            .pDocName = JobName
            .pDataType = "RAW"
        End With

        If OpenPrinter(szPrinterName, hPrinter, pd) Then  
            pjID = StartDocPrinter(hPrinter, 1, di)
            If pjID = 0 Then
              ' it's an error. 
            Else
                    If StartPagePrinter(hPrinter) Then
                        If WritePrinter(hPrinter, pBytes, dwCount, dwWritten) = False Then
                            dwError = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error()

                        End If
                        EndPagePrinter(hPrinter)
                    End If
                End If
                EndDocPrinter(hPrinter)
            End If
            ClosePrinter(hPrinter)
        End If

    Return pjID
End Function

`