(Tech Tip: Printers) Windows Print Server Tips and Tricks
Windows Server will auto-install print drivers for clients. But what driver exactly?
Here are some troubleshooting steps followed by more detailed information about print servers.
Troubleshooting Steps (Server or Workstation)
When a print server is involved, the workstation should start with no drivers since the server will provide them and auto-install.
Highlight and delete all network printers
- If a network printer won’t delete, do these things, trying to delete along the way:a. Delete any queued documents. If the current document doesn’t delete , it might be OK.
b. Go to the Services control panel and restart the Print Spooler service.
c. Go to the Printer Server Properties and remove the driver (see above)
d. Change the printer port to another port (preferably to any working network port) - Delete any network ports in Print Server Properties (see above)
- Delete any unused drivers in Print Server Properties (see above)
- Go to \\SERVER and double-click the desired printers.
Note: If you are using NTScript at logon , go to the “\logon\Updates\Logs\User” folder and find the user.ini file and delete the “printers.txt=” line to re-trigger install of all printers at logon.
More Detailed Information About Print Servers
Advanced Tab
The advanced tab shows you which driver is being used. You may choose from the print server’s installed drivers in the Print Server Properties window (see below)
Sharing Tab
The sharing tab only allows you to add additional drivers for the 3 basic Windows types: 32, 64, Itanium
Note: that if you want to specify a different driver within the same type you must create another printer / queue.
Print Server Properties
Print Server properties is the little known area that allows you to control the print drivers and print ports that are available on the server or workstation.
To access it, right-click in the printers window and choose “Server properties...”
Note: Even if you are on a workstation it’s still called server properties.
Ports Tab
The ports tab shows the LPT, USB and Network “Ports” that have been configured on the computer.
Note: The printer column shows you which printers are currently using the port. If no printer is using the port it should probably be deleted.
The highlighted port should probably be deleted.
Drivers Tab
When you set up a printer, the driver is added to the drivers tab. Unused drivers should be removed.
Remove the whole package when prompted. Click properties to show the actual files in the package.
Note: The screen doesn’t show you if a driver is being used by a printer, but If you try to remove a driver that is configured for a printer it will not let you continue.
Advanced Tab
This shows the location of spooled print jobs
