Question

Help to install HP Photosmart driver for Windows Remote Desktop

Asked by: donander

One of my users is using Windows Remote Desktop (RDP) on her Windows computer at home to connect via VPN to the Windows XP Pro computer in her office. This works fine. She can run programs, access her network drives etc.

She wants to print from the work computer to the HP Photosmart C5550 All-in-one printer connected to the home computer. I know that for this to work you need to install the driver for the home printer on the work computer. I've done this for LaserJets and other printers and it works. I've mostly done this using the Add Printer wizard in Printers and Faxes, specifying LPT1 as the port. But when I downloaded the basic (smaller package) drivers from hp.com for the Photosmart and ran it on the office computer, it wants to handle the whole install. There is a checkbox during the install that allows you to skip the step where the driver looks for the printer and finish installing the driver. Problem is that the printer does not appear in Printers and Faxes on the office computer.

I chatted with HP support and they said "the Photosmart C5550 is not compatible with remote printing" which seems irrelevant as we didn't even get that far. The printer just doesn't appear in Printers and Faxes. I told them this and they said to use the Add Printer wizard and pick the HP 990c printer. That does appear in Printers and Faxes but when the user tries printing from home it doesn't work. When she tries to print something, nothing happens and she gets an error
message "Document failed to print".

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Asked On
2009-03-27 at 22:21:24ID24273281
Topics

Printers by HP

,

Remote Desktop/Terminal Services

,

Remote Access Software

,

Miscellaneous Networking

,

Windows Networking

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
15

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Answers

 

by: stlbridgePosted on 2009-03-30 at 14:37:53ID: 24023656

 

by: donanderPosted on 2009-03-30 at 16:31:11ID: 24024484

In the other solution you say "Open the Remote Connection window.  When you open it, click the "RESOURCES" tab.  Check the PRINTERS box."

She has done all of the above.

"If you have the appropriate privleges setup on the server, you would then be able to install your printer's appropriate drivers, and use it just as you are requesting.  Do you know if you have the appropriate settings configured to do such a task?"

This second part above is what I tried to do on the computer in her office but the driver installer I downloaded from hp.com didn't make a printer in Printers and Faxes. I did this logged on to the office computer as the user and the user's domain account is in the Administrators local group on the computer (she logs in to the domain on the office computer).

 

by: stlbridgePosted on 2009-03-30 at 16:33:57ID: 24024500

Check the event viewer when she connects to the remote computer.  You should see some sort of printer installation messages.  This is guarnteed.

 

by: donanderPosted on 2009-03-30 at 16:38:07ID: 24024523

Do you mean Event Viewer on the computer in the office?

 

by: stlbridgePosted on 2009-03-30 at 16:38:44ID: 24024528

Yes

 

by: donanderPosted on 2009-03-30 at 17:36:16ID: 24024824

Sorry, but which Event Log would I look in, System or Application? Also, I don't know when she is connecting. Is there an event that is generated when an RDP connection is made? Then I can look at the log shortly after that event to look for the printer-related events.

Thanks

 

by: johnb6767Posted on 2009-04-06 at 15:43:30ID: 24082464

How are they conected? If they are anything other than Parallel Printers....

Most AIO's use USB......

Printers That Use Ports That Do Not Begin With COM, LPT, or USB ...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302361

 

by: donanderPosted on 2009-04-06 at 15:56:15ID: 24082579

johnb6767:

I think we need to backup to clarify something. The immediate problem is that when I install the drivers on the office computer, the printer does not show up in Printers and Faxes. Normally when I install drivers for a printer (in most cases a LaserJet) that is not currently connected to the computer where I'm installing the driver, I choose LPT1 and uncheck the "Automatically detect the printer" checkbox. Every one of those I have done so far (about 50 or more) creates a printer in Printers and Faxes. Also, I have done all of these by expanding the drivers to a directory and pointing the Add Printer wizard at those drivers. But the driver for the C5550 did not just expand the drivers to a directory. It ran an installer that took over the whole process. But it did not install a printer in Printers and Faxes on the office computer, even though it had a check box (which I checked) labeled "check this box if the printer is not currently connected to this computer".  I think we need to get that to show up before we try to actually print from the office computer via RDP to the printer, which is connected to the home computer.

 

by: johnb6767Posted on 2009-04-06 at 21:32:37ID: 24083946

Only the driver needs to be on the remote machine, not the phantom printer you install without it being connected.... If the driver is installed (Printers and Faxes>File>Server Properties>Add Driver), then when the redirection is kicked in, it will find the installed driver, and create the printer for you.

In teh logs, you should see something under System, I believe under the source Print, or TermDD.... It should tell you (an Error, not a warning btw), that it couldnt locate the printer driver. If you arent seeing those, then it isnt being redirected, possibly because it is not using lpt1 on the host, which if you havent modified the registry yet on the host, will not redirect.....

 

by: Fatal_ExceptionPosted on 2009-04-07 at 14:50:51ID: 24092339

As John mentioned above... and I have first hand experience with this..  There are inherent problems when printing from an RDP session to a printer that does not start with COM, LPT, or USB.  For instance, if this printer is USB and has a port with the standart DOT4 port, you might well be experiencing this issue..  There is a fix though...  read through that article John mentioned and that may fix it..

FE

 

by: donanderPosted on 2009-04-30 at 13:01:00ID: 24273832

I just heard back from  the user and she said she got it working by changing some settings in Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Therefore, I'm not really sure what the exact problem wwas, if any and what would have fixed it. In an effort to be fair, if I do not hear an objection by Monday, I'm  going share the points equally among the experts.

 

by: johnb6767Posted on 2009-04-30 at 20:36:34ID: 24276512

Nun by me... Just glad it is fixed.....

 

by: donanderPosted on 2009-05-11 at 09:32:33ID: 31563810

II selected partially complete only because it it is not possible to know which comment would be the solution since the user got it working by changing some settings on the RDP client. Thanks to the experts for all the comments and research.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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