Question

Terminal server printer sessions and session ID

Asked by: ashdennis

I have a problem with my terminal server user sessions. Session IDs are not duplicated but the printer session IDs are duplicated. When users connect they end up getting a different session ID and their printers are also created, and sometimes their is a printer session ID that exist with the same ID number.

I hope i'm making myself clear, i want to manage this, when a user disconnects and thier session is not active the printer ID/Session that matches that user should also be removed, this will prevent duplication, or any other solution that exists.

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Asked On
2009-09-04 at 18:28:11ID24709299
Topics

Remote Desktop/Terminal Services

,

Windows 2003 Server

Participating Experts
1
Points
250
Comments
15

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Answers

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-04 at 18:42:58ID: 25264601

OK.
This is what you need to do on the Terminal Server.
Go to Start-> Administrative Tools ->Terminal Services Configuration
Got to Connections and in there RDP-TCP
Double click RDP-TCP and go to the TAB that says "Client Settings"

In here you can siable printer mappings. But this will DISABLE the printer maappings for even the users 1st session. So I think maybe this is not what you want.
----------------------------------------
What you want is all users to have just one session open

For this do the following -
Go to Start-> Administrative Tools ->Terminal Services Configuration
Go to Server Settings
Double Click "Restrict each user to one session"
Check that option.
Now each user will only have one session and hence one set of printer mappings.

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-04 at 18:46:24ID: 25264613

Ok upon reading your question one more time I think the problem you are facing is that the USERs are seeing printers from different users sessions. This is by behaviour and the only way to change it is DISABLE PRINTER MAPPINGS all together OR choose which users can have their printer mappings.

There is no way to block users from seeing other users (sessions) printer mappings.
Your best bet is to add all printers as LOCAL network printers to the TERMIANL SERVER and DISABLE PRINTER MAPPINGS all together as specified in my post above

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-04 at 18:48:42ID: 25264618

You can verify what sessions each use is on by going to command prompt and typing the command "QUERY SESSION".
This will list all users and their corresponding session numbers.
You can then tell whose session's printer this one user is seeing.
As suggested above DISABLE PRINTER MAPPINGS

 

by: ashdennisPosted on 2009-09-04 at 18:50:41ID: 25264625

No i dont want to restrict them to on session, I just checked the server now and notice that no terminal sessions is active, but printers are listed with session IDs.
The problem is when they log off, their connection is disconnected but the printer session is still active and listed under printers.
How can i have an application that validates the connections if windows cannot do it.

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-04 at 18:57:50ID: 25264647

This is weird. It seems like the user sessions even though they are logging off are not getting killed.
The easy fix for this is to download USER PROFILE HIVE CLEANER and give it a try.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b286e6d-8912-4e18-b570-42470e2f3582&displaylang=en
Just install it as an admin. Restart the Server and now try verifying the printer sessions are killed or not by getting a few users to logon and then logoff.

 

by: ashdennisPosted on 2009-09-04 at 19:12:31ID: 25264696

i did that and installed it and running it for a couple days and still seeing the same problem (User Profile Hive Cleaner that is).

It was installed however not sure if its automatic process or need to run something. no difference.

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-04 at 19:18:30ID: 25264711

UPH does a great job so I have no doubt about its ability. Are there specific printers that have sessions open or all of them. If that is associated with specific printers then you may need to try different set of drivers on the clients workstations.
Did you try the command "query session" and there are no sessions present at all?? No disconnected sessions as well??

 

by: ashdennisPosted on 2009-09-04 at 19:33:53ID: 25264759

Auto printers are a killer as well what causes them? yes tried the query session only my session active now. Mostly auto printers are active.

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-04 at 20:01:53ID: 25264806

ashdennis,

When you say only your session is active, can you also confirm if the other sessions are just not there or are they saing DC as in disconnected. If they are disconnected then it means that users are not doing a proper logoff.
If the users are doing a proper log off and you still see printers and only specific printers I would be seriously considering another set of drivers or even remove PRINTER MAPPINGs all together.
-----------------------------------------
The other alternative would be to consider mapping printers for only specific users. This can be controlled by using Active Directory Users and Computers.
Open up AD Users and Computers console
Browse for the user
Right-click and go to properties
Go to the Environment TAB and take off the tick -> Connect client printers at logon.
Do this for all users who do not require their printers to be mapped.

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-04 at 20:04:37ID: 25264811

 

by: ashdennisPosted on 2009-09-08 at 09:53:49ID: 25283780

now i need a sript to delete all the inactive/orphan ports in the registry automatically.

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-08 at 16:12:17ID: 25286961

Do you mean all inactive printer connections??

 

by: ashdennisPosted on 2009-09-08 at 20:10:41ID: 25287975

Yes remove the inactive ports from the registery.

 

by: manav08Posted on 2009-09-08 at 23:45:08ID: 25288747

I have a VB Script to delete all network printers. If you just delete the network printer off the list that should delete it all together. To delete the drivers do this
1. Open up Printers and Faxes
2. Go to File->Server PRoperties.
3. You can now delete all ports and drivers from here.

 

by: ashdennisPosted on 2009-09-11 at 13:50:00ID: 25313359

sample script to clean registery

  • sample.txt
    • 2 KB

    clean up inactive printers in registery

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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