Question

SBS 2008 Server - Install x86 printer drivers

Asked by: MarkMichael

Hi Experts

I'm wondering if you can help me!
I am trying to push out some Printers, but before that I need to get them installed properly.

We have a few LaserJet 5100 printers, which we are using currently.
They need to be migrated to the SBS2008 server. (no choice here as the other server is going to be discontinued soon).

Ok, heres my issue.
I have installed the 2008 x64 drivers on the server. I have shared the printers and the next step is to get some drivers installed for the x86 clients.

I have used a Windows XP PC to connect to the server \\servername\printers and faxes\ - this opens up the printers and faxes console and I then selected

Server Properties
Drivers
Add
Used the drivers that I downloaded from the HP site for HP Laserjet 4100 PCL 5e
Selected x86 (It is named 'Intel' for x86 I'm assuming?) and the drivers went in no problem.

Then went back to the workstation, tried to add new printer, searched directory.
Found the printer and selected it to be added.
It came back with the error:
THe server for 'HP Laserjet 4100 PCL 5' printer does not have the correct printer driver intsalled. If you want to search for the proper driver, click OK Otherwise click Cancel.... etc'

It looks like it thinks the driver is not installed, yet I have installed it already.

Another method of adding it by going to the server \\servername\printersharename does the exact same thing.

Can anyone help me out, am I doing something wrong? How can I get it to automatically install?

I need to use GP or a login script to push these printers out but so far I'm stuck.
Thanks,

Mark

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Asked On
2009-06-02 at 03:41:04ID24456047
Tags

SBS 2008

,

Windows XP

,

Windows 2008

Topics

SBS Small Business Server

,

Windows Server 2008

,

Windows XP Operating System

Participating Experts
3
Points
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: MarkMichaelPosted on 2009-06-02 at 15:25:21ID: 24532079

Am I doing it the correct way?
Do you think theres something wrong with the drivers?

 

by: astaecPosted on 2009-06-04 at 07:39:51ID: 24547459

Although this was applicable to your servers and Vista, believe the driver issue you are seeing may be the same as here:
You are prompted to install a new printer driver in Windows Vista when you try to print to a Windows Server 2008-based print server or to a Windows Server 2003-based print server
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946225

Some other ideas here - You need to enable the Guest account on the server, by default it is disabled - source for more:  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverprint/thread/91420965-7fd8-4ce0-9e07-0e3eb2360c7a

About drivers here - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverprint/thread/dfa52fe9-f435-4e7a-b745-38c5c680fd59/

You cannot install third-party printer drivers for cross-architecture support in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008 - source for more http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952065


First, on your 2008 server, stop sharing the faxclient folder.  It is not for XP computers and it has nothing to do with sending faxes from XP.  If you unshare it, you will not be tempted to use the files inside that folder.  They will not help you.  
Second, on your 2008 server, change the fax service to use the local system account.  It defaults to the Network Service account.  I am willing to bet this one step solves 90% of the peoples problems. Restart the service after making the change.
If your XP clients are not at least SP2, stop reading this now and go update them. and source for more, if this sounds similar to your issue:  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverprint/thread/e6bb99cb-254c-4f48-aaa9-7526b5fac480

Applying Deployed Printer Connections Policy.... Server 2008 - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverprint/thread/add68b4a-7642-4604-a50e-650f95bdd08c/

Hope to help some with these links and synopses.  If not your solutions, hopefully others, better versed in this will step in with the perfect solution for you.  Good luck.  ":0)  Asta

 

by: BigFunkyChiefPosted on 2009-06-09 at 00:13:44ID: 24578778

So, here's how I load x64 drivers on a Win2008 SBS server and then add the x86 drivers for the client:

1. Download the x64 drivers for the printer.  Install the printer as a local printer on the print server using the x64 drivers.  Verify test pages print.
2. Download teh x86 drivers - same exact driver but for different OS - so don't download the PCL 6 x64 driver and the PCL 5 x86 driver - make sure they're both the exact same one.
3.  Then, on your print server (x64 machine), go to Printers -> Properties of your printer.  Click on Sharing and the Additional Drivers button.
4.  Check the box for x86 - likely it's unchecked and says "NO" for installed.  If so, it'll prompt for the x86 drivers, point it to the right spot.  It'll install the drivers for the x86 clients.

You're done if the above all goes well.  Verify that the "Additional Drivers" button shows YES under Installed for both drivers.

Go to your client, add the printer like normal and it should automatically download the correct x86 driver from the server - or in the case of Vista x64, it will know to grab the 64-bit driver.

Hope this helps.  Also, not sure the status of the workstation you've been working with, but follow the above directions and try adding the printer on a different workstation if you have trouble, could have driver mismatch issues on the PC you're working on.

 

by: jcullen757Posted on 2009-06-11 at 10:39:09ID: 24604819

Hey All,

I also having problems with this process!  What did you decide to do for GPO pushing out to the client workstations?

Thanks ALL

 

by: BigFunkyChiefPosted on 2009-06-11 at 10:53:31ID: 24604927

It's really just a matter of making sure the printer drivers are installed correctly (both x64 and x86) and that you can install the printer on the client computer manually. Make sure that works, otherwise the GPO won't work.

Then use the built-in GPOs to push the printers if you want.  I have this all setup and working on one of my networks, I'll post the exact steps in a minute.

 

by: MarkMichaelPosted on 2009-06-11 at 10:57:49ID: 24604979

Hi,

What I found is the problem is;

- Drivers were not available to for the printer for 2008 with the identical version for an x86 platform.
- Was able to push out the printer with the HP Universal Print driver no problems, however the driver was causing issues to no end, so had to ditch that idea.
- Eventually was unable to push out the printers via this method and went around each pc installing a print direct IP of the printer. The drivers were available on each PC for this, as they were using them with netware print queues previously.

Still, not been able to push out the printers in this case. I have been able to push out some konica minolta printers though and this seems to be working fine.

I have done this with a GPO using the User Configuration > Control Panel > Printers
Added a printer with all the usual settings, running with user logging context enabled.

That worked fine for pushing out the printers with the Minolta.  Looks like the HP drivers I used was the problem for me. Moral of the story is: dont expect old printers to work perfectly with W2K8 if your pushing them out to XP. :)

 

by: BigFunkyChiefPosted on 2009-06-11 at 10:58:21ID: 24604987

Once you have the drivers installed correctly, go to Group Policy Management, create a new GPO object, edit it, go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Deploy Printers.  Add your printers, and then just remember to link the GPO object to your domain.

 

by: MarkMichaelPosted on 2009-06-11 at 10:59:03ID: 31587757

Thanks BigFunkyChief, those were pretty much the exact steps that were required to get this working fine with the drivers that I had for the Konica.

Thanks again.

 

by: jcullen757Posted on 2009-06-11 at 11:21:21ID: 24605201

Hey All,

I have run into the same problem getting the x86 drivers on the SBS 2008 machine(x64).  After talking to a friend he had the same issue in past, what he ended up doing was using an x86 (32bit XP Pro) machine as the print servers.  This obviously is not the recommended way but until I learn how to add the print drivers to the SBS 2008 machine this will have to work.

My main issue was not knowing the exact driver on the SBS.  I installed a Kinoca Minolta Magicolor 2350 onto the server and when you look at the driver it just says magicolor 2350.  Any idea on how to figure out exactly what kinda driver that is i.e. PS PCL5 5e or 6?????

 

by: BigFunkyChiefPosted on 2009-06-11 at 21:38:52ID: 24609162

Awesome, glad it worked out for you.

 

by: BigFunkyChiefPosted on 2009-06-11 at 21:43:04ID: 24609175

jcullen757, PCL5 or PCL6 are just different variations (interpreters) of a print driver, the reality is for everyday printing they are about the same.

If you are talking 64-bit and 32-bit drivers, then you'll see the 64-bit driver loaded on the SBS server when you go to the Advanced tab and see the driver. So the driver there doesn't say 64-bit or 32-bit because it's obviously 64-bit.  Same with client side - whatever driver is loaded is going to match the OS, so you can't install 64-bit drivers on a 32-bit client, so whatever driver gets loaded is the appropriate driver for the OS (32-bit or 64-bit that is).

Hope that helps.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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