Basic Question

In many cases XP and 2000 use the same drivers, so you can install them on both systems. This depends on the printer, and is more likely to work with printers that use a command language such as PCL or PostScript, than with GDI printers.

However, there is no simple way to "upload" a driver, you need to install the driver on both systems.

Meaning it is not possible to upload printer drivers for eg. Win2k, XP, Win server 2003 directly to servers, be it Win NT, Win server 2000 / 2003?

Does it mean need to install printer driver in every PC instead of 'downloading' from server.

How do you normally do in your case?

dna33,

At my workplace, we keep a shared directory of every printer driver that our company uses. We simply install the printer from the user's desktop, map a drive to the appropriate driver folder and install. During the install it will ask you for the driver, just browse to the network share from there. ( I think this is what you're asking)  :)

Drivers can be installed on workstations from a server, if the drivers for the workstation's version of Windows are installed on the server (under "additional drivers' in Sharing. Once that is done, improveyourpc's suggestion works.

We do not use the option "under "additional drivers' in Sharing" as hdhondt stated, although that may work I just wanted to state that we simpy store the drivers in folders like any other files and it works fine.

Sure, that will work too, but it means the user has to braowse to that directory when installing. If you add the O/S under Additional Drivers, then it becomes automatic - the user just has to pint to the printer on the server and it's done.

So is it recommend to install printer driver in every machine or install on the server?

Which is more manageable and efficient. As some printer drivers does not support for Win NT server or Windows Server 2003.

Thanks.

Does it mean if it is a old server and the printer driver does not have driver for XP, it is best to install as local printer and add port manually?

I noticed that if it is not dowloaded from server, we can't control users security tab. Is that right?

The age of the server or its operating system are irrelevant; it's the drivers on the workstation that matter. If there is no driver for the PC you cannot install it, period.

For example, if the printer only has drivers for Win98 and WinNT, you can then install it on a WinNT server, but you cannot install it on a WinXP workstation. The available drivers will not work under XP. All the server does is to pass the data from the workstation's driver to the printer. It does not (normally) add or subtract anything. The driver on the server is not used to print.

You are correct in saying that you can only control users' printing permissions if you print via a server. If printing directly to the printer, the permissions on each PC can only control the various users of that PC.

Meaning if there are 100 users, I will need to install the printer drivers in every machine. There's no shortcut? Do you do that in your working environment?

The driver does need to be installed on each PC, however there are possible shortcuts. For example, if your users run a login script, the printer setup can be added to that. It can be something as simple as adding

\\servername\printername

to a login batch file. The following experts-exchange page has other suggestions:

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20943033/Login-script-for-printers.html

However, it depends entirely on how your organisation has set up its servers and workstations. If nothing like this has ever been done, then it will not be an easy job.