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cembiFlag for United States of America

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Printing locally from Terminal server 2003 issues

Many of my users are trying to print in their local printers when logged into Terminal server 2003. Even though options are set to make local resources available, the local printer does not install in terminal.

What can I do? Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you.
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Justin Owens
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Are the drivers for the local printers already installed on your TS server?  If not, install the requisite drivers.  Make sure the most current NIC and printer drivers are being used by your local machines (I am assuming Windows XP, if Windows 7, this will change your process slightly).

DrUltima
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ASKER

Yes, it is XP. I will try installing the driver first. Thanks.
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BWaring

The driver name on the TS need to match the driver name on the local machine... for example, I have a printer named "Xerox WorkCentre 5665" installed on my local laptop - when I look at the properties for that printer, on the Advanced tab, it shows me that the 'driver' name is "Xerox Global Printer Driver PS".... I need to make sure THAT driver is installed on the TS, so that the driver names will map correctly to each other - not the printer name....

If needed, you can install a printer on the TS to a USB or LPT port just to get the driver installed, then delete the printer - the driver will remain and still be available to map to the TS client when it connects.... as long as that driver name is the same....
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ASKER

When I try to add the printer in Terminal server I am only given the option to install a network printer. The choice to install locally is blocked. I am logged in as administrator.
Even when I go to Server Properties and try to highlight a printer driver and uninstall, I can't do anything.

What could be the issue?
If you log into the console of your TS, you should have the option to install a local printer.  I have seen times where RDP connections do not allow anything but network printers.

What are you trying to uninstall when you are looking at your Server Properties (exact name as it appears there)?
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ASKER

I have logged in via console or LogMeIn as  network and as a local administrator and still I can't get the option to install a local printer.
This does seem like a rights issue.... just did some quick testing and not being a local administrator definitely can cause this to happen...
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ASKER

Ok, but I logged in as local administrator and still same issue. Where can I look to verify the right permissions has been set?
Is this machine part of a domain with any group policy restrictions on adding printers? Check this setting: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297780. That Administrators group should have this right...
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ASKER

BWaring:

Interestingly the only one who has the right to Load/Unload device drivers is one of the domain users with no admin rights. I cannot change it the setting even though I am an administrator. I even made this user an administrator and logged in as him and tried to modify the setting, still it stays grayed out and can't change it. What else can I try?
You are logging in as a local (not domain) administrator on the TS, correct? and it is not allowing you to make a change to the "Load/Unload Device Drivers" user right? By default the local Administrators group is the only group with rights under that policy...
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ASKER

Correct. I have checked local admin group and I am in there.
I think what BWaring is asking is the location of your user's "home".  Is the account you are referencing a domain account with local admin access or a local account directly housed on that TS server?
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ASKER

It is a domain account, not local.
Do you have the same problems when using a local administrative account rather than a domain account with administrative privileges?
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ASKER

Yes
When you tried to install the drivers locally on the TS server, what process did you follow?  Normally, you will:

1.Click “start”, and “Printers and Faxes”
2.Click “File”, then click “Server Properties”
3.On the “Drivers” tab, click add.....

For more info on printer redirection on a TS server, check out this KB:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239088/en-us

DrUltima
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ASKER

When trying to Add in Drivers tab, only Properties is visible, the rest is greyed out.
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Justin Owens
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If moving the server to a new OU and applying new GPOs to the server resolved your issue, I would think that posts http:#a35351908 and http:#35353154 (both of which mentioned GPO as the root cause) would have been of value to you.

DrUltima
Closing the question by accepting the author's comment and awarding points per recommendation,

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