Server 2008: Print driver installation woes

[Guest Steve Friedl [MVP]]

Hello all,

 

I'm running into an unusual problem with my first Server 2008 installation:

I can't change printer drivers unless I'm the local admin.

 

When in Control Panel -> Printers, right-clicking on a printer + Properties

yields the usual Printers dialog box. The driver is selected in the Advanced

tab, but it's grayed out unless I'm the local Admin.

 

* When logged in as MACHINE\Administrator, it works

* When logged in as DOMAIN\appadmin, it's grayed out.

 

I've confirmed that DOMAIN\appadmin is in the local Administrator's group,

and this appadmin account has no trouble doing anything else Admin-y on the

system: I can install software, create printer ports, etc. I just can't

change the driver. Even going into the Registry to

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print and edit stuff manually - this

account has the rights for it.

 

I've searched high and low for information about this, to no avail. Is there

some setting that I'm missing? Server 2003 definitely doesn't work this way.

 

Thanks,

Steve

 

--

Steve Friedl / UNIX Wizard / Microsoft Security MVP / steve@unixwiz.net

[Guest Alan Morris [MSFT]]

Re: Server 2008: Print driver installation woes

 

Do not use the printers folder when performing admin tasks, the explorer

process does not run in admin context.

 

use printmanagement.msc

 

 

 

--

Alan Morris

Windows Printing Team

Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:

http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

 

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

"Steve Friedl [MVP]" <steve@unixwiz.net> wrote in message

news:OhIm7JA$IHA.4124@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> Hello all,

>

> I'm running into an unusual problem with my first Server 2008

> installation: I can't change printer drivers unless I'm the local admin.

>

> When in Control Panel -> Printers, right-clicking on a printer +

> Properties yields the usual Printers dialog box. The driver is selected in

> the Advanced tab, but it's grayed out unless I'm the local Admin.

>

> * When logged in as MACHINE\Administrator, it works

> * When logged in as DOMAIN\appadmin, it's grayed out.

>

> I've confirmed that DOMAIN\appadmin is in the local Administrator's group,

> and this appadmin account has no trouble doing anything else Admin-y on

> the system: I can install software, create printer ports, etc. I just

> can't change the driver. Even going into the Registry to

> HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print and edit stuff manually - this

> account has the rights for it.

>

> I've searched high and low for information about this, to no avail. Is

> there some setting that I'm missing? Server 2003 definitely doesn't work

> this way.

>

> Thanks,

> Steve

>

> --

> Steve Friedl / UNIX Wizard / Microsoft Security MVP / steve@unixwiz.net

>

[Guest Steve Friedl [MVP]]

Re: Server 2008: Print driver installation woes

 

"Alan Morris [MSFT]" <alanmo@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:usoIhQK$IHA.5336@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Do not use the printers folder when performing admin tasks, the explorer

> process does not run in admin context.

>

> use printmanagement.msc

 

Wow, this really qualifies as a surprise - a couple of us burned a few days

wondering what the heck was going on. We also figured out that we had to add

the Print Services role to the machine (this was new to us as well), so I

wrote up a Tech Tip that describes the process.

 

Configuring Printers in Windows Server 2008

http://www.unixwiz.net/techtips/server2008-print-mgmt.html

 

I hope this helps others avoid the same surprise.

 

Thanks for the direction...

 

Steve

> "Steve Friedl [MVP]" <steve@unixwiz.net> wrote in message

> news:OhIm7JA$IHA.4124@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> Hello all,

>>

>> I'm running into an unusual problem with my first Server 2008

>> installation: I can't change printer drivers unless I'm the local admin.

>>

>> When in Control Panel -> Printers, right-clicking on a printer +

>> Properties yields the usual Printers dialog box. The driver is selected

>> in the Advanced tab, but it's grayed out unless I'm the local Admin.

>>

>> * When logged in as MACHINE\Administrator, it works

>> * When logged in as DOMAIN\appadmin, it's grayed out.

>>

>> I've confirmed that DOMAIN\appadmin is in the local Administrator's

>> group, and this appadmin account has no trouble doing anything else

>> Admin-y on the system: I can install software, create printer ports, etc.

>> I just can't change the driver. Even going into the Registry to

>> HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print and edit stuff manually -

>> this account has the rights for it.

>>

>> I've searched high and low for information about this, to no avail. Is

>> there some setting that I'm missing? Server 2003 definitely doesn't work

>> this way.

>>

>> Thanks,

>> Steve

>>

>> --

>> Steve Friedl / UNIX Wizard / Microsoft Security MVP / steve@unixwiz.net

>>

>

>

[Guest Alan Morris [MSFT]]

Re: Server 2008: Print driver installation woes

 

You can also just install the management tools rather than the whole role

but there is only one other config change if the machine is a print server

 

Add Feature

Remote Server Administration Tools

Role Administration Tools

Print Service Tools

 

thanks for posting the other instructions. I sent it to a couple of our

Program Managers.

 

--

Alan Morris

Windows Printing Team

Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:

http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

 

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

"Steve Friedl [MVP]" <steve@unixwiz.net> wrote in message

news:O9ZHwAM$IHA.1016@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> "Alan Morris [MSFT]" <alanmo@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:usoIhQK$IHA.5336@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> Do not use the printers folder when performing admin tasks, the explorer

>> process does not run in admin context.

>>

>> use printmanagement.msc

>

> Wow, this really qualifies as a surprise - a couple of us burned a few

> days wondering what the heck was going on. We also figured out that we had

> to add the Print Services role to the machine (this was new to us as

> well), so I wrote up a Tech Tip that describes the process.

>

> Configuring Printers in Windows Server 2008

> http://www.unixwiz.net/techtips/server2008-print-mgmt.html

>

> I hope this helps others avoid the same surprise.

>

> Thanks for the direction...

>

> Steve

>

>> "Steve Friedl [MVP]" <steve@unixwiz.net> wrote in message

>> news:OhIm7JA$IHA.4124@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>> Hello all,

>>>

>>> I'm running into an unusual problem with my first Server 2008

>>> installation: I can't change printer drivers unless I'm the local admin.

>>>

>>> When in Control Panel -> Printers, right-clicking on a printer +

>>> Properties yields the usual Printers dialog box. The driver is selected

>>> in the Advanced tab, but it's grayed out unless I'm the local Admin.

>>>

>>> * When logged in as MACHINE\Administrator, it works

>>> * When logged in as DOMAIN\appadmin, it's grayed out.

>>>

>>> I've confirmed that DOMAIN\appadmin is in the local Administrator's

>>> group, and this appadmin account has no trouble doing anything else

>>> Admin-y on the system: I can install software, create printer ports,

>>> etc. I just can't change the driver. Even going into the Registry to

>>> HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print and edit stuff manually -

>>> this account has the rights for it.

>>>

>>> I've searched high and low for information about this, to no avail. Is

>>> there some setting that I'm missing? Server 2003 definitely doesn't work

>>> this way.

>>>

>>> Thanks,

>>> Steve

>>>

>>> --

>>> Steve Friedl / UNIX Wizard / Microsoft Security MVP / steve@unixwiz.net

>>>

>>

>>

>

>