Additional Drivers x64 drivers on x86 Print server ntprint.inf

[Guest MacAddict]

Hello all,

 

I've a Windows Standard 2003 x86 server acting as a Print server. I

have shares for all our printers and now that we are adding some 64-

bit terminal servers to our environment, I would like to install the

64-bit drivers to the print shares.

 

I have been able to add the x64 drivers of our Xerox printers by going

to "Sharing" tab of the printers and clicking on the "Additional

Drivers". Then I selected x64, point it to the x64 drivers for the

printer and then point it to the x64 Server 2003 CD to get the

ntprint.inf file.

 

The problem that I am encountering is when I try to do the same with

our HP printers. When I do the same process, I keep getting prompted

for the ntprint.inf file time after time and I am unable to load the

X64 drivers for the HP printers.

 

I've made sure that they are the same version number.

 

I have also created the special inf file with the names of the print

drivers as per this kb that HP suggested to me: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239088

 

So, following the instructions on this KB, it allowed me to install

the x64 bit drivers on a terminal server that I was running on my

VMWare Workstation. It worked perfectly.

 

However, when I moved to my real print servers (non Terminal Server),

it did not resolve the problem. It keeps asking me for the

ntprint.inf file from the x64 version of Windows 2003 even though I

keep pointing it to it.

 

Am I missing anything? Is the only way of loading x64 bit drivers by

making my print server a terminal server?

 

Thanks for your expertise.

[Guest Mike Douglas]

RE: Additional Drivers x64 drivers on x86 Print server ntprint.inf

 

Hi! Let me recap. You said this: "we are adding some 64- bit terminal servers

to our environment, I would like to install the 64-bit drivers to the print

shares."

 

Q. Why would you want to install 64 bit printer drivers on a 32 bit O.S.??

 

Now I assume the end result you want is the user to have a printer installed

on their client PC (printer resides on 32 bit print server) and then log into

the 64 bit Terminal server and their default printer gets mapped and ready

for use. Well to do this do not install any 64 bit drivers on the 32 bit

server.

 

Instead install 64 bit drivers on the 64 bit Terminal Server and the

mappings should work fine.

 

(e.g. HP Laserjet 5 32 bit driver is installed on the 32 bit print server.

So make sure the HP Laserjet 5 64 bit driver is installed only on the 64 bit

Terminal Server)

 

Terminal services should understand that even though the client PC has a 32

bit shared printer installed, it will use the 64 bit driver to map the

printer accordingly.

 

Hope this helps. I run 5 Citrix Servers everyday. 3 are 64 bit and 2 are 32

bit. I been through the wars. :o)

 

Mike D

 

"MacAddict" wrote:

> Hello all,

>

> I've a Windows Standard 2003 x86 server acting as a Print server. I

> have shares for all our printers and now that we are adding some 64-

> bit terminal servers to our environment, I would like to install the

> 64-bit drivers to the print shares.

>

> I have been able to add the x64 drivers of our Xerox printers by going

> to "Sharing" tab of the printers and clicking on the "Additional

> Drivers". Then I selected x64, point it to the x64 drivers for the

> printer and then point it to the x64 Server 2003 CD to get the

> ntprint.inf file.

>

> The problem that I am encountering is when I try to do the same with

> our HP printers. When I do the same process, I keep getting prompted

> for the ntprint.inf file time after time and I am unable to load the

> X64 drivers for the HP printers.

>

> I've made sure that they are the same version number.

>

> I have also created the special inf file with the names of the print

> drivers as per this kb that HP suggested to me: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239088

>

> So, following the instructions on this KB, it allowed me to install

> the x64 bit drivers on a terminal server that I was running on my

> VMWare Workstation. It worked perfectly.

>

> However, when I moved to my real print servers (non Terminal Server),

> it did not resolve the problem. It keeps asking me for the

> ntprint.inf file from the x64 version of Windows 2003 even though I

> keep pointing it to it.

>

> Am I missing anything? Is the only way of loading x64 bit drivers by

> making my print server a terminal server?

>

> Thanks for your expertise.

>

[Guest MacAddict]

Re: Additional Drivers x64 drivers on x86 Print server ntprint.inf

 

On Nov 30, 11:06 am, Mike Douglas

<MikeDoug...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Hi! Let me recap. You said this: "we are adding some 64- bit terminal servers

> to our environment, I would like to install the 64-bit drivers to the print

> shares."

>

> Q. Why would you want to install 64 bit printer drivers on a 32 bit O.S.??

>

> Now I assume the end result you want is the user to have a printer installed

> on their client PC (printer resides on 32 bit print server) and then log into

> the 64 bit Terminal server and their default printer gets mapped and ready

> for use. Well to do this do not install any 64 bit drivers on the 32 bit

> server.

>

> Instead install 64 bit drivers on the 64 bit Terminal Server and the

> mappings should work fine.

>

> (e.g. HP Laserjet 5 32 bit driver is installed on the 32 bit print server.

> So make sure the HP Laserjet 5 64 bit driver is installed only on the 64 bit

> Terminal Server)

>

> Terminal services should understand that even though the client PC has a 32

> bit shared printer installed, it will use the 64 bit driver to map the

> printer accordingly.

>

> Hope this helps. I run 5 Citrix Servers everyday. 3 are 64 bit and 2 are 32

> bit. I been through the wars. :o)

>

> Mike D

>

> "MacAddict" wrote:

> > Hello all,

>

> > I've a Windows Standard 2003 x86 server acting as a Print server. I

> > have shares for all our printers and now that we are adding some 64-

> > bit terminal servers to our environment, I would like to install the

> > 64-bit drivers to the print shares.

>

> > I have been able to add the x64 drivers of our Xerox printers by going

> > to "Sharing" tab of the printers and clicking on the "Additional

> > Drivers". Then I selected x64, point it to the x64 drivers for the

> > printer and then point it to the x64 Server 2003 CD to get the

> > ntprint.inf file.

>

> > The problem that I am encountering is when I try to do the same with

> > our HP printers. When I do the same process, I keep getting prompted

> > for the ntprint.inf file time after time and I am unable to load the

> > X64 drivers for the HP printers.

>

> > I've made sure that they are the same version number.

>

> > I have also created the special inf file with the names of the print

> > drivers as per this kb that HP suggested to me:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239088

>

> > So, following the instructions on this KB, it allowed me to install

> > the x64 bit drivers on a terminal server that I was running on my

> > VMWare Workstation. It worked perfectly.

>

> > However, when I moved to my real print servers (non Terminal Server),

> > it did not resolve the problem. It keeps asking me for the

> > ntprint.inf file from the x64 version of Windows 2003 even though I

> > keep pointing it to it.

>

> > Am I missing anything? Is the only way of loading x64 bit drivers by

> > making my print server a terminal server?

>

> > Thanks for your expertise.

 

Hi there.

 

Thanks for your comments. Basically we have a print/file server. We

have all our network printers being shared on this server. When a

user connects to a 64-bit terminal server, they are unable to map to

any of these printers because the drivers associated to the printer

shares are 32-bit drivers (since the OS on the file/print server is 32-

bit).

 

If you go to the "additional drivers" for each printer, you can add 64-

bit drivers so that they are available for 64-bit clients when they

try to map to any of those printers (being shared on the file/print

server).

 

Anyhow, I was able to resolve my problem. Here is the solution...

 

When the file/print server was asking me for the ntptint.inf file in

the 64-bit server CD, I was pointing it to the D drive on my laptop

where the 64-bit server OS was. When I did this, it would keep asking

me for it.

 

What I ended up doing is putting the actual 64-bit CD in the file/

print server CDROM and it worked! So you must put the actual CD in

the file/print server when prompted for the ntprint.inf file.

 

Also, there is no need to create a new inf file or to create those

registry keys as suggested on the KB above.

 

Hope this helps someone in the future...