Additional Drivers x64 drivers on x86 Print server ntprint.inf

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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.
 
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.
>
 
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...
 
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