XP Printing

[GSicard]

To All:
I have a customer that uses Windows NT 4.0 Server
with Windows XP Workstations. Most printing works fine,
except for the LaserJet 5Si Printer Drivers.
I recently replaced the Windows Drivers with HP's
current ones, but they were not designed for XP. Since I
can not change the Driver on the Server for the XP
drivers, I must leave the server where it's at...
So to the problem, everytime the workstations reboot,
they lose the printer settings, IE Print Trays, Printer
Options (Env Feeder), etc. I have no idea how to fix the
problem, and I am hoping someone else has seen this and
knows how to fix it...

Thanks,
Gary

[Jeremy Cook]

Your problem sounds very similar to the problem I was having with my Savin.
I run an NT4 print server with 2000/XP clients, and a Savin network printer
on TCP/IP.

First, you can install XP drivers to the NT4 server, so that the server can
distribute them accordingly. To do this, goto an XP workstation, then go
Start -> Run -> \\ntserver where ntserver is the name of your print server.
Double click Printers and Faxes, then goto File -> Server Properties. Goto
the Drivers tab, and click Add. Then point the installer to the .inf file
for your XP drivers.

Second, something I've learned the hard way over the last few weeks, NT4 and
2000/XP use printer drivers differently. NT4 uses kernel mode drivers
(version 2), and 2000/XP uses user mode (version 3) drivers. The difference
is transparent to the end user 9 times out of 10. The problem I had
apparently was the server was delivering my XP drivers (for my Savin
printer), but telling XP workstations to use them in kernel mode. The end
result was that all XP workstations could print, but with reduced
functionality.

What I finally had to do to get it all fixed was this:

1. Printed a test page from an XP workstation for reference.
2. On the print server and all affected workstations, I removed the
printer.
3. Deleted all registry entries (BACK UP YOUR REGISTRY FIRST!!) that
pointed to the printer driver (in my case, my Savin). They are located at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windo
ws NT x86\Drivers. Here, you'll see the version 2/3 stuff, which refers to
kernel and user mode drivers. I went under each of these keys and deleted
the keys for my Savin printer.
4. Rebooted, and deleted all the driver files referenced on the XP test
page, deleting them from all affected workstations and the server too.
5. Added the printer on the server, using an NT4 driver for the install.
6. Added the printer LOCALLY, to one XP workstation, using a Local
port/TCPIP install with XP drivers. Once you verify the XP drivers work
with all functionality you need, then goto 7.
7. Install the XP drivers to the server, using the method described in
the beginning of my post.
8. Install the network printer to each of your XP workstations.

This worked for me, and hopefully will help you out as well.

Jeremy

[GSicard]

Jeremy,
Thanks for the info.. I will give it a try.

Gary

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