[Deploysrs]

I have a Windows 2003 R2 server 64bit that hosts Terminal Services. When a user connects using Remote desktop connection I make sure that they go to the options area and make sure they turn on Printers in local devices and resources. But everytime they connect and open the application such as Peachtree accounting software and try to print to thier local printer they are unable to print. I was hoping someone could give me the steps to have a person print to thier local printer when connected to the Terminal server and printing from that application. The one person that I would like to get printing is a person that has a HP Laserjet 1320n.But would like to get everyones printers working as well.

Thanks,

This post has been edited by Deploysrs: 07 January 2011 - 01:58 PM

[allen2]

Terminal server printing isn't as easier as said and can become very complex:
- you need to allow (on the terminal server server) printer redirection.
- you need to install on the server every printers drivers and name of the printer driver must match: if you use hp laserjet 1320n pcl6 on the client computer you need to install the same driver on the terminal server but as it is a x64 OS, you'll have to use the x64 driver.
- Another way is to use a "thinprint" solution (there are at least 3 big companies providing some) which use only one driver and is able to solve this mess.
- if you don't want to install so much drivers, you can create a custom mapping printer drivers with the tool from microsoft. But in this case some documents might change a lot depending one the mapping used.

This post has been edited by allen2: 07 January 2011 - 02:21 PM

[Deploysrs]

allen2, on 07 January 2011 - 02:20 PM, said:

Terminal server printing isn't as easier as said and can become very complex:
- you need to allow (on the terminal server server) printer redirection.
- you need to install on the server every printers drivers and name of the printer driver must match: if you use hp laserjet 1320n pcl6 on the client computer you need to install the same driver on the terminal server but as it is a x64 OS, you'll have to use the x64 driver.
- Another way is to use a "thinprint" solution (there are at least 3 big companies providing some) which use only one driver and is able to solve this mess.
- if you don't want to install so much drivers, you can create a custom mapping printer drivers with the tool from microsoft. But in this case some documents might change a lot depending one the mapping used.

Thanks So much for the help , I will take a look at all options, But I think it would best for me to load the 64 bit drivers because I only have about 5 different printers to get working I think. Question can I load the 64 bit driver and the add 86bit drivers later for users that connect with 32bit printers.

[allen2]

No only the x64 driver should be needed on the terminal server server, the client computer will needed either x64 or x86 one depending on its OS.

[Deploysrs]

allen2, on 07 January 2011 - 04:05 PM, said:

No only the x64 driver should be needed on the terminal server server, the client computer will needed either x64 or x86 one depending on its OS.

I guess the way it works is when the person connects to the Terminal Server the Terminal Server must have the Printer loaded on the Terminal server that matches the persons Local Printer that is connected. That way if the person wants to print from an application on the Terminal Server to his local machine they can do so. So person Prints and the Terminal Server knows that Printer driver is loaded on the server and knows how to handle that remote Printer for the Remote user.

Is that correct????

Thanks,

[allen2]

I'll explain it differently: when a user connect to terminal server server (with printer redirection enabled), the terminal server service try to find one local printer driver with the same name that the one installed on the client computer. Then when the user printer in the remote application on the terminal server, the document is spooled with the local printer driver then sent to the spooler of the client computer and then spooled by the client computer and then sent to the printer. The bad thing about this system is that a spooled document might be a lot bigger than the document itself (printing a pdf to a pcl6 printer might spool a 4GB transfer between the terminal server and client computer for only 50 sheets and a 5MB pdf document ). That one reason why "thin" print was made. The other is to ease the admin job as you don't to maintain anymore the printer drivers on both terminal servers and client computers.

[Deploysrs]

allen2, on 10 January 2011 - 03:52 AM, said:

I'll explain it differently: when a user connect to terminal server server (with printer redirection enabled), the terminal server service try to find one local printer driver with the same name that the one installed on the client computer. Then when the user printer in the remote application on the terminal server, the document is spooled with the local printer driver then sent to the spooler of the client computer and then spooled by the client computer and then sent to the printer. The bad thing about this system is that a spooled document might be a lot bigger than the document itself (printing a pdf to a pcl6 printer might spool a 4GB transfer between the terminal server and client computer for only 50 sheets and a 5MB pdf document ). That one reason why "thin" print was made. The other is to ease the admin job as you don't to maintain anymore the printer drivers on both terminal servers and client computers.

Thanks again for getting back to me and explaining the way it works.

I was looking at a program called TSPrint have you ever used it..
TerminalWorks TSPrint
http://www.terminalw...com/tsprint.php

I was going to give it try and see if that program would be easier to use. Let me know what you think.....

[allen2]

The good thing is that it comes with a trial but i didn't tried it so i can't say anything about it.
All i found was this review : http://www.brianmadd...-solutions.aspx and there isn't a single word about TSPrint.

This post has been edited by allen2: 12 January 2011 - 01:17 AM

[Deploysrs]

allen2, on 12 January 2011 - 01:16 AM, said:

The good thing is that it comes with a trial but i didn't tried it so i can't say anything about it.
All i found was this review : http://www.brianmadd...-solutions.aspx and there isn't a single word about TSPrint.

Thanks Allen2 for all your help.

I will let you know how the trial version of TerminalWorks TSPrint works for me and if it is easy to use or not.