Citrix Can't connect to Client Printers

[u104741]

we are running a win2k server with sp3 and citrix xp fr3

We have a major issue in that no client PC's are mapping there printers.

We run one major application over Citrix - Great Plains, but when users connect and try and print they get the "Please install a defualt printer" error.

I have been through all the Citrx settngs and am sure they are set to pick up the users printers when they login.

If i look at the Application log on the citrix box i see that it attempts to connect a clients printer(s) but fails With the following error;

"Client printer auto-creation failed. The driver could not be installed. Possible reasons for the failure: The driver is not in the list of drivers on the server. The driver cannot be located. Driver mapping is incorrect. Client name: (LISTERG) Printer: (Client\LISTERG#\\\file01\HP LaserJet 2100) Client Printer driver: (HP LaserJet 2100) Server Printer driver: (HP LaserJet 2100)"

anyone got any ideas????
I'm getting desperate!

 

[DaveRS575]

Interesting...

Ok.. How about this... Let's try setting the users up so they connect to all attached printers, instead of just the "default printer only" and see what happens... Just as an interim test...

 

[u104741]

tried it.
No joy same thing happens.

ta..

 

[DaveRS575]

What client are you using?

 

[DaveRS575]

(I can't believe I didn't ask you that in the first place.... duh)

 

[u104741]

Windows 2000 clients with SP3 runnig Citrx client version 7.00...

 

[DaveRS575]

Is it the Full Program neighbourhood client or one of the other many clients...

 

[u104741]

sorry yea the full program neighbourhood.

 

[DaveRS575]

Just out of curiosity, here's a mad scientist experiment (Here comes a crazy train of thought) have you tried sharing the printer at the PC and then mapping to it from itself. For example, if you are on Computer1 and you have a HPLJ4 on LPT1, try sharing it, then on Computer1 map to it as if it is a network printer, then make it our default, and go into your published app and see if it shows up.. (I assume you have tried making it the default as an LPT printer)

Just curious if this does anything different..

 

[u104741]

I Will try it tomorrow..

 

[u104741]

Dave..no joy with that either.

Another strange thing i have noticed is that we often get print jobs getting stuck even for networked printers.

A user will call and say they cant print form our published up, but from all other applications they print fne.

We used to be able to go to the citrix box look in print manager and see all the currently connected printers and the jobs they have qued up. We could then delete all the jobs and re-start the print spooler and all would be well again.

Now we cant see any of the currently connected client printers there, even if they are normal network printers, so cant manage the print jobs when they get stuck.
I wonder if the print manager is corrupt or something on the citrix server????

As we cant get the local printers to map we have decided to get jet-direct boxes for those printers so they effectivel become networked printers, but that still brings me no nearer to understanding the problem.

Not sure what else i can do now...
maybe we still have a permissions issue but where i have no idea??

Any further thoughts?

 

[DaveRS575]

You should not need to get Jet direct boxes as the PC's themselves will act as a print server for you. If you share a printer from a PC you can't see it from a metaframe session either? It is effectively networked when shared from a networked PC. It's no different than setting it up to a print server backend.

If you want to give me a call we can maybe walk through a couple things together. My number in NJ is 201-557-4880. This afternoon after 2:00EST would be best for me as I have meetings all morning today. It does sound like it could be a permissions issue, but we can look at it together. I am assuming you are from the UK? I know it will be about 7pm your time there if that's the case, so if tomorrow morning (3pm your time) would be better let me know... I may be able to slice out 30 minutes this morning in about an hour or so if you are in a major bind and need to talk today..

Dave

 

[u104741]

Dave,
yes i am in the uk.
before I incure the cost of the telephone call I will try with the jet-box as we have them. I know I am clutching at straws, But... with the jetdirect boxes we can plug the printers into a hub and give them fixed IP addresses and make the appear like all our other printers, that are working. (i hope!)

If it is a permissions issue, is there a set of rules i can use to test the permssions at each step in the process.

You dont think we need to do a repair of citrix or windows on that box then? it does seem strange that when a network printer is connected successfully we can't see its print que on the ctrix box where as we always used too.?

I apprecaite you spending time on this for me. all the pointers you have given me have help my understaning allot.

Geoff

 

[DaveRS575]

No problem Geoff. I have some free time right now if you want I can call you. (I'm on the phone with the UK all the time here so no worries)

It is certainly possible that there is a problem with the print manager. Are you seeing any other events in the event log?

The original event log you put in this message seems to indicate a problem with the driver, or a problem with the spool directory permissions. Is the "everyone" local group given "full control" access to this folder?

I am thinking you may have a couple of problems here Geoff. The print manager symptoms are troubling me, and the fact that your policy is set, and permissions are ok, yet still getting access denied essentially are bothersome.

Dave

 

[u104741]

Dave...

We have linked a copule of local printers using jet direct boxes with fixed IP addresses.

These printers now connect successfuly and print.

Strange though that we can't see there print que on the citrix box, where has we could on the old citrix versions before XP.

Many thanks for your help on this, your tips have proved very useful in helping me understand the whole printing process.

I am conviced that there is someithing wrong with citrix XP on win 2k with SP3, but wont go to SP4 as i understand there are even more problems with that.


Cheers,
Geoff

 

[JohnTcolo]

Just reading this exchange makes me think you have some problems with cached information not being updated. A few days ago, we had a similar problem with printers not being recognized and some that were showed incorrect setup information. It was a particular accounting package that was having a lot of the trouble.

We finally went to the Citrix Server, and deleted out the entire users folder from the documents and settings folder.

When the user logged back into the Citrix Application, everything worked fine. I could not get the application support staff to tell me exactly which file their program was reading for the printer info.

Good luck.

 

[u104741]

JohnTcolo..

Should i delete all users from that folder including the default user folder or just one user to test??

Thanks,
Geoff