Configuring Terminal Services Clients to Print Locally 3

[ShawnF]

Hello,

I need some help in figuring out how to get Terminal Services clients to print locally instead of to a printer attached to the Terminal Server they are connecting to. My company has a few salespeople located across country that view our database with Terminal Services on a Windows 2000 Server, however, I would like to get them set up to be able to print things from the Database on the TS connection. Our sales staff is running win98 1st and 2nd edition, Win Me, and Win2k Professional. I've searched Microsoft's site but I didn't have any luck finding information other than how to set up local client printing for NT's old Terminal Server version.

I recall reading something about having to install file and printer sharing on the clients, but what are the other steps needed? I've read something about having to enable the local printer option in the user profile as well. On top of that I've read about setting up logon scripts and the NET USE command....

What are the actual steps I need to take to get a TS clients to be able to print to their own local printer? None of these clients work in our main office so I will not have immediate access to their laptops. They make occassional trips to our main office and I figure this is when I'll have to plan the printer setup.

Thanks,

Shawn F.

 

[jahlmer]

I would recommend mapping LPT2 to their shared printer

You can use the following command on the server:

net use lpt2 \\remoteserver\printer

Or, looking at it a different angle, connect to their remote shared printer at the server.

Hope this helps.

 

[ShawnF]

Ok,

Here's what I've done so far. I've installed the printer drivers on the client, installed file and printer sharing on the client, and gave the printer a shared name. I have not installed or changed anything yet on the server.

1. Do I map LPT2 on the client or on the server (or both)?

2. Does the NET USE command "disappear" if the server is rebooted so that the command must be re-entered after reboot (seems like a pain). Or is the NET USE command details stored somewhere so it doesn't have to be re-entered every so often (such as after a shut-down or reboot).


Thanks,

Shawn F.

 

[sumaya]

have you tried going to the terminal server and running the
terminal services configuration and right click on the object called TDP-TCP from there you can go to client settings and enable connect to client printers at logon

let me know if this helps


Michael S.

 

[Stevehewitt]

One word:

Citrix ;-) Steve Hewitt
IT Administrator

Windows 2000 Microsoft Certified Professional (75 - 215)

http://welcome.to/stevehewitt

 

[ShawnF]

Hello,

I'm not seeing what you're talking about in relation to TDP-TCP. I see TDP-TCP itself, however I do not find anything in relation to being able to check a box or select an option for connecting to a local printer. I've tried right clicking on TDP-TCP itself (Connect, Disconnect, Send Message, Remote Control, Reset, Status) as well as on specific client sessions in progress and there is no pop-up window with anything like that. I also tried the drop down menus, specifically Tools, and did not see anything related in Options. Am I not looking in the right place?

I'd get Citrix, but this was basically free with our Windows 2000 Server. So I need to use what I've been given.

Thanks,

Shawn F.

 

[NYR]

What I have gotten to work is the following:
Install print drivers on client machine locally. Then, install the same print drivers on the terminal server.
When the client connects, it should automatically provide printer redirection (assuming W2K client) which will route jobs from terminal server to the local printer.

 

[ShackDaddy]

Shawn, see the Windows2000 Online Documentation.

On providing client access to local printers via Terminal:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/advanced/help/ts_cli_c_print.htm?id=3920

On connecting client printers at logon:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/advanced/help/ts_usrex_h_730.htm?id=3903

On defaulting to the client's main printer:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/advanced/help/ts_usrex_h_740.htm?id=3904

ShackDaddy

 

[sumaya]

shawn for this to work you have to be logged onto the terminal server that you want to asssign client printers to.

assuming you have a default install go to start-programs-administrative tools-you should see
terminal services client creator.
terminal services configuration
terminal services manager.

you want to use terminal services configuration.

when you open this mmc on the left pane you should see a root of terminal services configuration with two folders under the root.

1) connections
2) server settings

in the right hand pane you should see RDP-Tcp.
right click on RDP-Tcp and go to properties.
from here you can see that you can assign the printers at log on.

Please let me know if this works for you.

Msumaya
sysadmin@funjobs.com

 

[Doina]

Hello,

Read the Microsoft article Q264039 on this issue. It will help you.

Regards,
Doina

 

[ShawnF]

NYR,

This will be my next step. I've been following Claudio's (he posts on the Microsoft TS Client Newsgroup all the time,

http://www.terminal-services.net).

The Printer in question is not one normally recognized by Windows 2000, so according to his instructions I needed to add the exact printer driver name to the NTPRINT.INF file in the WINNT Directory subfolder INF. I have done so, and at least now I am getting some errors in Event viewer that at least mention my Lexmark printer in question.

Sumaya,

Goes to show I'm a newbie! I was looking in the connection manager and not in the configuration! I found what you were talking about this time and found that both boxes were already checked. The option higher up to use the settings on the client's user profile was not selected though. Regardless, I still went into my profile in Active Directory and found that the use default printer and connect to client printer were not checked for me (so I did so).

ShackDaddy,

Thanks very much for the links. I'm a newbie and wasn't aware of the Advanced Server online docs. I printed off all 3 linked pages you gave me, plus another one for Q294429 which in itself looks to have some other useful links I need to investigate. I was shooting for Automatic redirection, but this printer is not one that Win2k already comes with in it's driver package. I am assuming this means I need to do manual redirection, which is in effect what NYR was doing.

Doina,

Thanks for that link. Unfortunately it's for issues with client side networked printers. However, my search at the MS website for that article brought up another related article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q294429

Which certainly does seem like it will be appropriate, though I haven't had a chance to check it out yet.

I WILL figure this out. I know I'm not far away from getting it solved, but rather than give up and call the vendor that built these servers I'd rather figure it out for myself and learn in the process.

Thanks for everyone's help! I'll keep you posted!

 

[ShawnF]

Ok,

here's the latest greatest and not so great breaking news. I know, it's a long post. I've put a lot of time into this and am getting very frustrated now. I still can't print, although I think I'm further along than I was thanks to everyone's help. Here's where I am....

After getting some good links in this thread and abandoning Claudio's instructions, I started following the MS instructions soley. First I started fresh by undoing all I had originally done including removing the printer drivers off the server, removing my edits to the NTPRINT.INF file, and starting fresh down the Automatic Printer Redirection route as listed in one of the links MS above. However, the printer in question is not one Windows provides it's own drivers for, and I was getting Error 1111, 1105, and 1106 in the event log. Article Q239088 explains how to fix this by editing the RDPWD folder in the registry and adding to new values that point to a new printer inf file which I will create per the instructions, which I have done no problemo.

After doing so, I tried to print from the client laptop I've been working on. I saw the print request move from the TS window printer Q (printer icon by the clock) to the local printer Q, and then it stalled at the client. It just sat in the printer tray waiting to print but no error message on the client or server (or event viewer). I tried to print numerous more times in the same session and nothing more happened. I couldn't even get the print request to at least make it to the client anymore so that the printer icon that normally pops up by the clock shows up. I made absolutely no more changes, so it seems strange that this happened. After disconnecting and reconnecting several times to the terminal server, I walked over to the server itself and noticed the screen was full of License Agreement Windows.....

Now it appears, according to MS Q275495 that I broke the digital signature in the NTPRINT.INF file. Claudio's instructions (which I was following first before I ever posted this thread here) told me to modify it, but by doing so the MS article says any mods can break the signature. So now on top of not being able to print (still), it appears I broke the signature of the file.

Included below are the details of this from my other thread I just started today:

"Hello,

I've been working on getting Terminal Services printer redirection to local printers to work. I was following someone's instructions that posts on the Microsoft Newsgroups quite often and appears very knowledgeable of Terminal Services. Perhaps this was a mistake, because now it appears I have broken the digital signing of the NTPRINT.INF file in the WINNT\INF folder (at least that's what article MS Q275495 says in a footnote). I don't know what the end result will be if the signature is broken, but I renamed the file to NTPRINT.INFold and copied the file from another Win2k Advanced server and pasted it on the one in question.

I don't know if this was enough to renew the digital signature. I recall reading somewhere that breaking of the signature can cause Licence Agreements and messages to restart the computer (the server) to pop up on the server every time a new printer is installed, e.g. a temporary printer Q is made when a Terminal Services client logs on. This is definately happening now because every time I log on to the Terminal Server to test this, the license agreement pops up on the server (not through the TS window on the client) and requires to Agree or Disagree to the printer's license agreement, and after clicking on agree you get a message saying to restart the computer to complete the printer install."

To summarize my lengthy post, I still can't print but I at least got rid of the errors 1111, 1105, and 1106 in event viewer and a temporary printer is installing on the server everytime I log in with the TS Client. Trouble is, now there aren't any errors that I can find at all either on the client or on the server and it appears I may have broken the dig sig for NTPRINT.INF (but I am not really sure about that) and License Agreements and Reboot prompts are showing up on the server every time I log on to the Terminal Server.

Now what!?

Thanks,

Shawn F.

 

[Doina]

Hi Shawn,

If you can see the printer, this is a good sign.
Before being able to print in a TS to a local printer, you have to be sure that you can print to the port while not in a TS session.
Open the DOS shell and send a copy command to the port the printer is attached to.
Here is the output from my net use command followed by the copy command:

C:\>net use
Status Local Remote Network
------------------------------------------------------------
OK LPT3 \\mycomputername\myprinter Microsoft Windows Network
The command completed successfully.

C:\>copy a.bat lpt3
1 file(s) copied.

and I get the file printed. The file you send to the printer using the copy command needs to have more than a few lines or you'll have to send it a few times for the page to come out. Send a text file.
Doina

 

[ShawnF]

Thanks, I will have to try that. I'm assuming it will work, but....

On a related note, I was checking the log files of our Firewall and there are some denyed outgoing requests from my client's IP address to either a server or router that's somewhere in the chain of connections in my dial-up connection. In addition to all the other problems going on, this may be the reason why the print job is not getting to the client. I have submitted an incident to the firewall company and will see what happens. I'm new to firewalls and reading logs as well, so I can assure you this is a real treat. Up until yesterday the potential firewall issue wasn't a concern because the print was not even making it out from the server to even get blocked by the firewall anyway. The firewall is only seeing the client's IP address given by the ISP I used to dial up, and is not seeing the assigned internal IP given by the firewall and DHCP server. So, I think that means the firewall is seeing a "foreign" internal IP and is denying it's outgoing requests.

However, it still doesn't solve the fact that perhaps the digital signature of the print file is broken and the License Agreement and reboot prompt appear on the server everytime I connect to the Terminal Server. Hopefully I will at least get printing working and can deal with the popup windows later....

Thanks!

 

[ShawnF]

Hello,

I finally got printing to make it to the client. The client will put the job in it's Q, but then nothing happens (yet another issue). Luckily, I'm nearly done with this! I was able to resolve a firewall issue with the company that makes the firewall that solved part of the problem, and the rest of the problem was solved by following Microsoft's instructions.

Now all I have to do is figure out why the print jobs at the client are appearing to go through just fine from the Terminal Server window to the client's actual printer job window but never actually print.

In addition to that I have to figure out why the license agreement and restart windows keep popping up at the server every time a TS client logs on and why the temp printer Q's on the server are not being deleted when the TS client logs off. Oh what fun... I will most likely be posting some new threads regarding these issues.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Shawn F.

 

[cinolas]

I am having a similar problem...

Users from remote offices are connecting to our database using terminal service in our win2k Server box.

Automatic Printer Redirection is working fine for one of our office.

We recently opened a new office and setup a single computer with WinXP and a USB HP PSC 700 serie printer. They can print from outside TS without a problem. They can connect to TS fine and their local printer even appears in the Terminal server but for some reason they cannot print from within TS. When they send a print job from within TS, the print job shows up in the Terminal Server Q and the status goes to "Printing" but then it stalls there for about five minutes and then changes to "Error Printing". The print job never makes it to the users local Q.

I read most of the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles mentioned above and I understand that the printer driver's name has to be the same on both end... So I installed the most recent version of the XP driver on the XP user's computer and proceeded to install the same driver on the Win2k terminal server... it was no surprise to find out that the Win2k box didn't appreciate being force fed a XP driver... and if I go through the "Additional printer driver" button (after installing the win2k version of that printer driver) , XP is not even in the list...

I have verified that "Connect client printers at logon" is checked in Terminal Services Configuration... I have ruled out any firewall/general setup problem since it works fine with our other office (I disabled XP's built-in firewall as well).

I am a newbie to Win2k server and terminal service. I am aware of the procedure involving editing the registry and NTPRINT.INF but will only try it when I'm convinced it is necessary because I want to avoid the other problems it seems to create.

Besides, the printer does show up in the terminal server's printer list ! AND Event Viewer is giving me an event ID 9 with "Printer hp psc 700 series printer/ottawa/session 1 wa set". Doesn't that mean that at least part of the automatic redirection is working ?

If the printer driver name was different, would the printer still show up in the terminal server printer list when the user connects ?

I am also getting frustrated... ANY HELP is greatly appreciated !

Thanks to all

 

[cinolas]

Anyone ?