Mapping printers in Citrix (ICA) and Terminal Server (RDP) sessions.

The Problem!

When a remote user connects to your Citrix/Terminal Server they want to use the local local printer attached to the client PC, but as the administrator, you have a few problems...

1. You don't know what printer the remote user has attached to the Client PC.

2. You don't know what driver they are using for that printer.

3. Even when you find the above details and install the driver onto your server you have other issues..

        a. The driver that the client is using may have a different name to the one installed onto your server

        b. If you install the driver and it is badly written, you could crash your server or cause other old problems with the spooler.

 

The Answer!!!

As the administrator of your server - You ONLY install printer drivers that come with Windows 2000!

You then map the client driver name to a known 'good and stable' 2000 driver. 

i.e. "Client Driver" = "2000 Driver"

"HP DeskJet 750C Printer" = "HP DeskJet 550C"

"HP DeskJet 750C Series Printer" = "HP DeskJet 550C"

"HP DeskJet 750C Series" = "HP DeskJet 550C"

"HP DeskJet 750C" = "HP DeskJet 550C"

All the above are client drivers issued by Hp for the 750C printer, mapped to a 2000 550C driver.

Note that all of the above are CASE SENSITIVE!

The Solution!

1st find the printer/driver that your client is using...

    Look in the 'Application Event log' for 1107 events on Citrix 

    Look in the 'System Event Log' for 1106 and 1111 events on Terminal Server (RDP)

Check for a printer mapping here http://www.printingsupport.com/matrix.htm (click on the 'basic mappinglist (win2k only)')

Or click HERE for another listing.

Depending on your server (Terminal Server or Citrix) then the method of mapping drivers is different, please see below.

Citrix XP (ICA Clients)

Open the Citrix Management Console and select Drivers - Check that the required 2k driver is installed.

 Now select 'Mapping....' And click 'Add...'

Type in the Driver name as required - REMEMBER THAT IT IS CASE SENSITIVE!!

Click 'OK' and test.

All of the above can be automated on Citrix XP by using 'Project Compatibility'...

                 - This was free but now the latest version costs £600+ !!

                 - You can get the old version (3.0) for free HERE (2Mb)

 

Terminal Server (RDP Clients)

A program has now been issued by Microsoft to do the following via a GUI.

Microsoft releases TS mapping tool (28-5-2004)
Quote from MS: This tool can reduce terminal server printer redirection failures, and steps an administrator through the process of finding the drivers that failed to redirect on a terminal server, and automates the creation of a custom printer driver mapping file.
Get your copy by clicking here.

Old, manual method....

How to Substitute a 2k Print driver for an oem driver in Terminal Server 2K with SP2+ installed

The following changes have to be made to the terminal Server

Open Regedt32.exe and locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\Wds\rdpwd

Add the following 2 values:

        Name: PrinterMappingINFName

               Type: REG_SZ

                Data: Name of the .inf file to which you want to redirect lookups.

                Example: c:\winnt\inf\ntprintsubs.inf

        Name: PrinterMappingINFSection

                Type: REG_SZ

                Data: Name of the section in the .inf file to which you want to redirect lookups.

                Example: Printers

Edit 'ntprintsubs.inf' with the name of the oem driver on the left

(this name is given in the System log as a 1111 error)

and put the 2k driver on the right.

NOTE - ALL DRIVERS ON THE RIGHT MUST BE INSTALLED ONTO THE SERVER!!!