Printing Not Supported with Terminal Services 2000

Modified 10/26/2003 - Article ID#: K000116

Warning: Printing from RDPDOS from Terminal Services in Windows 2000 does not work reliably and is not supported by RDP. To reliably print from RDPDOS, Citrix Software or Terminal Services on Windows 2003 is required. It may be possible to get RDPDOS to print using the techniques below.  However, this is NOT SUPPORTED by RDP.

Automatic printer redirection

The following is an excerpt from the help system for Terminal Services.  To access the help system:

1. Use the Windows 2000 Server where Terminal Services is installed
2. Select Start-Settings-Control Panel-Administrative tools
3. Select "Terminal Services Configuration" and then click the Help Icon (?)
4. Search the Index for "printers-Redirecting Printers"

For 32-bit Windows 2000 Terminal Services clients, printer redirection is automatic when the local printer uses a driver that is installed on the Windows 2000 server.  When a client logs on to Terminal Services, local printers attached to LPT, COM, and USB ports that are installed on the client computer are automatically detected and a local queue is created on the server. The client computer printer settings for the default printer and some properties (such as printing on both sides of the page) are used by the server.

When a client disconnects or ends the session, the printer queue is deleted and any incomplete or pending print jobs are lost. Information about the client's local printers and settings are saved on the client computer. On subsequent logons, the printer queue is created using the information stored on the client computer.

If a printer driver is not found on the server, an event is logged and the client printer is not created. To make the printer available, the driver must be manually installed on the server.

Setting up a Printer Connected to a Remote Workstation with Terminal Services 

These steps apply to a printer that is connected directly to a workstation's LPT1 port, using a standard printer driver that is provided with Windows 2000 server.  When this workstation connects to a Windows 2000 server running Terminal Services, the 32 bit Terminal services client will automatically redirect the printer port.  RDP then prints to the printer as a Windows Shared Printer (RDP096 printer number 5-99, not 1-4). 

1. Make the connection with terminal services to the remote Windows 2000 server.  

2. Select start-settings-printers, using the start button inside the terminal services Window (not the start button on the workstation).  All printers connected to local LPT ports should display, something similar to:  HP LaserJet 1100 (MS)/BARRY21/Session 1.  If your printer does not display, this probably means the print driver for that particular printer is not a standard driver in Windows 2000.  In this case the printer must be installed manually - see Microsoft Help system as define above.

3. Assuming you see your local printer, right click and select "sharing".  Share the printer.  For example, the print share name might be "Test44".

4. Start a command prompt inside the terminal services window, and type   NET VIEW \\SERVERNAME, Where "Servername" is the name of the Server running terminal services.  You should see your shared printer.  For example, if the server name is "IRM", the command is
   
    NET VIEW \\IRM
   

5. Set up the printer in RDP096, using the "W-Windows Shared" option. Select a printer number from  5-99.  You cannot set this printer up as a local printer 1-4.  In this example, the "printer server computer name" is "IRM" and the "printer share name" is "Test44".   For details on setting up Windows Shared printers in RDP,  use the following link:   RDP Printing Setup.

6. Test the printer by pressing "F2-Print screen" from any RDP screen.  The output should come to the local printer.

7. If the workstation is running Windows 95/98, the printer will have to be shared each time the terminal services connection is made.  For Windows 2000 and XP workstations, once you share the printer one time it will remain shared each time the terminal services connections is made.

Setting up Shared Printers Connected to a Remote Workstation with Terminal Services 

These steps apply to printing from one remote workstation to a printer on another remote workstation.  The following assumptions apply:

Use the following steps to print from workstation "Work1" to the printer "PRINT1" connected physically to LPT1 on workstation "Work2". The assumption is that workstations Work1 and Work2 are connected to the same hub using Microsoft Client software.   Workstation "work2" does not have to be connected with terminal services for this technique to work. 

1. In this example there is no printer physically connected to workstation Work1.  The goal is to connect workstation "work1" to the remote Windows 2000 server running Terminal Services and then start RDP on Work1 and print to the printer on Work2.  To accomplish this goal we have to  "trick" terminal services by installing a "non-existent" local printer on work1.

2. Prior to making the connection to the terminal server, on workstation "work1", install the printer on LPT1, using the "Add printer" option.  When prompted, select "local printer", but do not check "automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer", since the printer doesn't exist on this workstation.  Select LPT1 as the port (if LPT1 is in use with a real printer, select LPT2).  Install the correct printer driver for the printer connected to workstation WORK2.  Do not print a test page.

3. Make sure the printer on workstation Work2 is shared.  In this example the share name is "Print1"

4. From a command prompt on workstation "work1", re-direct the printer output from Work1 to Work2 with the following command
   
   NET USE LPT1: \\WORK2\PRINT1 /Persistent:YES
   
   This command only works on Windows 2000 and Windows XP workstations.  For Windows 98, the printer must be captured using the "capture" option in "printers"
   

5. From Work1 make the connection with terminal services to the remote Windows 2000 server.  This will automatically map all local printers, including the "non-existent" printer. 

6. Select start-settings-printers, using the start button inside the terminal services Window (not the start button on the workstation).  All printers connected to local LPT ports should display, something similar to:  HP LaserJet 1100 (MS)/BARRY21/Session 1.

7. If your printer does not display, this probably means the print driver for that particular printer is not a standard driver in Windows 2000.  In this case the printer must be installed manually - see Microsoft Help system as define above.

8. Assuming you see your local printer, right click and select "sharing".  Share the printer.  For example, the print share name might be "PRINT1".

9. Set up the printer in RDP096, using the "W-Windows Shared" option. Select Printer number 5-99.  You cannot set this printer up as a local printer 1-4.  In this example, the "printer server computer name" is "IRM" and the "printer share name" is "PRINT1".   For details on setting up Windows Shared printers in RDP,  use the following link:   RDP Printing Setup.

10. Test the printer by pressing "F2-Print screen" from any RDP screen.  The output should come to the  printer connected to Work1.  This is accomplished because RDP re-directs the printer output with the "Net Use" command to LPT1 on WORK1.  The "Net Use" command issued in step (4) above then re-directs the output from LPT1 on WORK1 to LPT1 on WORK2, where the printer exists.  

Note:  It is possible to combine the techniques in both examples above.  IE, you could have a printer on Work1 set up in RDP as printer "44", and a printer on Work2 set up as printer 45, and a printer set up on workstation "work3" as printer 46.   You could then print to any of the three printers.

The techniques described above work, but are tricky to implement.  Please call RDP support at 970-845-7108 if you need additional help. 

Troubleshooting - Windows XP Slow Printing

With Windows XP, Microsoft made a change that delays all DOS print jobs by 15 seconds. To accelerate printing, every computer using any version of Windows XP will need the changes described in the link below. This includes the Windows 2003 data server.  If using Citrix or terminal services, the changes must also be implemented on the Windows 2003 server running Citrix/Terminal Services, as well as each workstation that uses the Windows XP operating system.

• Change LPT_Timeout for faster printing on all Windows 2000/XP Workstations and Servers.

Links to documents related to printing with RDP
Installing and troubleshooting printers.
Remote printing with Terminal Services.
Remote printing with Carbon Copy 32.
USB printing with RDP.
Installing TCP/IP shared printers.
Basic Error 64 Line: 32939 Module: Menu-SrchPath-OutPut-PrScr.
Basic Error 75 Line: 33022 Module: Menu-OutPut-PrScr.

Windows XP Users Must Be a Member of Local Administrator Group

Microsoft added significant local security to Windows XP.  A user with minimal rights does not have access to write files to the "C" drive or to re-direct printing to shared network printers, both of which are required for RDP software to function properly.  To solve this problem, each user of a Windows 2000 or XP workstation must be a member of the administrator group on the workstation, which gives the user complete access and all rights for the local workstation.  Please note that network security is not compromised, since the user must only be a member of the local administrator group on Windows XP workstations.  All RDP users should not be a member of the domain administrator group.  To add a user to the local administrator group, see the link below:

• Windows 2000/XP Users Must Be a Member of Local Administrator Group.

Links Related to Remote Access with Citrix or Terminal Server

• Using RDPWin Remotely with Citrix or Terminal Server
• Pervasive Work Group Engine Required, Run as Service on Citrix/Terminal Server
• Performance Depends on How many Citrix or Terminal Servers
• Hardware Overview
• Remote Printing with RDP-DOS using Citrix or Terminal Server
• Credit Card Receipt Printing with Citrix or Terminal Server

 Note: There are special steps required to install Pervasive on Citrix or Terminal Server.  See Pervasive Work Group Engine Required, Run as Service on Citrix/Terminal Server.  The work group engine can be purchased from RDP by calling RDP Sales.

Warning:  64-bit workstations are not supported for call accounting, phone actuator, maid phone, voicemail, and point sale interface computers. These programs still require the use of 16-bit MS DOS program, which is not supported on 64-bit machines.