Windows Server 2003 Terminal server Printing issues

Our Organization has a Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server which users connect to. We have a problem with a specific 3rd party printer driver(cheap host based printer). I want to disable Printer redirection just for the specific printer. Most users have several printers connected(one is the offending printer, others that redirect fine)

For now I've disabled printer redirection on each users' session, then i add in their printers using shares. I dont like this, because it confuses users as to which printer they should print to(\server\printername is usually shown in a print list instead of 'printername').

I'd like to disable this specific printer from being redirected(without removing the 3rd party driver, as it works fine if its connected to a share i.e. \server\printer) I wouldn't have a problem specifying which printers get mapped(just consciously not redirecting the offending printer)

Any suggestions?

Answer

There is no built-in mechanism to disable printer redirection for only specific printers.

I'd consider doing the following (it's convoluted as all get out, but it should give you what you want):

• "Share" the printers on each client computer that should be available to the Terminal Server.




• Add the "TCP/IP Print Server" service to each client computer (marking the service for automatic startup and opening port 515 in the local Windows Firewall on each client computer, if applicable).





• Create local printers on the Terminal Server (or other server computer) corresponding to each printer attached to client computers. These printers should use "Standard TCP/IP" ports configured for LPR, with the "Queue Name" set to the share name specified on the client comptuer for each given printer, and with the "LPR Byte Counting Enabled" check-box checked.

You have control of the print queue name using this method such that you can make the name appear as you'd like. You can set permissions on the queues to prevent users from sending jobs to the wrong printers if you so desire. You can completely disable client printer redirection, as well.

(I do the whole "TCP/IP Print Server" dance, as described above, rather than using "Local Ports" naming UNCs. Some people do the "Local Ports" but I've found throughout the years that I have severe reliability problems doing it that way. My method basically makes the PC act like a really expensive "JetDirect" box...)