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Subject: Sharing Vista print drivers from SBS2003

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Jamison West User is Offline

United States
Member since
9/28/2005

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Posts: 171

6/19/2007 09:37 PM
Can this be done? I don't recall how Windows 2000 server started support Wndows XP drivers, though I do recall it was done somehow soon after XP released. Now I have 2003 servers (SBS and non-SBS) and Vista clients starting to pop up everywhere. For the most part this has not been problematic. Just two items. First, Remote Desktop to a Vista machine seems MUCH slower than XP. Second, I am having to install network printers directly to the IP address of the printer and install the Vista drivers on the machines directly. Can I add a Vista driver directly to my SBS2003 server so Vista clients just work? Any thoughts or workarounds would be greatly appreciated!

Daniel Harris User is Offline

United Kingdom
Member since
12/15/2006

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Posts: 11

8/09/2007 04:23 PM
I can't help but I too have run into this issue - have installed a Lexmark network printer (cheapo laser) on the server, installed it on the clients - but it just disappears after a reboot.

Steven O'Neill User is Offline

United Kingdom
Member since
5/24/2005

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Posts: 447

8/21/2007 08:58 PM
Running into a similar problem with a HP OfficeJet K850. Vista recognises it when you first login and it does attempt to add it but it doesn't appear. When trying to add it manually we get a printer monitor error and having looked at the HP site the printer is supposed to be Vista compatible but there's obviously a problem. Client also has a Lexmark colour laser and this has been detected and installed automatically by both XP and Vista but I'm not sure how.

Arno Zevenhuizen User is Offline

Netherlands
Member since
2/17/2007

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Posts: 38

8/27/2007 12:28 PM
Seem to have same problem with a crappy old DJ5550 printer. It's shared on an SBS2003 but doesnot print any graphs or background from word. I moved the printer to a (vista) client and everything worked in one time. Problem is SBS not supporting Vista drivers. The only thing that worked for me was to install the Vista driver locally on all the Vista clients that needed this damed printer. So the driver is now running localy on the client, which is very slow on the network. If anybody nows a better solution please let me now... Arno

Andreas Ringsparr User is Offline

Norway
Member since
10/11/2007

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Posts: 1

10/12/2007 12:44 PM
Still any intrest in this issue, Arno Zevenhuizen? I have learned that HP universal drivers work fine with Vista clients running on SBS 2003! But you have to install the same driver on all Vista clients accessing the printer (as Jamison West noted above), but I didn't note anything slowing down. Still I think it is worth a try for you. Good luck

/Andreas Ringsparr

Israel Zulu User is Offline

United States
Member since
11/8/2007

Registered Users
Posts: 3

11/19/2007 05:16 PM
I'm having some problems sharing printers as well. However, mine don't seem to be consistent. I've got three printers set up on our SBS2003 server right now: an HP LaserJet 4350tn, a Brother MFC 8460N, and a Xerox WorkCentre 4150 PCL6. For all of these, I've had to set them up on the server via TCP/IP ports, and shared them via Active Directory. However, every time a machine wants to load the printer drivers (from the server), it requires a local Administrator login. This would not be a problem if it was a one-time deal, but it seems the Xerox driver (and only the Xerox driver) needs to be re-installed on a daily basis for some reason. Could this just be a Vista/SBS2K3 compatibility issue? Someone help, please?

Brian Mayo User is Offline

Along the shoreline of New England
Member since
6/22/2005

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Posts: 317

12/03/2007 01:26 PM
Interested in this thread also...as I fell into an office upgrade at a law firm...Vista Biz clients on a new SBS2K3 R2 server. Sharp, Canon, and HP printers across the network. Prior to this..were all shared from the 2K Server to the 2Kpro clients just fine. Figured new enough printers..SBS could share them to Vista fine. Wow what an ugly surprise. The Sharp had Vista drivers for it from their site..but had to go around to each workstation and install it as a local TCP printer. Going to tackle the big Canon iR 5020 today.

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