Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

srini — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:59:33 GMT

I am using windows server 2008 64 bit,in that we installed printer and in our office we have xp,7 client pc,so win 7 is configured sucessfully but xp is creating issue..

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

BobF — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:37:39 GMT

using the Rundll32 printui.dll utility, I'm able to map out the Printer Share on a 32 bit Print server to a 64 bit client. The problem is that the 64 bit client cannot control the printing preferences and then the interface crashes. The Print Driver names are the same but the version numbers is off (1.6.0.0 vs 1.6.2.0). Would the version number cause the printer driver to load the 32 bit into the 64 bit client ?

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

kenmullins — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:27:39 GMT

On TechNet web page "Update and Manage Printer Drivers" is the following note.

technet.microsoft.com/.../cc732946.aspx

Could you expand/explain how to implement this note.

"You might not be able to extract some printer drivers without installing them. If this is the case, log on to a client computer that uses the same processor architecture as the printer drivers that you want to add to the print server, and install those printer drivers. Then use Print Management from the client computer to connect to the print server, and add the additional drivers from the Additional Drivers dialog box. Windows automatically uploads the drivers from the client computer to the print server."

Ken Mullins

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

link 32 bit drivers to a 64 bit print q — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:40:52 GMT

While the Print Management console allows you to add printer drivers for various printers into a w2k8 R2 box, it doesn't link the drivers to the print Q. Thus when connecting to the 64 bit print q from a 32 bit system, the 32 bit system still and always asks for the 32 bit driver each and every time. Very annoying. I hope someone at microsoft fixes that issue.

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

aamer — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:24:43 GMT

@Shamu35: Hello Shamu. If you are working with Windows Server 2008 R2 box, then your life just got a whole lot simpler. You don't have to go through the process of installing cross architecture drivers with this OS. All you need to do is access Print Management Console, choose 'Drivers' and add a driver by choosing appropriate architecture. Please let me know if there is something I could do to help you with this.

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

aamer — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:20:47 GMT

@Xepol: With Windows Server 2008 R2, all of this has become a whole lot simpler. All you need to do is choose 'Drivers' in the Print Management Console, choose the architecture type and proceed with driver installation.

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

Aamer — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:08:21 GMT

@ Shamu35:

Thank you for the feedback. I was wondering if you could provide me woth more details about how you are trying to make this work. Also please let me know if this issue is specific to "Canon Bubble-Jet BJC-6100" driver or do you run into the same issue with all drivers?

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

shamu35 — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:49:02 GMT

I tried "Installing 32 Bit printer drivers on a 64 Bit server" according to this article but get an error message:

"A driver Canon Bubble-Jet BJC-6100, Type 3 - Usermode, x86 could not be installed. Access denied".

But why, because I logged in on the 32bit Windows 7 computer as domain administrator? The Printserver is a Windows 2008 R2 64Bit server.

Do you have an idea why there is an "Access denied" message?

Can you help me please?

Thanks

re: Print driver installation on 32-bit versus 64-bit servers

Xepol — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:01:22 GMT

I had to do just this lately (32 bit drivers onto a 64 bit server).

I hated it - It stunk of bad choices at every level of the chain. Ultimately, MS should encourage vendors to provide a combined 32 bit/64 bit install package and allow both sets to be installed for sharing automatically AND vendors should go out of their way to provide combined driver sets that ensure the printer can be shared correctly between the various types of clients.

Also, I've used Linux based devices (many of the NAS devices are linux based and offer printing, heck even my router does!) that can host printing AND print drivers, but I've never been sure how to put windows printer drivers on it for that task - perhaps this a related area you could cover in a future article?