Microsoft KB Archive/290874

= Windows 2000 Printer Driver Does Not Push Printer Configuration Changes to Windows NT 4.0 Driver =

PSS ID Number: 290874

Article Last Modified on 6/4/2003

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0

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This article was previously published under Q290874



IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



SYMPTOMS
When you use the Point and Print functionality by using the Microsoft printer drivers on a Windows 2000 print server, Windows NT 4.0 clients may not receive the printer configuration changes that are pushed down from the Windows 2000 print server. Examples of these settings include paper tray settings or advanced printing options, such as Print Text as Graphics.



CAUSE
Windows 2000 printer drivers run in user mode, unlike printer drivers in Windows NT 4.0, which run in kernel-mode. The user mode drivers are named Version 3 drivers and the kernel-mode drivers are Version 2 drivers. In Windows 2000 Printer Control Language (PCL) printers are supported by using the Microsoft Universal Printer Driver. Due to the changes in the internal structures between Version 2 and Version 3 drivers, some settings are incompatible, or unable to be shared between the client and the server. This can cause problems, particularly with PCL devices.



RESOLUTION
When complex driver settings are required for a Windows NT 4.0 client base that is using a Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft recommends that you only use the Windows NT 4.0 style kernel mode driver (version 2) on the print server and clients. For more information on this topic, see the &quot;Print Server Upgrade, Migration, and Interoperability&quot; white paper:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/technologies/fileandprint/print/miginterop.asp

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To temporarily work around this behavior, you may choose to force the Windows 2000 Server and clients to load the Version 2 (kernel-mode) drivers.

NOTE: Forcing Windows 2000 to load kernel-mode print drivers may cause spooler faults to generate blue screens if the kernel-mode driver you load is not Windows 2000 compatible, or if it is poorly written.

To Force Load Version 2 (Windows 2000 or Windows NT) Drivers on Windows 2000
 Load the printer on the Windows 2000 server. The Version 3 driver is loaded by default. In the properties of the Windows 2000 server, click Sharing, and then click Additional Driver. Click to select the Windows 2000 or NT 4.0 drivers check box, and then click OK. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe). Navigate to print key in the following location:

HKLM\System\CCS\Control\Print\Environments\Windows NTx86\Drivers\Version-3

 Delete the folder for the printer driver that you just loaded to remove the reference to the Version 3 driver.</li> Quit Registry Editor.</li> Ensure that the change is successful: In the properties of the printer, click Sharing, click Additional Driver, and verify that only the Windows 2000 or NT 4.0 drivers check box is selected.</li> Stop and restart the print spooler service on that server.</li> On the client computers, delete and re-create the printers; no restart or file deletion is necessary.</li></ol>

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STATUS
This behavior is by design.

<div class="moreinformation_section">

MORE INFORMATION
Only use these steps to temporarily resolve interoperation issues between Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 print drivers. Your ultimate goal should be to run only user mode drivers on your Windows 2000-based computers to take advantage of the increased stability this procedure offers.

Windows 2000 clients do not experience this behavior.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

135406 Steps to Manually Remove and Reinstall a Printer Driver

For additional information, refer to the following Hewlett-Packard Web site:

http://www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/support_doc/bpl07374.html#P570_19697

Keywords: kbDriver kbinterop kbprb kbprint w2000printdrv KB290874

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