Microsoft KB Archive/165962

= WinNT Spooler Service Verifies Printer Drivers Are Correct =

Article ID: 165962

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

-



This article was previously published under Q165962



CAUSE
Windows NT printer drivers are stored in specific directories depending on the hardware platform for which they were compiled. For example, drivers for the Intel platform are stored in %Winnt%\System32\Spool\Drivers\W32x86.

Prior to Windows NT version 4.0 Service Pack 2, it was possible to install a printer driver into a subdirectory for a specific hardware platform when that printer driver was compiled for a different hardware platform. Installing a printer driver for a hardware platform into the wrong subdirectory in Windows NT now causes incorrect printer output.



RESOLUTION
When installing printer drivers in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 2, Windows NT Spooler service will verify the drivers are the correct architecture for the platform that is running Windows NT.

Windows NT Spooler service will validate the architecture type after the driver has been copied. If the architecture type does not match, the Install dialog box will be displayed again.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. This problem was corrected in the latest U.S. Service Pack for Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K

Keywords: kbbug kbfix kbprint KB165962

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.