Windows 7 - Printers - GAAAAAAH!

[BatchFile]

I'm almost in the same boat as @GarethEdmonson here: Windows 7 - I've Given Up

If I can't get this to work by lunchtime I'm blattering back to XP!

Server 2003R2 network with a roomfull of shiny new PCs, which I'm trying to get W7 x64 to behave on - they're refusing point blank to connect to a network printer - an Epson C1100, for which there is an "in the box" driver.

It's failing (logged in as an administrator with UAC disabled) with error 0x0000000a.

I've installed the group policy editor on one of the W7 machines so I can tweak all the new settings and have disabled point and print restrictions - no effect.

Tried installing the print driver locally (as if it was connected to LPT1) as that sometimes worked on vista (during THAT debarcle, before it got canned) - but still no different.

Any ideas folks? I thought Windows 7 was supposed to be better than Vista - not from where I'm standing it's not!

[sted]

i take it the 2003 box is an x86 server?
try and connect the printer up to a win7 box directly via usb see if it prints then If so connect the network printer (go to \print server and double click it) assuming it adds it you should then be able to go to the sharing tab and add x64 drivers from the workstation to the server

[BatchFile]

i take it the 2003 box is an x86 server?

It is indeed

try and connect the printer up to a win7 box directly via usb see if it prints then

Rather than lugging 30KGs of printer accross the room, I've installed it locally again and used "net use lpt2..." to connect a virtual printer port to the share on te server - that worked fine and printed a test page

If so connect the network printer (go to \print server and double click it) assuming it adds it you should then be able to go to the sharing tab and add x64 drivers from the workstation to the server

How do you get the drivers off the workstation into the server? - I've tried pointing the server to the files listed on the test page but it insists they're no good

[sted]

if you just doubble clik the printer from \\printserver it should add it then just add the aditional drivers from the sharing tab hopefully it should realise they are installed and just copy them if not they should be in the spool dir i believe

im just perparing for a similar issue installing an 08r2 server here in hold but riso deont seem to do ANY x64 drivers (and i cant believe you need a login to get drivers ffs)

[jamesfed]

Windows 7 can be a pain without Server 2008/2008 R2 looking after things like printers - we are moving to a totaly Win7 64bit enviroment shortly and have had problems with any printer that we have tired to connect to our PCs if the server isn't running 64bit 2008.
My advice is if you are looking to move to a pure Windows 7 64bit enivorment at the very least look at setting up a 64bit 2008 printer server (it could even run inside a virtual machine) to bypass all these problems you are having.
Otherwise if you come across any drivers which are 'suposed to be in the box' try looking for Windows XP 64bit or Vista 64bit editions (we find they work just as well).

[jsnetman]

I have about 12 c100's here and tried every which way to get them to work off server 2008r2 and win 7 32 bit clients. Eventually stuck them back on a server 2003r2 server and work, well i say work. I spent ages getting them to work on that setup. I tried adding the drivers to server 2008r2 but it was a no go. We are now phasing them out as the cartridges acost approx £240 to replace you can get a decent HP with cartridges for £320 although low capacity

[BatchFile]

Right. XP's going back on for now, so we'll have a roomful of PCs that are useable. If I've got some time at the end of the holidays, I'll have a see about getting 7 to work again - but there's other jobs that need doing first. Cheers all!

[mrbios]

In order to get x86 and x64 machines to work from one print server you have to have both drivers installed on the server (obviously) but they have to be the exact same version!

once you have the same version of both drivers (be it on server 2008 or 2003) it should work, additionally there are quite a few windows 7 GPs towards printing i found i had to tweak in order to get it to work properly, not at work though so can't tell you what those were at the moment

[AIT]

PM me if you want to chat in detail. we have been running windows 7 successfully on our network since it was in beta stage. We have over come many issues etc with printers. way to much to put in writing.

[sted]

In order to get x86 and x64 machines to work from one print server you have to have both drivers installed on the server (obviously) but they have to be the exact same version!

only if you add them directly on the server if you add them from a client it dosent seem to care

[jsnetman]

I think the point here is that there is no 64 bit driver for the c1100's, or there was not when I last looked about 6 months ago

[BatchFile]

there's one "in the box" with Windows 7 X64 - which works fine - unless you want to use it over a network that is

[mac_shinobi]

PM me if you want to chat in detail. we have been running windows 7 successfully on our network since it was in beta stage. We have over come many issues etc with printers. way to much to put in writing.

Would be good to know - wondering if you could maybe create a wiki page with all the things that need to be in place

I have noticed at least reference the Ricoh devices I have always gone into

control panel --> programs and features --> turn windows features on or off --> Print and Document services ( expand by clicking plus symbol ) --> Tick the LPD and LPR options ( one is a monitor service and the other is the LPD / LPR Print Service --> click ok which will take a minute or two

Add printer using either standard tcp/ip port or an LPR port with relevant LPR que name and enable byte counting - not sure how it effects 2008 / 2003 ref standard / enterprise server OS but on the SBS if you have SNMP enabled on the port if SBS is SP 2 then the printer shows as offline. So requires un checking

Other then that not sure about group policy settings / preferences or anything like that.

[citycopiers10]

Windows XP is better than Windows 7 but it terms of security and environment, I'll go with Windows 7....
I do have the same problem here, I cant configure my printer in WIndows 7 environment, most of my softwares are not working properly...

[BatchFile]

Our facilities manager just sent me this after he heard me grumbling; I thought I'd share it with you all:windows 7.jpg