Printing oddities - specified port is unknown

[bbrook]

We've got a network of Windows 7 PCs all joined to a domain with Server 2008R2. I've set up a user group policy object that does the following:

1. Delete all shared printers
2. Add each printer in turn, setting a single (dummy one) as a default

This is via the Preferences > Control Panel Settings > Printers option.

When users logon it appears to be entirely random whether or not they get those printers added. Checking event viewer on an affected logon, Group Policy Printers reports the following error: Group Policy object did not apply because it failed with error code '0x80070704 The specified port is unknown.' This error was suppressed.

If I then try and perform a 'manual' setup by typing the server hostname and printer share into Explorer I get the same error 'The specified port is unknown'.

I thought I'd fixed it by changing the GPO settings to map printers using the server IP address but the issue is still occurring. I've also tried using a new, untouched profile with the same results. As I'm sure you'll all understand this is becoming more than a little frustrating now, especially when there's no apparent logic to it.

Any thoughts on the next step of diagnosis? I've taken a brief look at the DNS servers thinking that might be the issue before I used IP addresses and run a dcdiag DNS test and all passed.

I should also point out that the whole room received the same windows image and have the same driver versions installed.

All help very gratefully received!

[amvc]

Hi

Did you ever resolve this? I have exactly the same problem.

Thanks

Andrew

[eddyc]

We had this issue too, and it was something to do with the printer port. We deleted the printer off of the print server (which was a HP2600n) and removed the port (we have 2 - to allow a MONO and a COLOUR option) and then we cycled the spooler. Once we had done this, turn the printer off and then remake the port (as the server does not see the printer it will ask you what sort of network card the printer has) rather than chosing the HP Jetdirect Network Card, choose generic network card, and then proceed to setup as normal - this fixed the issue for us - let me know how you get on!

[andy_nic]

Hi, I also work at the same school as AMVC, we did
1. Swapped the port of the printer to dummy one.
2. Deleted the real port.
3. Recreating it with the printer port with the printer off to get it to generic.
4. Swapped the port back over.
It did appear to work until I got to PC number 6 then I got no printers again. This seems to be a windows 7 side rather than server side.

[bbrook]

Hi guys. We got this sorted - sort of!

After a few extra settings changed on the group policy (point and print restrictions disabled) this seems to have improved things. I'm reimaging the entire network during the Summer so will be testing this a bit further as well. I'll keep you posted.

[wildgw]

Hi guys. We got this sorted - sort of!

After a few extra settings changed on the group policy (point and print restrictions disabled) this seems to have improved things. I'm reimaging the entire network during the Summer so will be testing this a bit further as well. I'll keep you posted.

Just out of curiousity, what exactly did you guys change in your policies? I already disabled point and print restrictions, but I am still not getting printers consistently, and I still receive the exact same error message from Group Policy that you stated above. I've been racking my brain on this for the past week, and I have some very angry people around me. Any information you may be able to provide could be a game changer around here.

The problems are coming from Windows 7 32bit SP1 machines.

Thanks!

[SYNACK]

Are your GPO settings like this: [Solution]: Map printers with logon scripts in Windows 7 & Vista without UAC prompt

[dtesar]

Any fix for this yet? I have the same issue.

[amvc]

Hi

After many months and hours of work...we still havn't found the problem or a solution. This is what we've worked out and our partial fix.

-Using a GPP to map printers for pupil accounts, sometimes this fails with the usual 'the specified port is unknown' error in application log.
-If you then manually try to add a printer you get the same message.
-If you restart the spooler (via Task Manager as pupils don't have access to services.msc) and then manually add the printer...it works!!!
-So the fix...In Computer group policy for the machines the pupils use, I allowed the ability to restart the spooler service.
-I then created a logon script for the Users group policy to Stop and then Start the print spooler. The script then runs gpupdate to reapply the GPP settings.
-The result...(in I think just about all cases) the printers are mapped. If they aren't, then if the pupil logs off and then back on again then the printers are mapped.

The problem is that many teachers don't realise a logon/off fixes the problem. So frustration still exists in the classroom.

But no matter how hard I try I can't find what is causing the problem. It is only Windows 7 that the issue occurs with and it's a totally random when it will strike. We have imaged a room of 33 machines identically, if you log into them all with the same account then anywhere between 5-10 will fail to map their printers.

I just can't explain it...

[spik376]

Sounds like a driver issue, I have had the same error message as you stated and it turned out to be incorrect x86 drivers on server 2008 r2.

To solve it I did as Andy T said and added the drivers vis a windows 7 domained PC.

Network Printer Server 2008 R2

[chazzy2501]

this happens on my vista machines. I just powercycle the PC as a quick fix. I've now abandoned GPP for printer mapping and gone back to using the old GPO with pushprinters (I know you don't need the exe in vista The only downside is not being able to set the printer as default

[zlorimer]

There are a few tweaks to getting GPP to work perfectly. I have spent the past month making sure everything works great.

1) If you have any Dell or HP printers, I strongly recommend using their appropriate drivers. The Dell Open Print Driver or the HP Universal Print Driver work okay, but are not great for all of their respective branded printers.
2) I fully disabled UAC as it created problems with my Shoretel stuff, but it also makes installing the printer drivers much easier.
3) Make sure that your printers have both 64bit and 32bit drivers installed and enabled for each printer.
4) You need to disable the popups that people receive about drivers and non-signed stuff. To do this you enter the following items in a GPO:
Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Printers > Point and Print Restrictions set to Enabled, Users can only... set to Disabled, Users can only point and... Disabled, and then set the two drop down boxes to "Do not show warning or elevation prompt."

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Driver Installation > Allow non-administrators to install drivers for these device setup classes set to Enabled. Then add {4D36E979-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} as an allowed class.

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy > Printers preference extension policy processing set to Enabled. Then set Allow processing across a slow network connection to Disabled, Do not apply during periodic background processing to Enabled, Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed to Disabled, and Background priority to Idle.

Computer Configuration > Policies >Administrative Templates > System > Logon > Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon set to Enabled

User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Driver Installation > Code signing for device drivers set to Enabled and set When Windows detects a driver file without a digital signature to Ignore.

Your printers should work perfectly through GPP after setting those parts. I have been running for 3 weeks without problems now and I was having problems multiple times per day beforehand.

[Chunks_]

HI Guys,

I know this post hasn't been active for a while, but i had the same problems as most on this forum and spent a long time trying to diagnose the issue. I eventually found a microsoft hotfix Kb2748246 for windows 7 machines.

and here is a link on how to deploy hotfix Kb2748246 as its not in the a wsus catalogue !!! Grrr

I spent ages trying to solve this problem so im hoping this post might help others cos it was really frustrating for me. Feel free to repost if you feel it will help in other threads.

[Gongalong]

Big thanks Chunks_. We've been having this problem for almost a year, if not longer. The hotfix seems to have solved it.

[eddyc]

Hi Chunks,
I applied that hotfix which has certanly improved things here but am still having some issues. Some machines now say;

The user 'ICT2_HP1606DN' preference item in the 'Windows 7 Student Policy' Group Policy object did not apply because it failed with error code '0x80070709 The printer name is invalid.' This error was suppressed.

This printer maps fine for around 25 of the 30 machines but around 5 fail with this error now. Any pointers or other hotfixes that you are aware of? I've tried a google with little joy.
Thanks, Ed