x64 printer drivers on x86 2k3?

[Bluetooth]

Hi guys

Just a quick one for you, we have an x86 server 2003 and the ict coordinator has purchased an x64 laptop for him to use at school.

Im having some issues getting the drivers from samsung and the one i have keeps coming up with some kind of "processor architecture" error message when i try to add the driver as an additional driver.

Any help much appreciated!

[jsnetman]

If it's just one laptop install the x64 driver on the laptop instead of the server and point the x64 print driver on the laptop to the shared printer should work (maybe) or at least give it a go.

[Bluetooth]

Unfortunately i have already tried that, downloaded the 2008/vista/7 driver and used the vista_64 driver but the same thing came up saying it wasnt compatible

[jsnetman]

Ok point the laptop driver directly at the printer, presuming it's a network printer.

[Bluetooth]

it isn't unfortunately its shared from the server which connects to the printer via USB (recycled it from the office as we needed a black and white printer) so it doesnt have an IP

[jsnetman]

I guess you are at a dead end then sorry, even with win 7 32 bit I think you would have driver trouble for that type of setup. This raises some questions I have had here at my school with printer drivers. We have server 2008 64 and win 7 32, I have major headaches with printer drivers to run on them both. I now wish I had gone for win 7 64. But after a few weeks of head scatching most of the drivers are now ok.

[timbo343]

You could buy a cheap print server and put the printer on the network that way.

[Bluetooth]

yea that might have to be the way.

Im running 7 32bit and havent had a problem installing this printer but oh well, he wont be happy but life goes on =-)

[SYNACK]

I had all sorts of problems with messy vendor drivers and 64/32bit operation until I decided to just get them all off the Windows update catalog server Microsoft Update Catalog , you need to use IE to get at them but this will provide you with windows certified drivers in both 32 and 64 bit that are far less likely to crash your print server or have other silly issues. Doing this made setting up a 2008 r2 print server with 64 and 32 bit support easy, is also worked well for a 32bit 2003 box.

[Bluetooth]

Thanks Synack, i will have a look into this next week!

[Resolver]

Bluetooth,

I come across this problem constantly, luckily there's an easy fix.

1. On the server, make sure that the LPR service is running.

control panel -> add/remove programs -> add/remove windows components -> Other Network File and Print Services -> Print Services for Unix

Then, in Administrative Tools -> Services -> make sure that TCP/IP Print Server is set to Automatic start

2. On the Laptop, add the LPR service.

control panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn windows features on and off -> Print and Document Services -> LPR Port Monitor

3. On the Laptop, download the needed x64 driver, and go to Add a printer -> Add a local printer -> Create a new port -> LPR Port -> Top field is the name/IP of the x86 print server -> Bottom field is the name of the shared printer (for example.... type \\server\ into the run box to see what is publicly shared off the server. The name of the printer as you see it there, is the name you want to enter in the second box) -> finish the rest of the printer install normally.


Whats going to happen is when the user prints, the job will be processed on the x64 machine using the local driver, but the output of that will go to the shared printer on the server. The server doesn't have to do any processing, and it just forwards the data back out to the printer.

I've done this many times, and had to make a few adjustments here and there, but haven't had a case yet where I couldn't make it work. Let me know if you have any problems with it.