Can I add a second server to the domain to act as a print server?

[talksr]

Hi, long story short, but our 2008 server running Ranger has not installed any updates since 2010 (http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-server-2008-r2/131037-windows-updates-have-not-been-working-least-2-years-help-4.html) The server is refusing to update which means as a result it does not have compatibility for Windows 7/8. We have been unsuccessful in deploying printers to client computers.

 

At the moment, we don't have the time or money to replace this server, or wipe it and start again, so I was wondering if there would be a way of me adding an additional server which could act as printer server and distribute printers accordingly?

 

Any help would be really good.

[zakthetech]

It all depends how your network is set up and how confident at mapping printers you are. Yes it is easy to set up a 2008 server and yes it is easy to use this as a print server but remember to add 32 and 64 bit drivers to have full compatibility accross your whole network.

[talksr]

It all depends how your network is set up and how confident at mapping printers you are. Yes it is easy to set up a 2008 server and yes it is easy to use this as a print server but remember to add 32 and 64 bit drivers to have full compatibility accross your whole network.

 

I can do all of that without an issue, my issue is that the dc is a poorly win2008 server which is not accepting any windows updates therefore its group policy is really behind. The fact is uses Ranger to delivery icon sets, manage users etc again is an issue as I am not sure that I could migrate everything on to a new server. Hope that makes sense. I am trying to at least get printing and some group policy control by setting up a server which could handle these things as the current one can't and really needs some work spending on it, or wiping.

[fiza]

When you say that your 2008 server hasn't updated for 2 years how is that affecting printers?

My print server is still a 2003 R2 machine and I have 64bit windows 7 clients printing quite happily. You just have to load the 64bit drivers from a windows 7 client.

[fiza]

I can do all of that without an issue, my issue is that the dc is a poorly win2008 server which is not accepting any windows updates therefore its group policy is really behind. The fact is uses Ranger to delivery icon sets, manage users etc again is an issue as I am not sure that I could migrate everything on to a new server. Hope that makes sense. I am trying to at least get printing and some group policy control by setting up a server which could handle these things as the current one can't and really needs some work spending on it, or wiping.

 

Is it the server that's poorly or is your AD corrupt? If its AD then you would just transfer the problem onto the other server. The servers would have to replicate and if the old one has issues you may have problems replicating.

if its just a print server you want then add a server as a member server and set it up as a print server. There are print migration tools to move all your printers across.

[edutech4schools]

Firstly are you running the updates through a proxy? My server would not update through proxy.

 

Next, can you dump ranger? I took on a school with ranger and they had soooo many issues that all magically disappeared once ranger had been removed.

 

The only issue you might have is the old server not excepting the new one as it sounds in a bad way. apart from that it should be easy to set up another server to do what you ask.

[fiza]

Ranger is fine if you have it set up right.

What version of Ranger are you using? Do you have any support for Ranger?