Server 2003 - WinXP 32 & Win7 64

E

enhanced08

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
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I recently was hired for my first ever IT position, Im new to the business side of IT and new to the way this company is setup... They have a print server in place running Windows Server 2003 R2 32bit with probably close to 20-25 network printers. All desktops are WinXP and we have begun rolling out Windows 7 64bit machines. The problem is print drivers...

I was/am under the assumption that a print driver can store multiple drivers for the same printer to support multiple OS's. Is it possible to install Win7 64bit drivers on a Server 2003 32bit system?

The other option we have discussed is to build an all new Win2008 64bit server and make it a print server. I just think it would be easier to use our existing server if possible.
 
Yes. Use print management to add the x64 drivers to the server. You'll need to use the same version as the 32 bit drivers if I'm not mistaken. You don't change the print driver on the server, you just add drivers. There's a msc snap in for printers.
 
You will probably have trouble adding the 64-bit drivers while at the Server 2003 machine. If you use a Server 2008 machine to manage the print drivers on the 32-bit machine you should be okay. As /usr/home said, the version numbers (software version number) of the 32-bit and 64-bit drivers have to be the same which means you'll probably have to update the 32-bit driver at
 
In my situation I installed 64-bit Windows 2003 drivers onto the Server 2003 machine by using Print Management on a 2008 server. It is vital that both drivers are the same version number, you know like software version numbers. Then Windows 7 was handed those 64-bit drivers. Let me know if you have questions I had this same issue.

You can put a 2008 print server on the wish list but it's not vital. Then, put printer assignments via GPO on the wish list as well. :)
 
Thanks for the info guys! It looks like they do not even have print management installed. I guess they manually setup each printer.
 
I think it should be a mmc snap in on 2003, I just decommissioned my 2003 printer server yesterday so I'm not sure right off.
 
Yeah, use a windows 7 computer with print management to add the drivers. You'll have issues doing it on XP or 03r2.
 
I turned my 2003 R2 server back on and if you have the print server installed you can get to the Printer Management on Manage your server

Looks like this
3vsO3.png


Or like /usr/home said open Print Management on Win 7 computer and then add the 2003 as a server.
 
Well I managed to get everything setup to findout that the drivers wont work. The WinXP and Win7 drivers are different versions. There are universal drivers available which are the same version for both but they will not print.

However, creating a new printer with the x64 driver only will work and prints. Basically having two printers on the server, one for XP and one for 7 but both physically printing to the same device... I'll just have to play with it some more I guess.
 
We haven't had any issues using the HP universal print drivers, for the most part.
99% of the 64-bit HP drivers are the universals anyway.

I've never used that Print Manage MMC before. Nifty.
 
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