Default Printer is lost

  • Thread starter Thread starter Matt
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M

Matt

We are running windows 2000 in a TS environment (with
Citrix metaframe XP). No matter how many times we set the
windows default printer (for any user) it seems to change
randomly to another printer. Anyone know if there is a
fix or solution for this problem?
 
--------------------
Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
From: "Matt" <[email protected]>
Sender: "Matt" <[email protected]>
Subject: Default Printer is lost
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 08:40:21 -0700

We are running windows 2000 in a TS environment (with
Citrix metaframe XP). No matter how many times we set the
windows default printer (for any user) it seems to change
randomly to another printer. Anyone know if there is a
fix or solution for this problem?
-----------
You are going to continue to experience this behavior since Citrix
"Autocreates" printers in an ICA session
You can set the default printer for a logged on user by changing the
"Device" value under:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows


--
JASON HALL
Performance Support Specialist,
Microsoft Enterprise Platforms Support

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
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Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this
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originated.
 
Matt said:
*We are running windows 2000 in a TS environment (with
Citrix metaframe XP). No matter how many times we set the
windows default printer (for any user) it seems to change
randomly to another printer. Anyone know if there is a
fix or solution for this problem? *
Click to expand...

Matt,
I am so glad to see your post - we have the exact same problem, and
cannot seem to get around it.
We are using Windows 2003 with FR3. The problem is (we think) is that
we have a single seperate print server who spools all the jobs (shares
all the printers right) - and we publish the printers on the
printserver through a printer app on the citrix servers.
What we have noticed is that at times the printer list seems to take a
millisecond longer than normal to complete - so it shows the first
~60% of the list, then the rest.
We reccon that this split second delay causes TS to think the default
printer is missing, and immediately grab the next one it sees.
We can reproduce this problem 80% of the times, have tried configuring
the Network so it would be faster by disabling netbios, publishing the
printers in AD etc etc - we got happy when we were not able to
reproduce the problem after about 25 logons and logoffs, and then at
number 26 - POW - system chose its own printer!

This is such a disaster as our clients are complaining that their
confidential print jobs are comming out on printers in other
departments

Any fixes or suggestions guys?

Cheers
Eugen:what
 
We had the same problem in our Terminal Server environment. I ended up
writing a small VB app that runs in the upper right hand corner of their
screen. It queries the TS environment for their IP and user id, checks it
against our SQL backend, then sets the printer appropriately. The drop down
list also displays all the printers in their subnet allowing them to change
to another printer when needed. This app is in the startup folder and pauses
7 seconds before enumerating through all the printers. This ensures they're
all there.


Do you know if the people that are having this problem are connected to any
shared printers via UNC? When connecting to UNC shared printers over frame
relay circuits or short haul modems, it may take awhile to query the remote
machine and I've seen it hang the spooler for several seconds. I've switched
most of my printers to IP Printer servers so the terminal servers can print
directly to the printer. It appears to improve the printer spoolers
performance. I still run the custom VB because it really does allow users to
quickly change printers. The main DLL that gives me this functionality is
something like prnadm.dll or prnadmin.dll...
 
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