Using Windows Server 2003 32-bit print server with Windows 7 64-bit clients
I’ve seen this question come up on discussion forums and other support resources a lot since the release of Vista. Many organizations still use Windows Server 2003 to serve users print services. And the need to upgrade isn’t really behind the corner yet. I know, I feel the same. We still use a Windows Server 2003 R2 as a print server and it it 32-bit, not 64-bit.
Can a 32-bit server handle 64-bit drivers
Short answer, yes. The server uses it’s own 32-bit driver as a interpreter between the spooler and the printer but it can serve clients with the drivers they need. The server really doesn’t care if the drivers it serves to clients are 32 or 64 bit. It can store all of them on the filesystem.
How do I install the drivers?
I’ve been using Windows 7 RSAT(Remote Server Administration tools) to add the drivers to our print server. The important step is to upgrade your current 32-bit drivers. If the driver versions of the 32 and 64 bit differ the server wont recognize them as the same driver. So if you’re using old drivers on your server I’m sorry to say you’ll have to start by upgrading the 32-bit ones first. I suggest you download both the 32-bit and the 64-bit version of the driver when you’re out driver hunting. First upgrade the 32-bit drivers you want to add 64-bit drivers for. I did this directly on the print server and I removed any old versions of the driver. Next add the 64-bit driver. Adding drivers from RSAT is really simple so I won’t go trough it in any detail. Just open Print Manager
Right click drivers and select add driver, add your 64-bit driver. As you can see in the image booth Toshiba drivers have the same version number, the difference is only the Environment.
Group policy edits for Windows 7
Next we’re going to create a group policy to allow restricted users to install their drivers, and we don’t want UAC to disturb or scare them. Side note: if you’re thinking of disabling UAC take a look at a previous article here http://www.nixadmins.net/2009/12/04/why-uac-is-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-windows/ .
Open your Group policy management console and create a new / or add these settings to an old policy. You’ll find the setting under Computer Configuration \ Policies \ Administrative templates \ Printers \ Point and Print Restrictions.
Set the policy to Enabled and set the Security prompts Do not show warning or elevation prompt.
Push the group policy setting to your clients, point to your printer and you’ll be able to install it as a normal user.
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“First upgrade the 32-bit drivers you want to add 64-bit drivers for”. Sure, but what if those drivers are ONLY available in Win7, and can’t be downloaded?
What do you mean by only available in Windows 7? What kind of printer do you have connected to the server?
A lot of older model HP printers, for which i can’t use the universal PCL6 driver (because i need printer specific features). The Win7 drivers are only available from Win7, not from HP site anymore. I guess installing the drivers once on the win7 client, and then using RSAT from that client to install it on the Windows 2003 server does the trick.
Same problem as GeronimoDubois, they only have universal drivers available for my printer on the website, however Windows 7 has non-universal drivers built in the operating system to choose from.
Great article! Thank you!
I print to a Canon print server (z7100) that’s older, it’s the only way to print to my big Canon printer/copier. Canon will not write 64-bit drivers for this, so I can’t use my new Win7 64-bit PC to print to this printer. Is there another way? Perhaps a 3rd party app? Some way to put a passthrough on one of my XP 32-bit machines on the LAN that I can print to from the Win7 computer, that will pass it on to the Canon print server? I’ve called Canon tech on this, and they say they have no solution, I should buy a new ($25,000) printer.
My company connects to a print server for print ques but when I got my new Windows 7 machine in I am unable to connect to the printer. I get this error “The folder you specified doesn’t contain a compatible software driver for your device.(the SAVIN 9060 printer/scanner/copier)If the folder contains a driver, make sure it is designed to work with Windows for x64-based systems”. I downloaded the SAVIN 9060 driver for Windows 7 x64 and use the path of the .INF file for Windows 7 x64 but it just won’t install right. Are there configurations on the Server 2003 print server that I need to change as well?
Hi Bill,
you will need to install the driver on the printserver. Your client computer will ask for a driver from the server and if the driver isn’t found on the server it won’t use it. Also, make sure the version number of the 64-bit and the 32-bit are the same on the server. You will probably have to update the 32-bit driver.
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What happens if my print server is a 2003, NOT R2. Can I install Windows 7 32 & 64 bit drivers?
Hi Isaac, thanks for posting. Sure you can. Just follow the guide above.
I have server 2003 32bit with a few new Windows 7 64bit clients.
So I install/update Windows Server 2003 32bit drivers – but do I install Windows Server 2003 64bit drivers OR the Windows 7 64bit drivers?
Thanks.
You install the drivers the client need. So if your clients are running Windows 7 X64 you would install Windows 7 X64 drivers.