Configuring Printers and print servers in Windows 2003

This article describes how to configure printer and print server settings in Windows Server 2003. It also describes how to perform some of the more common administrative tasks, such as how to configure separator pages and print notifications.

Configuring printer settings is done in the printer properties of the printer, and the print server settings are configured in print server properties. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to perform these steps.

How to configure printer settings

Note that the options that you can configure for different printers may also be different. This section describes how to configure general settings that are available in most printers.

Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

Right-click the printer you want to configure, and then click Properties.

You can configure the options you want by using any of the following methods (how appropriate):

To configure a separator page:

Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Separator page.

To add a separator page, type the path of the file that you want to use as the separator page in the Separator page box, and then click OK. Or click Browse to locate the file that you want to use, click Open, and then click OK.

To delete a separator page, delete the entry in the Separator page box, and then click OK.

Configuring the Print processor

Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Print Processor.

In the Default data type box, click the data type that you want to use, and then click OK.

To add a printer driver for another version of Windows:

Click the Sharing tab, and then click a different driver.

Click the check box next to the driver you want to add, select it, and then click OK.

To modify user access rights:

Click the Security tab, and then perform one of the following XX:

To change the permissions for an existing user or group, in the group or user name list, click the group or user whose permissions you want to modify.

To configure permissions for a new user or group, click Add. In the Select User or Group dialog box, type the name of the user or group for which you want to set permissions, and then click OK.

In the list of permissions for a user or group, click the Allow check box next to the permission you want to allow, select it, or click the Deny check box next to the permission you want to deny. Or, to remove a user or group from the group or user name list, click Delete.

Click OK.

How to configure Printer server settings

This section describes some of the common print server settings that you can configure.

Click Start, and then click Printers and Faxes.

On the File menu, click Server Properties.

Use any of the following methods (as needed) to configure the options you want:

To configure the printer's port settings:

Click the Ports tab.

To configure the port, in the ports on this server box, click the port you want to configure, and then click Configure Port. Type the number of seconds in the Transfer retry box (you will be notified if the printer loses its response to this number of seconds), and then click OK. (Programming Entry Network)

To add a new port, click Add Port, and then in the Available Port types box, click the type of port you want to add, and then click New Port. In the Enter Port Name box, type the name you want to assign to the new port, and then click OK.

To remove a port, click the port you want to remove in the ports on this server box, click Delete Port, and then click Yes to confirm the deletion.

To add, remove, or reinstall the current printer driver:

Click the Driver tab.

In the Installed printer driver box, click the driver you want to modify, and then click Add, Remove, or reinstall (as needed).

Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to add, remove, or reinstall the printer driver.

To turn printer notification on or off:

Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Notify when the remote document prints complete check box to select or clear it.

Click the Advanced tab. Click the check box next to the Record Print Spooler option (or multiple options) you want to select or clear.

Click OK.