Re: printer only seen by one user

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Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 17:02:12 -0800

Distinquishing between "Local" and "Network" printers can be a bit
confusing. See "Printer" and other related definitions (e.g. Port) on
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/Glossary.htm.

Local Printers are always available to anyone that logs on.

Just because one communicates with a printer over the network does not
necessarily make it a "Network Printer" in terms of Microsoft
Printing/Networking terminology. For example, if the printer is on a
Standard TCP/IP port, the print device (see Print Device
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/Glossary.htm) is network connected via a LAN
adapter, but on the computer that has the Standard TCP/IP port for that
print device, the "Printer" (printer software object/construct) is a "Local
Printer".

If you open Printers and Faxes on a client computer, select File, Server
Properties then the Ports tab, if you see a "Port" with a name like
"\\computername\printername" then that is a "Local Printer" on a "Local
Port" not a "Network Printer" (see
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterNoPP.htm).

Or: right click on the printer (in the client's Printers and Faxes folder),
select Properties and select the Ports tab. If the Printer is a true
"Network Printer", then you see the ports on the print server. If the
printer is really a "Local Printer" you will see the ports on the client
computer (e.g. \\computername\printername).

Or: in the client's Printers and Faxes, if the Name: is of the form
"printername on computername", this is a Network Printer. If the name does
not have "... on computername", the printer is most likely a Local Printer
(it is possible to use a name of this form for a true Local Printer, but
that's not very common).

If the printer is a Local Printer, you can change its name on the client
independantly of the name on the print server (if there is one). If the
printer is a Network Printer, you can not change the printer's name on the
client; however, if you are an Administrator on the print server, and you
change the name via a client's Printer's Properties General tab, this
actually changes the name of the printer on the print server and this new
name will be seen by all client computers.

-- 
Bruce Sanderson MVP
It's perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.
"gaston" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:f0cd01c40c61$7c9b9ab0$a501280a@phx.gbl...
> Thanks for that reply,
> Just curious, how would you explain the fact that my
> other printers are available to any user?
> e.g.  port:  \\dellsrvr\lexmark
>
> Gaston
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Printers added as "Network printers" only show up for
> the user that added
> >them.
> >
> >Only "Local Printers" show up for all users.  Note that
> it is possible to
> >add a printer that is really a "network printer" as if
> it is a "Local
> >Printer", so this terminology can be the source of
> confusion - see for
> >example
> http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterNoPP.htm.
> >
> >For a way to add a "Network Printer" for all users, see
> >http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterAllUsers.htm.
> >
> >-- 
> >Bruce Sanderson MVP
> >
> >It's perfectly useless to know the right answer to the
> wrong question.
> >
> >
> >"gaston" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
> >news:ece801c40c2f$68ea7a90$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> >> I've installed a network Canon printer while being
> logged
> >> as an administrator. When a regular user logs in, the
> >> printer is not there. I need to install the driver
> again.
> >> (prior, I need to change the user for an admin).I have
> 5
> >> other printers on the network (diff. makes) and they
> all
> >> show no matter who's logged on.
> >> Help!!
> >>
> >
> >
> >.
> >

• Previous message: Nancy: "Epson Stylus Color 740"
• In reply to: gaston: "Re: printer only seen by one user"
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