Shared printer only shows 8.5x11 on clients but all paper types on server

Posted by clilush@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 9 comments

I have a Xerox Altalink B8170 installed to server 2016 using the Xerox universal print driver. At the server, the printer properties show ALL the paper types it supports. I’ve also setup the trays at the physical printer with the required paper types (No. 10 Envelope in the bypass tray, “Letter” in the remaining trays). When I share the printer out and install it to my Win10 workstation, the printer properties only show Letter 8.5x11 as the available paper types. The problem is that when I print an envelope from word it causes a held print job since it’s forcing the envelope to go to 8.5x11. How do I get the workstation to show the same paper types the server sees?

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9 Comments

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clilush@reddit (OP)

So the ultimate solution essentially came down to two items: 1) install the Xerox Desktop Experience software at both the server and workstations 2) setup the printers at the server using the device specific "Administrator" drivers (instead of using the universal drivers) Before sharing the printers I had to do some pre-configuration. Most notably was reverting the paper trays at the printer to basic 8.5 x 11 - instead of the customized "Bond" or "Letterhead" settings. The reason is because these drivers will only deliver 8.5x11 and won't match any custom settings on the trays. One thing to keep in mind when you do this - the diagrams in the tray are wrong and the printed side should face upwards. Weird, but it works. At the server, the printer properties had to be manually updated so I could set tray 5 to "Envelope #10". Further finishing defaults have to be set using the new Xerox Properties contextual option that is available from the right click menu (a result of installing the Desktop experience software) and using the Default Print Preferences option on the Advanced tab in the standard properties window. At the workstations - if you are using the Secure Print feature, then after connecting to the share you have to right click on the printer and choose the Xerox Preferences to set the secure pin. Otherwise it will force whatever was set at the server - which will cause some mayhem for your end users. Hopefully this can help others!

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anonymousITCoward@reddit

I don't recall what model it was, but I did once have to install the Xerox Desktop Print Experience to get everything working properly with the UPD...

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clilush@reddit (OP)

I've tried that this morning. Unfortunately it didn't help. To further the frustration - I've been testing settings all morning from two client PC's (both connecting to the server share - one is a VM, one is physical) and the only consistent result I've seen is that the "Paper available" section will randomly show ALL document sizes (ie: like the first picture in my original post) and then randomly go back to only showing "Letter (8.5 x 11)" (like in the second picture in my original post). I'm on the edge of directly installing the printer to the administrator account on each workstation instead of sharing it out from the server. Thank g\*d it's only a handful of PC's that need to be setup.

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anonymousITCoward@reddit

If you can run powershell remotely you can install the printer and driver, silently. I do that for everyone in my office...

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clilush@reddit (OP)

That’s how I did the initial prep before the printer was delivered. It works fine for general print jobs, but as soon as you print an envelope it keeps coming out on 8.5 x 11 instead of from the bypass tray (which is loaded and configured as #10 envelopes).

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anonymousITCoward@reddit

Ahh sorry I thought you said you deployed through a print server.

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clilush@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I have a tendency to not be clear when I'm frustrated ;) As part of the pre-deployment I pushed the drivers out - to avoid the escalation credentials required when doing it from the workstation. Once the printer was physically setup, I connected it to my svr2016 DC using the Xerox global print driver, then shared it. From there it was just a matter of hitting the FQDN of the share from the Windows 10 PC's. That's where it gets chaotic.

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anonymousITCoward@reddit

ahh i understand that 100%, i'm the same way... I was thinking about it and recalled that the driver might have to connect to the printer just once for the settings to come down but I think that was for the toshiba or ricoh mfp's but tee hee... your halfway there, you can create the printer on a test workstation to see if it picks up the settings or not... if you want, I have somewhere the printer deployment script for remote powershell...

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mangonacre@reddit

When connecting workstations to the print server, does the Xerox UPD get installed, or is Win10 using a generic driver? Typically missing configuration stuff like that are due to drivers.