Deploying Print Servers with Upgrade Installations

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Deploying an upgraded installation of Windows Server 2003 can be a simple process depending on the printer drivers installed on your servers. One of the biggest challenges of upgrading is resolving any printer driver problems. Before upgrading your servers, use the command-line utility Fixprnsv.exe, provided with Windows Server 2003, to help you identify any printer driver problems. If you are upgrading from Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, consider the issues presented in the following sections.

Important

  • As with any major software installation, it is recommended that you back up the hard disk before beginning an upgrade.

Using Fixprnsv.exe to Resolve Driver Issues

To manage driver-related issues, use the command-line utility Fixprnsv.exe. Fixprnsv.exe automatically replaces incompatible printer drivers or those with known problems. It locates existing printer drivers that can replace unsuitable drivers. In many cases, IHVs provide new printer drivers for this purpose. If replacement drivers are available, Fixprnsv.exe replaces problem drivers with Microsoft-provided drivers. If Fixprnsv.exe does not find a suitable replacement driver, it displays a message advising you to check the printer manufacturer’s Web site for a newer version of the driver. Fixprnsv.exe installs drivers only for printers that are already configured on the print server.

The Fixprnsv.exe utility is located on the Windows Server 2003 installation CD-ROM in the \Windows\Printers\ directory. For a list of commands for use with Fixprnsv.exe, use the following procedure.

To list the commands for Fixprnsv.exe

  1. Insert the Windows Server 2003 installation CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.

  2. At the command prompt, change to the drive that contains the CD-ROM and type:

    fixprnsv.exe /?

Upgrading from Windows 2000

If you are upgrading a Windows 2000 print server that does not have Version 2 device drivers installed, your upgrade can be seamless. If your Windows 2000 print server has Version 2 drivers, you might encounter some of the issues involved in upgrading from Windows NT 4.0, which are discussed in the following section.

Upgrading from Windows NT 4.0

When upgrading from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows Server 2003, one or more of the following situations might occur:

  • Windows NT 4.0 drivers that shipped with the operating system are upgraded to the new version of these drivers in Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. The Windows NT 4.0 driver remains as an additional driver.

  • If the name of an IHV driver matches the name of a driver that ships with Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003, the installation might upgrade the driver to the a Version 3 inbox driver (a driver that ships with Windows Server 2003). This upgrade occurs with no user intervention.

  • Unstable drivers are blocked and are not carried through the upgrade. Printers that use these drivers are removed during the upgrade process. If the printer is connected directly to the computer and has a recognized Plug and Play ID, Windows searches for a suitable driver. If a suitable driver is found, the printer is installed during the upgrade as a new printer.

  • Drivers that are not blocked and do not have name matches are carried through the upgrade unchanged.

Windows NT 4.0 inbox drivers

All Windows NT 4.0 Printer Control Language (PCL) drivers and Raster Device Drivers (RASDD) are upgraded to the latest Unidrv drivers as part of the upgrade process. The latest Unidrv drivers include UNIDRV5 for Windows 2000, and UNIDRV5.1 for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. PostScript drivers that were shipped with Windows NT 4.0 are automatically upgraded to PostScript 5.0 in Windows 2000 or PostScript 5.2 in Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.

Note

  • Drivers that you have installed as additional drivers for Point and Print on clients running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition are not preserved during an upgrade from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003. After you configure the print server, you must reinstall these additional drivers.

IHV drivers with matching names

IHV Windows NT 4.0 drivers are upgraded to Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 drivers with no user intervention if the driver name matches the existing Windows NT 4.0 driver name or if a newer version of the driver is available. In this situation, the IHV driver is treated exactly the same as the Microsoft driver.

Because of interaction problems between Windows 2000 drivers and Windows NT 4.0 drivers in Point and Print environments, many IHVs recommend that you reinstall their Windows NT 4.0 driver following the upgrade. This applies to users who plan to use Point and Print between Windows NT and Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003.

Blocked IHV drivers

Microsoft designed the upgrade path from Windows NT 4.0 so that the new operating system replaces an old driver if a newer driver is available. Windows preserves a driver during an upgrade if the installation utility does not find a newer version and does not identify a driver as causing problems in Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. A driver is blocked for one of two reasons:

  • Microsoft determines, through testing, that the driver causes substantial instability of the operating system.

  • The IHV requests that the driver be blocked based on the IHV’s own testing and available updates.

The system file Printupg.inf contains a list of known bad drivers. Drivers in this list might have an alternative inbox driver. If an alternative driver does not exist, the driver is not upgraded during the operating system installation. Instead, you need to install a newer version of the driver from the IHV. The information found in Printupg.inf can be helpful in identifying whether or not a new version from an IHV is blocked. The upgrade report also contains information about all drivers slated for removal during the upgrade.

In addition, the Fixprnsv.exe tool automatically replaces known bad drivers if inbox substitutes are available. If a compatible driver cannot be located, Fixprnsv.exe reports that fact and refers the user to the IHV’s Web site. By running Fixprnsv.exe prior to upgrading, you can identify printers that are slated for deletion during the upgrade ahead of time. Otherwise, you might discover after the upgrade that some printers are unexpectedly missing.

Non-blocked IHV drivers

Certain Windows NT 4.0 drivers are not blocked and do not match the driver name of an inbox driver. These drivers proceed through the upgrade process without being altered or replaced. Use Fixprnsv.exe to identify drivers that must be replaced. For drivers that are not blocked (either because they are not in the Printupg.inf file or because they have a later date than the date of similar drivers listed in Printupg.inf), Fixprnsv.exe takes no action.