Identifying Interoperability Issues with Print Server Upgrades

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

Upgrading print servers from previous versions of Windows can present interoperability issues because of changes in the printer driver model beginning with Windows 2000 and continuing with Windows Server 2003. For more information about driver compatibility, see "Designing for Printer Driver Compatibility" earlier in this chapter.

To handle driver-related issues more easily, use the command-line utility Fixprnsv.exe, a powerful tool for working with printer driver issues on printer servers that are running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows Server 2003. The Fixprnsv.exe identifies incompatible drivers before you upgrade, finds all known bad drivers on your system, and identifies Version 2 drivers that work properly with Windows Server 2003.

The Windows Server 2003 installation CD-ROM includes Fixprnsv.exe. The executable file is located in Windows\Printers directory. To view a list of commands used with this utility, use the command fixprnsv.exe /? from that directory.

For more information about specific compatibility issues involved in upgrading from Windows NT or Windows 2000, see "Deploying Print Servers with Upgrade Installations" later in this chapter.