Printing
Windows 2000 Professional includes new features that make it easier to install, configure, and use printers. Tables 14.1 through 14.4 show the difference between features in Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0, Microsoft Windows 95, and Microsoft Windows 98.
Table 14.1 Printer Installation Features
Windows 2000 |
Windows NT 4.0 |
Windows 95 and Windows 98 |
|---|---|---|
Find a printer by entering the printer name (UNC), browsing the network, or typing a printer URL for printers with known locations. Find printers by using Search for Printers or Active Directory. |
Find a printer by entering the printer name (UNC) or browse the network to find the printer. |
Same as Windows NT 4.0. |
Add network printers by using the Add Printer wizard or Point and Print. Point and Print automatically downloads and installs required printer drivers on the client computer. |
Add a network printer by using the Add Printer wizard. Point and Print enables printing and installs drivers. |
Add network printers by using the Add Printer wizard or using Point and Print. Point and Print automatically downloads printer drivers. |
Add a local printer by using Plug and Play if supported by the printer or use the Add Printer wizard. You can prompt Windows 2000 to detect Plug and Play printers that use parallel connections using the Add Printer wizard. |
Add a local printer by using the Add Printer wizard. No Plug and Play. |
Add a local printer by using Plug and Play if supported by the printer or use the Add Printer wizard. |
Point and Print available by right-clicking a printer in My Network Places, and then clicking Connect. All necessary drivers are automatically downloaded. All other Point and Print techniques available for Windows 98 are still supported. |
Connect to network printers by using the Add Printer wizard. |
Connect to network printers in My Network Places by using Point and Print, by entering the printers UNC path in the printer wizard, typing the print servers path in the Run dialog box, or by opening the print queue using My Network Places or Windows Explorer. |
Table 14.2 Printer Configuration Features
Windows 2000 |
Windows NT 4.0 |
Windows 95 andWindows 98 |
|---|---|---|
Printer settings configured by using Printing Preferences. |
Printer settings configured by using Document Defaults. |
Same as Windows NT 4.0. |
Print preferences configured by using the Layout or Paper/Quality tabs. |
Print preferences configured by clicking Properties in the Print dialog box. |
Same as Windows NT 4.0. |
Printer properties allow each user to set a unique set of persistent properties. |
Default Printer properties are set by the printer administrator and appear each time a user logs on. Printer properties are not persistent per user, so users must reapply printer settings each time they print. |
Same as Windows NT 4.0. |
Table 14.3 Creating and Sending Print Jobs
Windows 2000 |
Windows NT 4.0 |
Windows 95 andWindows 98 |
|---|---|---|
Same as previous versions, plus allows Internet printing by using IPP v1.0 over HTTP connection. Allows for authentication before using printers. |
Supports network printing over a LAN by using RPC, TCP/IP using Lprmon, and a variety of print port monitors for proprietary systems. |
Supports network printing over a LAN by using RPC, TCP/IP using LPR, and a variety of port print monitors for proprietary systems. |
Same as Windows 98, but can also drag the file to be printed to a printer shortcut on your desktop. |
You can send print jobs in the following ways: |
Same as Windows NT 4.0. You can also create a shortcut for a printer in the Send To folder in your user profile. |
UniDriver enhanced to provide font subsetting, better performance, and better handling of 2-byte fonts. |
Universal driver exists, but without the optimization enhancements of the PostScript and UniDriver of Windows 2000. |
Universal driver exists, but without the optimization enhancements of the PostScript and UniDriver of Windows 2000. |
Supports Image Color Management (ICM) 2.0 which is improved with more color space profiles. |
ICM not available. |
Windows 95: ICM 1.0 available. |
Internet Protocol (IP) printing is handled by the Standard TCP/IP Port Monitor. LPR is still available. |
IP printing is handled by Line Printer Remote/Line Printer Daemon (LPR/LPD). |
IP printing is not supported. |
Table 14.4 Printing Management Features
Windows 2000 |
Windows NT 4.0 |
Windows 95 andWindows 98 |
|---|---|---|
Same as Windows NT 4.0, but information is also available by holding the mouse pointer over printer icons. |
Double-click the printer icon to see the queue and view printing status. |
Same as Windows NT 4.0. |
New and improved technologies available with Windows 2000 Professional are highlighted in the following section.
Enhanced Add Printer wizard The enhanced Add Printer wizard provides easier installation and use of a wider range of printers. The Add Printer wizard uses Active Directory directory service, allowing users to easily search for printers. Using Active Directory, administrators can assign users to groups that have access to certain printers, such as those in a specific locale or with specific features. This tailors the available printer list to the needs of the user and makes installing printers simpler.
Point and Print Point and Print allows users to initiate a connection to a network printer and loads any required drivers onto the users computer. When users know which network printer they want to use, Point and Print greatly simplifies the installation process.
Flexible, powerful network printer management Windows 2000 supports specific, detailed printer management. For example, users in an organizations art department can be added to a group with permissions to access to a color printer, or users in Seattle can be added to a group with access to printers in Seattle, but without access to printers located elsewhere. By establishing user groups, you determine who can use certain printers and designate the security and authentication schemes required to access those resources.
Image Color Management (ICM) 2.0 ICM 2.0 ensures that colors appear as expected. Colors are accurately maintained, regardless of source, storage format, or output.
Internet printing Internet printing enables printing throughout the world by using the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) version 1.0.
Improved bidirectional communication Bidirectional communication allows hardware devices to actively notify clients of problems such as paper jams or errors.
IEEE 1284.4 (DOT4) support DOT4 support for multi-function peripherals (MFPs) transparently provides more efficient device use.
Wider printer support Windows 2000 supports thousands of printers.
Fax printing Windows 2000 enables sending faxes through your fax modem.