Printer Redirection

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Policy settings in this node control printer configuration for Remote Desktop Services sessions.

The full path of this node in the Group Policy Management Console is Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Printer Redirection.

Note

If you are using the Local Group Policy Editor, Policies is not part of the node path.

Available policy settings

Name Explanation Description

Do not set default client printer to be default client printer in a session

This policy setting allows you to specify whether the client default printer is automatically set as the default printer in a session on an RD Session Host server.

By default, Remote Desktop Services automatically designates the client default printer as the default printer in a session on an RD Session Host server. You can use this policy setting to override this behavior.

If you enable this policy setting, the default printer is the printer specified on the remote computer.

If you disable this policy setting, the RD Session Host server automatically maps the client default printer and sets it as the default printer upon connection.

If you do not configure this policy setting, the default printer is not specified at the Group Policy level. However, an administrator can configure the default printer for client sessions by using the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool.

At least Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family

Do not allow client printer redirection

This policy setting allows you to specify whether to prevent the mapping of client printers in Remote Desktop Services sessions.

You can use this policy setting to prevent users from redirecting print jobs from the remote computer to a printer attached to their local (client) computer. By default, Remote Desktop Services allows this client printer mapping.

If you enable this policy setting, users cannot redirect print jobs from the remote computer to a local client printer in Remote Desktop Services sessions.

If you disable this policy setting, users can redirect print jobs with client printer mapping.

If you do not configure this policy setting, client printer mapping is not specified at the Group Policy level. However, an administrator can still disable client printer mapping by using the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool.

At least Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family

Use Remote Desktop Easy Print printer driver first

This policy setting allows you to specify whether the Remote Desktop Easy Print printer driver is used first to install all client printers.

If you enable or do not configure this policy setting, the RD Session Host server first tries to use the Remote Desktop Easy Print printer driver to install all client printers. If for any reason the Remote Desktop Easy Print printer driver cannot be used, a printer driver on the RD Session Host server that matches the client printer is used. If the RD Session Host server does not have a printer driver that matches the client printer, the client printer is not available for the Remote Desktop session.

If you disable this policy setting, the RD Session Host server tries to find a suitable printer driver to install the client printer. If the RD Session Host server does not have a printer driver that matches the client printer, the server tries to use the Remote Desktop Easy Print driver to install the client printer. If for any reason the Remote Desktop Easy Print printer driver cannot be used, the client printer is not available for the Remote Desktop Services session.

Note
If the Do not allow client printer redirection" policy setting is enabled, the Use Remote Desktop Easy Print printer driver first policy setting is ignored.

At least Windows Server 2008 or Windows 7

Specify RD Session Host server fallback printer driver behavior

This policy setting allows you to specify the RD Session Host server fallback printer driver behavior.

By default, the RD Session Host server fallback printer driver is disabled. If the RD Session Host server does not have a printer driver that matches the client's printer, no printer will be available for the Remote Desktop Services session.

If you enable this policy setting, the fallback printer driver is enabled, and the default behavior is for the RD Session Host server to find a suitable printer driver. If one is not found, the client's printer is not available. You can choose to change this default behavior. The available options are:

  • Do nothing if one is not found - If there is a printer driver mismatch, the server will attempt to find a suitable driver. If one is not found, the client's printer is not available. This is the default behavior.

  • Default to PCL if one is not found - If no suitable printer driver can be found, default to the Printer Control Language (PCL) fallback printer driver.

  • Default to PS if one is not found - If no suitable printer driver can be found, default to the PostScript (PS) fallback printer driver.

  • Show both PCL and PS if one is not found - If no suitable driver can be found, show both PS and PCL-based fallback printer drivers.

If you disable this policy setting, the RD Session Host server fallback driver is disabled and the RD Session Host server will not attempt to use the fallback printer driver.

If you do not configure this policy setting, the fallback printer driver behavior is off by default.

Note

If the Do not allow client printer redirection setting is enabled, this policy setting is ignored and the fallback printer driver is disabled.

Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 only

Redirect only the default client printer

This policy setting allows you to specify whether the default client printer is the only printer redirected in Remote Desktop Services sessions.

If you enable this policy setting, only the default client printer is redirected in Remote Desktop Services sessions.

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, all client printers are redirected in Remote Desktop Services sessions.

At least Windows Server 2008