Installing default network printer for all users

I posted the following to Microsoft Support

Hi

I'm having all the difficulty in the world to setup a
default network printer on my XP system. The printer is
locally installed on a WIN2000 Pro system and is shared
as "\printer". From my XP administrator account I am able
to install the network printer as well as
obtaining "Manage Printer" priviledges on the printer
besides being able to print to it after being
authenticated with a username and password valid on the
2000 system. As a separate secondary issue I am not able
to see the security tab even when I hold the CTRL key and
select "properties". Maybe you can explain this one. The
username and password supplied during iinstalling of the
network printer is that of an adminstrator account on the
2000 system. I expected to be able to manage the printer
remotely from this XP account.

The primary issues I have however is that I expected to
see an instance of this network printer in each of the
user accounts on the XP box be it a limited or
administrator accounts and granting them the ability to
print to this network printer. Instead, it appears as
though I need to install the same default network printer
in each XP user account manually (i.e using the wizard or
otherwise and in each case supplying a username and
password of a recognized user on the printer server. I did
not expect this. More so, each time a user logs in, the
network printer is not recognizable until authentication
with the print server takes place.

After searching in the KB articles, I came across
KB307016 - Cannot Set Up a Default Network Printer for All
Windows XP Users article which appears to be exactly my
problem however it lists only XP Pro and XP Home is not
listed.

My question is, does this article equally applies to my XP
Home? Would the steps to modify the registry be identical
on my XP Home as described in the article? It describes
how the default printer is installed in the Cuurent User
Key instead of Local Machine key which would grant access
to this printer to all users. Has this problem been
corrected in the SP2 update as I have not installed it yet.

If my problem as described is not the same as the one
described in this KB article than what would you suggest I
try next?

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

*************************************

They suggested I enter safe mode and using the security
property on the network printer I would allow "everyone"
access to this default printer

This is what I then replied


************************************

OK

With the network printer installed and displayed in
the "Printer/Faxes" window in NORMAL mode, when I boot in
either SAFE or SAFE + Networking mode I am unable to see
the usual icon of the network printer in the Printer/Faxes
window. Just by curiosity, if I try to "add a printer" I
get the dialog box saying that this operation is not
permitted in SAFE mode.

What next?

I find it kind of strange having to go in SAFE mode just
so that I can set the network printer as the default
printer for all users accounts. Is this a circumvented way
of achieving what is described in the KB article I was
refering to earlier i.e. setting the network printer in
the Local Machine Key instead of the current user key?

Can you explain why I cannot see the security tab for the
network printer when requesting it from the admin account
that installed it ( in normal mode )


Any other suggestion from this community of users?

Thanks

Gilles

"Gilles" wrote:

I posted the following to Microsoft Support

Hi

I'm having all the difficulty in the world to setup a
default network printer on my XP system. The printer is
locally installed on a WIN2000 Pro system and is shared
as "\printer". From my XP administrator account I am able
to install the network printer as well as
obtaining "Manage Printer" priviledges on the printer
besides being able to print to it after being
authenticated with a username and password valid on the
2000 system. As a separate secondary issue I am not able
to see the security tab even when I hold the CTRL key and
select "properties". Maybe you can explain this one. The
username and password supplied during iinstalling of the
network printer is that of an adminstrator account on the
2000 system. I expected to be able to manage the printer
remotely from this XP account.

The primary issues I have however is that I expected to
see an instance of this network printer in each of the
user accounts on the XP box be it a limited or
administrator accounts and granting them the ability to
print to this network printer. Instead, it appears as
though I need to install the same default network printer
in each XP user account manually (i.e using the wizard or
otherwise and in each case supplying a username and
password of a recognized user on the printer server. I did
not expect this. More so, each time a user logs in, the
network printer is not recognizable until authentication
with the print server takes place.

After searching in the KB articles, I came across
KB307016 - Cannot Set Up a Default Network Printer for All
Windows XP Users article which appears to be exactly my
problem however it lists only XP Pro and XP Home is not
listed.

My question is, does this article equally applies to my XP
Home? Would the steps to modify the registry be identical
on my XP Home as described in the article? It describes
how the default printer is installed in the Cuurent User
Key instead of Local Machine key which would grant access
to this printer to all users. Has this problem been
corrected in the SP2 update as I have not installed it yet.

If my problem as described is not the same as the one
described in this KB article than what would you suggest I
try next?

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

*************************************

They suggested I enter safe mode and using the security
property on the network printer I would allow "everyone"
access to this default printer

This is what I then replied


************************************

OK

With the network printer installed and displayed in
the "Printer/Faxes" window in NORMAL mode, when I boot in
either SAFE or SAFE + Networking mode I am unable to see
the usual icon of the network printer in the Printer/Faxes
window. Just by curiosity, if I try to "add a printer" I
get the dialog box saying that this operation is not
permitted in SAFE mode.

What next?

I find it kind of strange having to go in SAFE mode just
so that I can set the network printer as the default
printer for all users accounts. Is this a circumvented way
of achieving what is described in the KB article I was
refering to earlier i.e. setting the network printer in
the Local Machine Key instead of the current user key?

Can you explain why I cannot see the security tab for the
network printer when requesting it from the admin account
that installed it ( in normal mode )


Any other suggestion from this community of users?

Thanks

Gilles

"Gilles" wrote:

I posted the following to Microsoft Support

Hi

I'm having all the difficulty in the world to setup a
default network printer on my XP system. The printer is
locally installed on a WIN2000 Pro system and is shared
as "\printer". From my XP administrator account I am able
to install the network printer as well as
obtaining "Manage Printer" priviledges on the printer
besides being able to print to it after being
authenticated with a username and password valid on the
2000 system. As a separate secondary issue I am not able
to see the security tab even when I hold the CTRL key and
select "properties". Maybe you can explain this one. The
username and password supplied during iinstalling of the
network printer is that of an adminstrator account on the
2000 system. I expected to be able to manage the printer
remotely from this XP account.

The primary issues I have however is that I expected to
see an instance of this network printer in each of the
user accounts on the XP box be it a limited or
administrator accounts and granting them the ability to
print to this network printer. Instead, it appears as
though I need to install the same default network printer
in each XP user account manually (i.e using the wizard or
otherwise and in each case supplying a username and
password of a recognized user on the printer server. I did
not expect this. More so, each time a user logs in, the
network printer is not recognizable until authentication
with the print server takes place.

After searching in the KB articles, I came across
KB307016 - Cannot Set Up a Default Network Printer for All
Windows XP Users article which appears to be exactly my
problem however it lists only XP Pro and XP Home is not
listed.

My question is, does this article equally applies to my XP
Home? Would the steps to modify the registry be identical
on my XP Home as described in the article? It describes
how the default printer is installed in the Cuurent User
Key instead of Local Machine key which would grant access
to this printer to all users. Has this problem been
corrected in the SP2 update as I have not installed it yet.

If my problem as described is not the same as the one
described in this KB article than what would you suggest I
try next?

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

*************************************

They suggested I enter safe mode and using the security
property on the network printer I would allow "everyone"
access to this default printer

This is what I then replied


************************************

OK

With the network printer installed and displayed in
the "Printer/Faxes" window in NORMAL mode, when I boot in
either SAFE or SAFE + Networking mode I am unable to see
the usual icon of the network printer in the Printer/Faxes
window. Just by curiosity, if I try to "add a printer" I
get the dialog box saying that this operation is not
permitted in SAFE mode.

What next?

I find it kind of strange having to go in SAFE mode just
so that I can set the network printer as the default
printer for all users accounts. Is this a circumvented way
of achieving what is described in the KB article I was
refering to earlier i.e. setting the network printer in
the Local Machine Key instead of the current user key?

Can you explain why I cannot see the security tab for the
network printer when requesting it from the admin account
that installed it ( in normal mode )


Any other suggestion from this community of users?

Thanks

Gilles

Hi!

I too am having problems with trying to network a printer that is on Win2000
OS. I have two other machines running ME and one running XP. Of course,
when you try to add a printer I am able to see the Win2000 computer but the
printer name never comes up when you browse. I can manually punch in the
Win2000 computer name and the printer name and it askes me for a name and
password. I have the Win2000 set for full printer access with file and
printer sharing turned on. I've had other problems sharing files between a
Win2000 OS and any other OS and I sure wish someone would come up with a
solution to this problem besides "upgrade your Win2000 to XP". That's not an
option! Let me know if you get any help!!!!!!