Windows Server 2008 Easy Print
:: UPDATE
After the 120 days the server stopped responding to Remote Desktop. I got in touch with the support rep and it looks like even after repeatedly questioning the fact that I’m not acutally running a Terminal Server and being told not to worry, he mis-understood.
I removed the Terminal Services role, rebooted and it looks like the Easy Print redirection is still working. Not sure if I’ll lose it after another reboot but so far so good.
::
After having this issue bug me for a while now I finally broke down and called Microsoft Support to find out why it wasn’t working. You’d think with a name called EASY Print it would be easy right…well it actually is…unless you’re not doing what you’re expected to.
In this case the server is not part of a domain and is not being used as an Terminal Server – application server. The system is a stand-alone system that is connected to by the administrator just to pull some reports off an application that runs on the box. The problem was that the only way to print the report was to print to a local XPS or PDF file and email that file to the local computer and print it out. The Easy Print feature wasn’t mapping the local printers as expected.
<Skip all the stuff I tried in vain>
After a support call, I found out the explanation that makes sense. The Easy Print DLL’s aren’t installed unless you actually install the Terminal Service role on the server. Even if you aren’t using it as an Application server, you have to install the role for it. In addition, the Desktop Experience feature needs to be installed. Note that this will require you to restart the computer after installation.
![clip_image002[4]](http://gygon.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip-image0024.jpg "clip_image002[4]")
The one catch to this is that now when I connect to the box, I get the notice that there is no license server and that the grace period ends in xx days. The Microsoft support rep told me this would not be a problem as the Administrator would still be able to connect…I asked this repeatedly. I’m holding off making this change to all the 2008 servers as I want to make sure (yes, I’m paranoid) that I won’t have any problems in 120 days from now when the grace period expires.