Event ID 1501 — Remote Desktop Services Printer Redirection

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Remote Desktop Services provides printer redirection, which routes printing jobs from a server to a printer that is attached to a client computer or to a shared printer that is available to the client computer. When a user establishes a remote session with an RD Session Host server, the redirected printer will be available to applications running in the remote session.

By default, an RD Session Host server that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 first tries to use the Remote Desktop Services Easy Print driver. If the client computer does not support this driver, the RD Session Host server looks for a matching printer driver installed on the RD Session Host server. You can either install a matching printer driver on the RD Session Host server, or you can create a custom printer mapping file.

Event Details

Resolve

Reinstall the printer driver or change the custom printer mapping file

To resolve this issue, run the printer driver Setup program again to reinstall the printer driver .inf file. If the issue still occurs, and you use a custom printer mapping file to define mappings from client-side to server-side drivers, ensure that the custom printer mapping file is correctly configured by checking the following:

• The correct printer mapping .inf file name is specified in the PrinterMappingINFName registry entry.
• The custom printer mapping file contains entries.
• The custom printer mapping file contains correct syntax.

To perform these tasks, refer to the following sections.

Install or reinstall the printer driver on the RD Session Host server

If the printer driver that is installed on the client computer is an OEM driver, and a driver is available from the printer's manufacturer, replace the OEM driver with the driver that is available from the printer manufacturer. If you are installing a third-party driver, make sure that the driver is a Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) signed driver.

Important:  After you install the printer driver, RD Session Host server clients must log off from and then log on to the RD Session Host server before the printer driver changes take effect.

To install the printer driver, use either of the following methods.

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Method one

Run the printer's Setup program to install the printer driver .inf file on the RD Session Host server.

Method two

Install the printer driver by using the Add Printer Driver Wizard.

To install the driver:

1. On the RD Session Host server, click Start, click Run, type control printers, and then click OK.
2. Click a printer, and then click Printer server properties.
3. Click the Drivers tab.
4. Click Add, and then follow the instructions in the Add Printer Driver Wizard to install the printer driver .inf file.

Change the custom printer mapping file

To perform this procedure on the RD Session Host server, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To change the custom printer mapping file:

Caution:  Incorrectly editing the registry might severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data.

1. On the RD Session Host server, make sure that the .inf file name that you specified in the PrinterMappingINFName registry entry of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\Wds\rdpwd subkey is correct.

2. To verify the value of the registry entry:

   1. On the RD Session Host server, open Registry Editor. To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
   2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes.
   3. Locate and then click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\Wds\rdpwd subkey.
   4. Locate the PrinterMappingINFName entry, and then view the value for the entry in the Data column.
   5. If the file name is incorrect, right-click PrinterMappingINFName, click Modify, type the correct file name in Value data, and then click OK.

3. Open the printer mapping .inf file that is specified in the PrinterMappingINFName registry entry.  Ensure that the file contains at least one mapping in its printer name mapping section. Also, ensure that the syntax is correct. The mappings should use the following syntax:

   "OEM Printer Driver Name" = "Windows Server 2008 Driver Name"

   The left side of the equation is the exact name of the printer driver associated with the client-side print queue that is being redirected to the server. The exact name of the printer driver appears on the General tab, next to Model when you view the printer properties on the client computer. (You can also click the Advanced tab and view the driver name in the Driver list.) The right side of the equation is the exact name of the server-side driver equivalent that is installed on the RD Session Host server.

4. Restart the Print Spooler service on the RD Session Host server for any changes to take effect.

   To perform this procedure on the RD Session Host server, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

   To restart the service:

   1. On the RD Session Host server, open the Services snap-in. To open the Services snap-in, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
   2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes.
   3. In the Services pane, right-click Print Spooler, and then click Restart.
   4. Confirm that the Status column for the Print Spooler service displays Started.

Verify

To verify that printer redirection is working properly, establish a remote session with the RD Session Host server and check that the redirected printer is available and is functioning as expected.

Related Management Information

Remote Desktop Services Printer Redirection

Remote Desktop Services