Remote Desktop Printing Problems

Hi, I have finally be able to configure my remote client printer for printing files from a remote desktop connection. It seems to spool correctly from the server to the local printer, but it only prints a portion of the document and sometimes there's a bunch of gobbly-goop at the top of the file. Also, sometimes it seems that there are more documents lost in a que somewhere between the server and the local printer. I can provide more specifics but I wasn't sure if this was the right place to post this question. Thanks in advance. Hunter

More information is needed.

You said,

I have finally be able to configure my remote client printer for printing files from a remote desktop connection

So here, you talk about a remote client printer.

It seems to spool correctly from the server to the local printer, but it only prints a portion of the document and sometimes there's a bunch of gobbly-goop at the top of the file.

Here, you talk about a local printer.

So are there two printers and the remote works fine but the local does not?

How "remote" is this? On the same network? Across the Internet? How is the remote printer connected? How is the local printer connected? Is this a corporate network, or a home/small office?

Sorry for the confusion. Let me start over and be more specific: I am accessing a Windows 2003 Small Business Server using a remote desktop connection. I am running an application directly on the Windows Small Business Server. The pc that I am using to access the server is Windows XP Pro. The printer that I am trying to print to is connected to the XP computer and is a Brother 1440. I have installed the driver for the printer on the server using server properties and now when I remote in the default printer is the printer local to the XP pc and it says it's in session. When I try to print a document over the remote connection it first spools to the "Brother HL-1440 series (from HL-Home) in session" on the server and then it spools to the "Brother HL-1440 series" local to the XP pc. The printer initializes and it will print a portion of the document - Generally less than the first third of the page. Sometimes it will print random stuff that looks like printer indentifing stuff like what a fax machine will do. I have tried printing from the application that I am running on the server as well as an excel document. I have the same issues with both. The documents are small text documents with no graphics. The largest file I have tried to print so far is 262 kb. Thanks and let me know what else you need to know.

Hmmm, that is odd. What happens when you select the local printer, instead of the networked printer (understanding now that they are both the same printer)? Can you print a document completely if you send it the local printer? What about a test page?

I am not sure I understand your question. I can print any documents that originate on the XP pc just fine, but when the print file originates over the remote desktop connection (windows server), all kinds of random problems happen. Is this what you are looking for? Thanks.

I can print any documents that originate on the XP pc just fine

That answers part of my question. That means the drivers on your machine are installed and setup properly.

Before going further, understand that this is not my area of expertise, I am just thinking out loud, trying to help you work through this. Anyone else reading with ideas is welcome to jump in.

On your XP PC, if you go to Control Panel > Printers, you have at least two printers listed - one being the server's printer, and the other being the local printer - even though, in fact, they are the same physical printer. Correct? And if you create a document on your PC and print to the local printer, it prints fine. But if you try to print from an application running on the server to the printer tied to your machine, it does not complete the job. Correct? What if you save a copy of the networked d

So, can you print anything from the server correctly? Can other users on other PCs print through the server correctly? Have you tried reinstalling the printer drivers?

On the local pc (xp) there is only one printer listed (at least in regards to your question). What happens with a remote desktop connection is that when the remote session is inniated, print routing changes from the default printer (in this case a network printer on the office LAN) to the printer connected to the computer I am working on (xp). I can manually change it back to the network printer and everything prints just fine but when I allow it to print to the remote desktop printer (in a different physical network than the server) I have the problems previously described. The issue is between the time the application sends the file to the print spooler on the server to the time my local printer recieves it. Anyone on the office LAN can print just fine - whether they are printing files from the client they are working on or whether they have established a remote connection to the server. The difference is that they are all within the same LAN and are routhing to a network printer on that LAN. In the situation that I am having problems with I am remoting into the server on the outside of the firewall and LAN and trying to route the printing to the printer local to me not the server. The print file is making it but it is getting messed up somewhere. Thanks. Hunter

The issue is between the time the application sends the file to the print spooler on the server to the time my local printer recieves it.

I think "time" is the key word here. I wonder if there is not a timing issue.

What if you print a simple, short text file - does that do fine? Does the size of the print job matter? Can you download the file you are working on, then print locally?

A small print job seems to print fine. I did a test print of a text document that was only "test". Too bad all the files that I have to print aren't that small. I can save a copy of the document and copy it on the the local pc (xp), but that is time consuming. I was hoping that remote printing would actually work. I have heard of lots of problems with this but I am aware of people who have gotten it to work. I just don't know how they did it. Go figure. Thanks. Hunter

Sorry I could not provide a quick fix. I'll keep looking - maybe someone else might come up with something too. If you find a solution, please post back with an update.

how fast are both connections? (your internet connection and the connection for the server?) there could be some issues with the VPN…even printing small documents requires a rellatively large amount of data in a rellatively short period of time…you're not just sending a 16k document to the printer…you're also sending printing instructions etc… i've never specifically run in to your problem…but..i don't often need to print when i'm on my VPN connection…HOWEVER…when i do….i've got primoPDF (google it…it's free) installed both on my laptop and most of my target machines…when i need to print…i print to primo (it acts as a printer…but makes PDFs) and save teh PDF's that it creates directly to my local hard drive (instead of the servers) then i'll print from my local machine not exactly a fix…but it's a decent workaround