This article describes how to disable the use of auto-restored and auto-retained printers in a Citrix Presentation Server/XenApp environment. The DefaultPrnFlags registry value is used to accomplish this. To disable these type of printers from your whole environment, add or modify this registry value on each server in the farm.

Note: The DefaultPrnFlags registry value is only valid for use with the following: 

• Presentation Server 4.0 for Microsoft Windows 2000 or 2003 with Hotfix Rollup Pack 5.

• Presentation Server 4.5 for Windows Server 2003 32-bit or 64-bit with Hotfix Rollup Pack 2.

• XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2003 32-bit or 64-bit.

• XenApp 5.0 for Windows Server 2008 32-bit or 64-bit.

Background

Auto-retained and auto-restored printers are stored in user profiles under HKCU\Software\Citrix\PrinterProperties. Implementing the DefaultPrnFlags value in the Instructions Section still writes information to this key; however, information pertaining to auto-retained and auto-restored printers is ignored. Information in this key pertaining to printer properties that users make to their printers will still be implemented. Without this flag, users or administrators would have to manually delete these printers or a script would be required to delete the sub keys under HKCU\Software\Citrix\PrinterProperties.

Instructions

The following registry flag allows you to alter the default behavior and disable all auto-retained and auto-restored printers for that server. If the DefaultPrnFlags DWORD already exists on the server, add the specified hexadecimal value to the current value.

Caution! Refer to the Disclaimer at the end of this article before using Registry Editor.

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Print
Value name: DefaultPrnFlags
Type: REG_DWORD
Value data: 0x80000000

Warning! The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Citrix\Print\DefaultPrnFlags registry value requires a DWORD in hexadecimal. Incorrect or invalid entries could negatively impact your system. See CTX113377 – Printers are Not Autocreated after Adding the DefaultPrnFlags Registry Entry for more information.

Note: In XenApp 6.x and later the DefaultPrnFlag value is no longer valid. This is now configurable using a XenApp policy in the Delivery Services Console or Citrix AppCenter Console with User Policy type under the Printers section.

Console  - Retained and restored client printers - Default Setting – client printers are auto-retained and auto-restored. In earlier versions of XenApp, this setting was configurable using a registry setting and per-server. You now have the option to disable auto-retained and auto-restored printers using a policy. Auto-retained and auto-restored printers are printers that are not initially auto-created and are manually added to a user’s session.