How to Distinguish Native/Inbox Print Drivers from Non-native/Manufacturer Print Drivers in Windows Server 2008 R2
Article ID: CTX126093
Updated On:
Description
This document outlines how to distinguish a native/inbox print driver from a non-native/manufacturer provided print driver in Windows Server 2008 R2.
Native/inbox print drivers are ones included with the operating system and rigorously tested for high performance and stability. Non-native/manufacturer provided print drivers are those downloaded from a manufacturer’s Web site and might not have been subjected to the same testing. Such drivers might cause issues within a multi-user XenApp environment and Citrix recommends avoiding these drivers if possible. Native/inbox drivers along with the Citrix Universal Print Drivers are the preferred approach for printer autocreation.
In Windows Server 2008 and earlier versions, the Provider string value at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Enviromments\<Windows Platform>\Drivers\Version-3\<Driver Name> shows as Microsoft for native/inbox print drivers and the manufacturer’s name or blank for non-native/manufacturer provided drivers.
In Windows Server 2008 R2, the Provider value of all drivers now shows as the respective manufacturer regardless of if the driver is a native/inbox one or a non-native/manufacturer one.
Instructions
To distinguish a native/inbox print driver from a non-native/manufacturer one, refer to the MinInboxDriverVerVersion value at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Enviromments\<Windows Platform>\Drivers\Version-3\<Driver Name>. If this value contains a specific version, it is a native/inbox print driver, refer following image.
However, if the value is 0.0.0.0, the driver is a non-native/manufacturer one.
Additional string values at this key which might be used to distinguish a non-native/manufacturer driver on Windows Server 2008 R2 include the following:
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DriverDate/MinInboxDriverVerDate – native/inbox drivers will show a date of 06/21/2006
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OEMURL – native/inbox drivers will have a URL that contains http://go.microsoft.com
After identified, non-native/manufacturer drivers must typically be removed. The following special drivers are exceptions which must remain:
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Citrix Universal Printer
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Citrix XPS Universal Printer
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Microsoft Shared Fax Driver
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Remote Desktop Easy Print
Issue/Introduction
Additional Information
CTX111967 - Common Microsoft Windows and Citrix Printing Terms Defined
CTX116474 - Print Detective
CTX109374 - StressPrinters 1.3.2 for 32-bit and 64-bit Platforms
