Adding x86 printer drivers to x64 print server

Question

When attempting to install X86 inbox print drivers to an X64 W2K8 print server, the drivers are not found.  Where do I locate the X86 inbox print drivers on an X64 W2K8 Server?Tyler McLaughlin

Answer 1

Hi,
Thanks for the post.
Please understand that we need to manually install 32bit drivers on a Windows 64bit 2008 printer server since the 32bit drivers are not stored on 64bit server.
In this case, I suggest we first contact the printer manufacturer to check if the appropriate driver is available. If so, please download it to the printer server.
After that, please try the following two methods to install the additional printer driver.
Method 1 (Preferred):
Step 1. Share a x64 print queue out
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On the x64 Windows Vista RTM/SP1 or a x64 Windows Server 2008 RTM
Login with the Domain Administrator account or Local Admin account
Click on Start, Control Panel, Printers, Press the ALT button or Click on Organize, Layout, Menu Bar
Click on File
Click on Run as administrator
Click on Add Printer...
Choose "Add a local printer" or "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer"
And go through the rest of the steps to install a printer and make sure that you share it for example PrintShare1.
Step 2. Add the x86 print driver
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On a x86 Windows Vista RTM/SP1 or a x86 Windows Server 2008 RTM
Login with the Domain Administrator account
Click on Start, \\x64W2K8 PrintServer (or a x64 Vista acting as a Print Server)
Double click on "Printers"
Right click on the PrintShare1
Click on the "Sharing" tab
Click on the "Additional Drivers..."
Check the box for 'x86 Type 3 - User Mode'
Click on Ok
Click on Close
Method 2 (Alternate):
On a x64 Windows Vista RTM/SP1 or a x64 Windows Server 2008 RTM
Click on Start, Control Panel
Double click on Printers
Press the ALT button
or
Click on Organize, Layout, Menu Bar
Click on File, Run as administrator, Server Properties...
Click on the Drivers tab
Click on Add...
Click on Next
Uncheck the 'x64 Type 3 - User Mode'
Check the 'x86 Type 3 - User Mode'
Click on Have Disk...
Click on Browse... (to the x86 (32-bit) machine)
\\x86W2K8\c$\windows\system32\driverstore\filerepository\prn*.inf_{GUID}
or
\\x86Vista\c$\windows\system32\driverstore\filerepository\prn*.inf_{GUID}
For example: \\x86W2K8\c$\windows\system32\driverstore\filerepository\prnhp001.inf_5fecfc5e\prnhp001.inf
Click on Open
Click on Ok
Under "Printers"
Select the print driver that you want to install
Click on Next
Click on Finish
Now you should be able to see the x86 print drivers installed under the "Processor" column.
Click on Close
For your reference, here is some useful information about managing printer driver.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732946.aspx
Does it work?
If this issue still persists, please collect the MPSReport from the Windows 64bit 2008 printer server.
1. Download proper MPS Report tool from the website below.
Microsoft Product Support Reports
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=CEBF3C7C-7CA5-408F-88B7-F9C79B7306C0&displaylang=en 
2. Double-click to run it, if requirement is not met, please follow the wizard to download and install them. After that, click Next, when the "Select the diagnostics you want to run" page appears, select "General", <and other necessary catalog>, click Next.
3. After collecting all log files, choose "Save the results", choose a folder to save <Computername>MPSReports.cab file.
Please send the files to me directly at [email protected]
Hope this helps.