How to load x86 print drivers on Vista x64 for XP/Vista 32 bit OS

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...b-9aca3f116e9e

Step 1. Share a x64 print queue out
==============================
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
==============================
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


At this point we are prompted for the x86 printer driver. Browse
to the directory containing your extracted driver files (where the *.inf
files are). After these files are found Vista x64 wants the x86
ntprint.inf, unidrv, etc. files from a Vista or other Windows 6
installation such as server 2008. The required files can be found in
the folder at
%SystemDrive%Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepo sitory\ntprint.inf_guid.


This is the beautiful part as it means you must have access to a
full Vista or Server 2008 x32 installation so you can get that folder
and all the files it contains. The only thing I had access to was a
Vista 32-bit installation disc and it can be extracted using 7-zip to
open the file install.wim . I found this file on the DVD path
sources\install.wim . Just open this file in 7-zip and drill down to
this path
\1\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntp rint.inf_guid .


Although install.wim had subfolders 1 through 13 which all had a
Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntprin t.inf_guid section,
some of them had an AMD64 subfolder and some had an I386 subfolder. We
need the one with an I386 folder. Once you find the proper
ntprint.inf_guid folder extract it to the same place as the 32 bit
printer drivers. This should satisfy the Vista x64 file requirements
and the 32 bit printer driver installation should successfully
complete.


At this point I was able to share my HP PSC 2170 Series printer
with 32-bit Windows XP machines. This printer is natively supported by
a driver in Vista x64. After adding the official HP 32-bit driver into
Vista along with the ntprint.inf folder, all of the appropriate drivers
are installed to the client XP 32-bit machines the moment they tried to
connect to the Vista x64 shared printer.


--
noabody

"noabody" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...b-9aca3f116e9e
>
> Step 1. Share a x64 print queue out
> ==============================
> 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
> ==============================
> 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
>
>
> At this point we are prompted for the x86 printer driver. Browse
> to the directory containing your extracted driver files (where the *.inf
> files are). After these files are found Vista x64 wants the x86
> ntprint.inf, unidrv, etc. files from a Vista or other Windows 6
> installation such as server 2008. The required files can be found in
> the folder at
> %SystemDrive%Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepo sitory\ntprint.inf_guid.
>
>
> This is the beautiful part as it means you must have access to a
> full Vista or Server 2008 x32 installation so you can get that folder
> and all the files it contains. The only thing I had access to was a
> Vista 32-bit installation disc and it can be extracted using 7-zip to
> open the file install.wim . I found this file on the DVD path
> sources\install.wim . Just open this file in 7-zip and drill down to
> this path
> \1\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntp rint.inf_guid .
>
>
> Although install.wim had subfolders 1 through 13 which all had a
> Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ntprin t.inf_guid section,
> some of them had an AMD64 subfolder and some had an I386 subfolder. We
> need the one with an I386 folder. Once you find the proper
> ntprint.inf_guid folder extract it to the same place as the 32 bit
> printer drivers. This should satisfy the Vista x64 file requirements
> and the 32 bit printer driver installation should successfully
> complete.
>
>
> At this point I was able to share my HP PSC 2170 Series printer
> with 32-bit Windows XP machines. This printer is natively supported by
> a driver in Vista x64. After adding the official HP 32-bit driver into
> Vista along with the ntprint.inf folder, all of the appropriate drivers
> are installed to the client XP 32-bit machines the moment they tried to
> connect to the Vista x64 shared printer.
>
>
> --
> noabody


Or you can do this..

First, you need to know the name of the computer which hosts the printer,
and the name of the printer to be shared.
Sitting at the host computer: The procedure is the same for Vista and XP

Start > My Computer > Properties > Computer Name tab > Change button. Write
down the name that you see here because this is the computer name.

Start > Settings > Printers and Faxes > Right click on the printer to be
shared > Properties > Sharing tab. Write down the name that you see here
because this is the printer name.

OK. Now sit in front of the Vista 64 computer:

Start > Control Panel > Printers > Add printer > Add a local printer > Click
on 'Create a new port' > 'Local Port' > 'Next'.

The port name will look like this: \\Computer name\printer name

So enter the names already retrieved, ensuring that you use the same format,
then click 'OK'.

At this point, you will be presented with the 'Add New Hardware' process.
You can either select the make and model of your printer from the lists or
insert your printer installation disk if you can't find yours. The printer
will be added, and you should be able to print a test page.


--

Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/