Printer Sharing with Windows 2000

Getting the permissions right

[Captaffy]

I have a network with two Windows 2000 computers on it- my computer, and computer B.

I would like computer B to be able to use my computer's local printer.
I have the printer set up to be shared, and indeed I have got it working on computer B, but only after I have logged in to my computer from computer B.

I don't want the people using computer B to be logged in as administrator to my computer for obvious reasons.
Is there some account I can add to the printer's permissions list that will allow computer B to see it? I tried adding 'Network' but that didn't do anything.

I have also tried creating a Guest account on my computer and putting that in the printer's permissions list, and that worked fine except that I don't know how to get it to automatically reconnect when computer B restarts.

Any advice?

And it should be noted that computer B does not have "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" checked, so it boots right in to Windows without a login screen. That's not something I am really at liberty to change.

[lammert]

There is a way you can connect two Windows computers for printer sharing, without giving them any sharing rights. I used this "trick" many times in corporate environments to let Windows NT servers act as a print server for Unix boxes and also for Windows to Windows printing on untrusted networks.

You have to use LPR/LPD or TCP/IP printing. This is an old Unix protocol, but still works very efficiently on Windows.

To redirect a printer to a TCP/IP print queue, you can go to the printer options page, select the ports map and press the Add Port.. button. There you select the "Standard TCP/IP Port" and follow the wizard. The printer name is the share name of the printer on the other computer.

On Windows NT 4.0, You first had to install the service for the LPR/LPD printing service and than change the start settings to automatic. I don't know how this is in Windows 2000 because I never tried it on this OS. Maybe the service is built in and already started, or you might need a third party driver.

[lammert]

Just found, that the service for TCP/IP printing is an optional component that can be loaded in the following way.

• Right click at "My Network Places" at your desktop and select "Properties"
• A new window appears. Go to the menu "Advanced->Optional Networking Components..."
• Select "Other Network File and Print Services" and press Next.
• The service will now be installed

The previous steps have loaded the service, but it is started manual, so the next time you start your computer the print server won't work! This is a small joke from Microsoft I think. In Windows NT there was the same problem.

• Therefore you have to go to the services screen at "Settings->Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services".
• Now right click the "TCP/IP Print Server" service and choose "Properties".
• Change the startup type from Manual to Automatic and press OK.