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Restrictions on Printer Sharing

If you are using the XPS printer driver, replace "Canon IJ Preview" with "Canon IJ XPS Preview" when reading this information.

These are restrictions that apply when you are using a printer in a network environment. Check the restrictions for the environment you are using.

Restriction on setting up printer sharing

  • If "ntprint.inf" is requested when you install the driver from Add Printer, specify the file as follows:
    1. Start Explorer on the print server and on the client with the different architecture, paste the following path in the address bar, and press Enter on the keyboard:
      %windir%\system32\driverstore\
    2. Right-click the FileRepository folder, and click Properties.
    3. On the Sharing tab, click Share.
    4. In the message window displayed on the print server, specify "ntprint.inf_xxxxxxxx" in the folder that was shared in step 3, and click OK.
      If there are multiples copies, select the file with the latest update date and time.
  • If the print server is using the 32-bit version of Windows XP and the 64-bit driver is to be installed, the installation may fail if the 32-bit "inf" file is not deleted from the driver package folder.

Restrictions on sharing and using a printer

  • A print completion message may be displayed. To disable the message display, follow the procedure below.

    • If you are using Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2012:

      In the Devices and Printers window of the client system, select the printer from Printers, and click Print server properties on the command bar.
      Uncheck Show informational notifications for network printers on the Advanced tab, and then restart the computer.

    • If you are using Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      In the Devices and Printers window of the client system, select the printer from Printers and Faxes, and click Print server properties on the command bar.
      Uncheck Show informational notifications for network printers on the Advanced tab, and then restart the computer.

    • If you are using Windows Vista:

      In the Printers window of the client system, press the Alt key, and from the displayed File menu, click Run as administrator -> Server Properties....
      Uncheck Show informational notifications for network printers on the Advanced tab, and then restart the computer.

    • If you are using Windows Server 2008

      In the Printers window of the client system, click Server Properties... from the File menu.
      Uncheck Show informational notifications for network printers on the Advanced tab, and then restart the computer.

    • If you are using Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 R2, or Windows Server 2003:

      In the Printers and Faxes window of the print server system, click Server Properties from the File menu.
      Uncheck Notify when remote documents are printed on the Advanced tab, and then restart the computer.
  • The bi-directional communication function is disabled and the correct printer status may not be recognized.
    If a client user opens the printer driver properties and then clicks OK with the Enable bidirectional support check box cleared on the Ports tab, the bidirectional communication function of the print server may also be disabled.
    In this case, check Enable bidirectional support check box on both the print server system and the client system.
  • When you print from a client system, you cannot use Canon IJ Preview.
  • When the functions on the Maintenance tab cannot be set properly from a client system, they may be grayed out. In this case, change the settings from the print server.
    When you change the settings of the print server, you should delete the icon of the shared printer from the client system, and then specify the shared settings again in the client system.
  • If the same driver installed on the print server is also installed on the client, the network printer icon may be created automatically.
  • If an error occurs when you print a document on a shared printer from a client, the error message of the Canon IJ status monitor is displayed on both the client and the print server. If a document is printed out normally, the Canon IJ status monitor is displayed only on the client.