Have you installed a printer on your Microsoft Windows computer, but the printer is not showing up during the Remote Desktop session?
Have you installed a printer on your Microsoft Windows computer, but the printer is not showing up during the Remote Desktop session? There are a few things you need to check when experiencing this problem.
1. Check if the printer is turned on when connected
Make sure you have the Printers option selected in the Remote Desktop settings. You can check this by bringing up the Remote Desktop Connection screen, selecting Local Resources, and making sure the Printers option is selected.
2. Check server settings
If you are connecting to a Windows Server box, make sure the settings on the server do not disable printer sharing. Log in to the server and perform these steps.
Windows Server 2016 & 2019
In these versions of Windows Server, RDP settings are controlled in Group Policy.
Step 1: Launch gpedit.msc.
Step 2: Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host.
Step 3: Expand Printer Redirection.
Step 4: Make sure that the Do not allow client printer redirection setting is set to Not configured or Disabled. Another setting you might want to check is Redirect only the default client printer. This policy should also be set to Not configured or Disabled, if you want more than just the default printer available for use.
Windows Server 2012
Step 1: Open Server Manager.
Step 2: Select Remote Desktop Services.
Step 3: Select Collections.
Step 4: Select Tasks, then select Edit Properties.
Step 5: In the Client Settings tab, make sure that Windows Printer is enabled.
Windows Server 2008
Step 1: Go to Start > Administrative Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration.
Step 2: Select Connections, right-click on the name of the connection, select Properties > Client Settings > Redirection. Make sure that Windows Printer is not selected.
3. Make sure the drivers are installed on the server
Check that the driver for the printer you want to use is installed on the computer you are connecting to. If the driver is not installed on the computer you are connecting to, the printer will not appear at all.
Above are some causes and solutions to fix the error that the printer does not appear in the Remote Desktop session. Hope this information is useful to you!
Update 31 October 2021
On this blog we’ve previously shared fixes for when your redirected printer is not showing up in a remote desktop session, solutions for when remote desktop printer [RDP] redirection is not working with Server 2012 and general tips for configuring universal RDP printing. And that’s just within the past few months.
Given all the challenges associated with RDP printing, it’s probably not surprising that we’d devote so much space to it. Here at PrinterLogic, it continues to be one of the topics that IT professionals are most eager to discuss with us. More specifically, they want to talk about RDP printer redirection and how to improve it. Is there a quick fix—a hidden setting, maybe, or a hack—that experts and admins use to solve problems with RDP printer redirection not working?
The short answer is no. And yes.
Let me explain what I mean by that.
In any RDP environment, printer redirection is a tricky, multi-step process. First, the server acquires a list of local printers—either hardwired or networked—installed on the remote client. Then a print queue is created in the remote session. When a user clicks “Print,” the remote client looks for the associated printer drivers on the server, and the printer is redirected if that driver query is successful.
Because of these contingent steps, there are a number of things that can go wrong with printer redirection in even the most basic scenarios. For example, if there’s a mismatch—even a slight one—between the driver the printer is looking for [e.g., “Canon ImageRUNNER”] and the name of the driver on the server [e.g., “Canon Image RUNNER”], your end users are almost certain to experience problems with RDP printing. This could be a fairly common issue like a redirected printer not showing up in the session—or something even more difficult to troubleshoot, such as print jobs simply disappearing from the queue.
Aside from double-checking your settings to make sure that local printers are enabled in the remote environment and the correct drivers are installed on the server, there’s no surefire fix if RDP printer redirection is not working like it should. At least not natively.
That’s where PrinterLogic comes in.
Our unique print management solution integrates seamlessly with your existing remote desktop environment to both augment and simplify native RDP printing. Its next-generation combination of centralized management and direct IP printing allows you to administer your entire print environment with unprecedented ease while also minimizing the complexity of printer and driver deployments.
With PrinterLogic, you can perform routine printer management tasks such as renaming printers and updating drivers from a single location and the changes quickly replicate throughout your environment. This can easily eliminate the kinds of issues that result in a redirected printer not showing up for a remote client. Want to change a single property for an entire pool of printers? What about changing the default setting on a single printer? PrinterLogic’s intuitive management console makes these actions almost effortless for any printer or group of printers in the entire organization. All carried out from a single pane of glass.
And when it comes to deployments, it’s just as easy. PrinterLogic avoids the typical complexities of deployment because it eliminates the need for GPOs or scripts while providing you with automated, dynamic and granular methods for getting the right printers into the hands of the right users—reliably and accurately.
You’ll find that PrinterLogic does more than enhance your RDP printing environment too. It can completely eliminate print servers, enabling your organization to save money and time by radically downsizing your print infrastructure. At the same time, PrinterLogic provides you with additional features and flexibility, including comprehensive print auditing capabilities and reduced reliance on your WAN connection. It’s the cost-effective, quick-to-implement solution to RDP printer redirection not working and so much more.
We deliver a highly available Serverless Printing Infrastructure using a centrally managed Direct IP printing platform. If you want to empower end users with mobile printing, secure release printing, and many advanced features, we’d love to show you how.
Serverless printing is just one quick demo away.
Schedule Now
Remote desktop printing appears to be more of a hassle than it is worth regularly. There are numerous advantages to working in remote desktop protocol [RDP] environments. For example, a more compact infrastructure, better flexibility, and centralized management are all advantages.
At the same time, the benefits of RDP settings come with several significant obstacles when it comes to RDP printing. Given that RDP is heavily reliant on the WAN connection, particularly in remote locations, the WAN becomes an increasingly vulnerable point of failure. A bottleneck or complete failure of the WAN due to excessive network traffic might impair or completely disrupt RDP functionality, resulting in unpleasant and unexpected downtime for the organization.
RDP printing is no exception, as it is susceptible to the same faults as other types of printing. Indeed, remote desktop printing [RDP] is a substantial source of WAN congestion. However, in small scenarios, it is not only the WAN connection that causes issues. It is also the Internet connection. RDP printing typically uses printer redirection as the primary deployment option, and there have been numerous reports of remote desktop printer redirection failing to function successfully in the past.
One of the most frequently encountered issues is that printers do not appear in the session when they are supposed to. Before you can begin to investigate the causes of the printer’s absence, it’s essential to understand how RDP printer redirection works in Server 2012. This will allow you to diagnose the issue more effectively.
The server is provided with a list of local printers that have been installed on the remote client’s machine to summarize. Following that, the server creates a print queue for the remote session and starts printing. When an end-user attempts to print from a remote client, the server looks for printer drivers linked with the request.
If everything goes according to plan, the printer is rerouted. In this article, we provide you with some quick and easy solutions to fix this printer not showing in the remote desktop session issue.
Check If The Printer Connection Is Enabled
Before proceeding, double-check your Remote Desktop settings to confirm that the Printers option is chosen in your Remote Desktop configuration.
Verifying that the Printers option is selected on the Remote Desktop Connection screen is accomplished by bringing up the Remote Desktop Connection screen, choosing Local Resources, and then clicking OK.
Check Your Servers Settings
Ensure that the server’s setup does not prevent printers from being shared with other users if the system is running Windows Server. To finish the operation, you must log in to the server and follow the on-screen instructions provided.
Windows 2016 and Windows 2019:
- During the installation of particular versions of Windows Server, Group Policy is responsible for handling the RDP settings.
- MSC is the command that has to be executed.
- It will be possible to select Computer Configuration from the drop-down menu.
- Continue by selecting Administrative Templates from the drop-down menu that appears.
- After that, navigate to Windows Components and choose Remote Desktop Services, followed by Remote Desktop Session Host from the drop-down menu to complete the installation.
- Finally, include the words Printer Redirection in the title of the document.
- When checking the printer settings, it is essential to ensure that the Do not allow client printer redirection option is set to either Not Configured or Disabled.
- There is another option that you may want to explore, which is the Redirect, just the default client printer setting. Changing this policy to Not configured or Disabled will make other printers accessible for usage, which is preferable if you wish to make more than the default printer available for use.
Windows 2012:
- It is necessary to start the Server Manager application.
- Select the Remote Desktop services that will be utilized from the drop-down option that appears.
- In this case, Collections may be found in the drop-down menu.
- Select Tasks from the drop-down menu, and then Edit Properties from the drop-down menu to complete the operation.
- Check to ensure that the Windows Printer option is chosen and enabled on the Client Settings tab of the client configuration.
Windows 2008:
- If you are not sure where to begin, start by clicking on the Start button and then select Administrative Tools, then click Remote Desktop Services, and lastly click on Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration from the drop-down menu that appears.
- Select Properties.
- Then navigate to Client Settings and click on Redirection from the Connections menu selection after making a right-click selection on the connection’s name. If the Windows Printer option is selected in the printer selection, make sure that it is not chosen.
Make Sure That Drivers are Installed and Server
It is vital that you double-check that you have installed on your computer the printer drivers that are required to run the printer to which you are seeking to connect before moving forward with the installation.
Without first installing the printer drivers for the computer to which you are connected, you will not be able to access the printer at all if you do not already have them installed.
Change Computer Configuration
Changing your computer configuration might help fix the error behind the printer not showing in the remote desktop session problem. Follow these steps below to change the computer configuration accordingly:
- Select Computer Configuration as the option from the drop-down menu that appears.
- As seen in the accompanying image, choose Administrative Templates from the drop-down menu, followed by Windows Components, Remote Desktop Services, and, lastly, Remote Desktop Session Host, to complete the installation.
- Once this is done, choose Do not allow client printer redirection or Disable from the drop-down selection that appears. You should also make sure that the following elements are correct:
- In the Desktop Connection or Local Resources Tab, the printers on the local network are routed to the appropriate location based on the setup. Using the option Allow printer redirection, you should be able to enable this functionality on the server.
- The drivers for the distant server have been downloaded and installed on the local computer.
- Access to folder c:windowssystem32spool is granted to all users who have the rights to read, execute, and list the folder’s contents.
- Inspect the RDS server event logs from the moment you signed into RDS to determine what happened.
Configure Windows Remote Desktop Settings
You may be signed in, and the server appears to be working well, but Remote Desktop cannot connect to or display your printer. In this case, check to verify if a remote connection is permitted on the machine. Searching for the option in the start menu and then selecting it from the list of results is the most convenient method of obtaining access to the feature.
Then, from the menu bar, select the Remote option to begin working with the remote. For the Remote Desktop functionality to function correctly, the Remote Desktop service must be configured to accept connections from other machines. You should check if your server has been configured to allow remote control with Network Level Authentication.
If this is the case, check to see if your computer is compatible with this option or choose to accept any connection instead. Remember that when you are in the RDP configurations, you should double-check the list of permitted users by choosing them using the Select Users button or by typing S on your keyboard.
Access to the network is automatically granted to all users who have administrator access to the machine in which the computer is located. This list must include all of the frequent clients who use the service to be considered comprehensive. It is recommended that you add the username you would want to connect to the list of permitted users as a precaution if you attempted to log in using user credentials that did not have admin access.
This will prevent this from happening again in the future. This can fix your issues with the printer not showing in the remote desktop session.
Recheck Windows Firewall
An increasing number of users have voiced concern that the Windows Firewall can be very restrictive at times; for example, the inbound ICMP protocol, which is used to establish ping connections, is by default prohibited, and also it might be the reason why you can not see your printer in a remote desktop session.
It is possible to access the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security by typing firewall into the search box available in the start menu’s search field. Navigate to the Inbound Rules list by hitting R, and then scroll down to the Remote Desktop Rules section by pressing R a second time.
- Remote Desktop [TCP-In] and Remote Desktop – RemoteFX is two rules shown by Windows Server 2008. These are the two rules that Windows Server 2008 should be able to display to users. [TCP-In]. Assuming that the server continues to accept RDP connections via the regular TCP port 3389, both of these settings would be enabled in the vast majority of situations.They will be enabled by default if the server continues to accept RDP connections via the standard TCP port 3389. It is possible to have four different Remote Desktop – User Mode rules on a 2012 Windows Server because the rules are divided into Domain and Private or Public profiles and TCP and UDP protocols. All of these rules would typically be enabled in the default configuration on 2012 Windows Servers.
- Enabling ICMP for pinging purposes may be accomplished by setting your firewall setup to enable this functionality. When you look at the rules, you will see that they are labeled File and Printer Sharing [Echo Request – ICMPv4 – In] and v6 for both IP versions and that they are entitled File and Printer Sharing [Echo Request – ICMPv4 – In] [Echo Request – ICMPv4 – In]. To see the rules, use the F key [Echo Request – ICMPv4 – In].
It’s frustrating to face such an issue while working and even more so when you do not know the definitive reason. Hopefully, this article has all the solutions you need to fix your issues with the printer not showing in a remote desktop session.
FAQ
How do you add a printer that is not visible?
Answer: Select the View Devices and Printers option in the Control Panel. At the top of the window, click Add Printer. Next, pick Add a local printer or a network printer with manual settings.
Why am I unable to see my printer?
Answer: Ascertain that File and Printer Sharing and Network Discovery are enabled on the printer server or the computer to which the printer is physically attached. If you disable this feature on a printer server, you will quickly discover that no one in the office can access or connect to the server’s printers.