>For those of you with more network and Terminal Server experience than I (and that’s pretty much everyone out there!), I’d like some advice on print spooler errors that have cropped up recently. It's a very long story, and part of it appears in another thread, but the short form is that Word 2010 automation needs the printer name EXACTLY as it appears in Aprinters() while VFP prefers 'just the facts', When TS is involved, VFP will remove any additional machine ID and session ID info from that printer string. A problem can arise when the application sends both types of output from a workstation whose Aprinters() name string includes the additional info. For my particular client, this is limited to just a couple of workstations, but the effect is disastrous and has forced them to restore Office 2003 until a the problem is fixed.
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>The solution would appear to be have all TS workstations address the network printer in the same way (without the machine ID and session ID--as 90% of them already do) but IT says this is not possible. However, they scream like stuck pigs when the print spooler jams with output from these workstations. Is it really impossible? If so, why isn't UNC 'universal'?

What version is the TS? 32- or 64-bit?

What are the OSs (and 32 or 64 bit) on:

- the workstations that are OK?
- the workstations with the problems?

Are all installations of Office 32-bit?

How is printing configured - with TS on a network there are several possibilities:

1. If users are printing to printers directly attached to their workstations, then print jobs get redirected:

TS session -} workstation -} local printer

This is the default for TS.

2a. Users may print to network printers, through their workstations:

TS Session -} workstation -} network print queue

This is the default for printing from a TS session using a workstation that has defined network printers, but is unnecessarily complex.

2b. Users print directly from their TS session to a network (or local-to-the-server) printer:

TS Session -} local or network print queue

This removes a redirection through the workstation and is preferred where you can implement it.

Re-reading your post it looks like it is a network printer. Hopefully printing is configured like 2b, not 2a - can you confirm this?

I also recommend that any network printer have a static IP address, and that the server talks to that printer through a standard TCP/IP port rather than a custom print monitor that may get installed by default (looking at you, HP).

It's also important to look closely at the printer driver properties. Check that the print processor is consistent for all sessions. Also check that the printer memory is correct. If it is set to a higher value than the printer actually has, you get lots of spooler errors when the printer gets significantly loaded.

Speaking of printer drivers, some makers by default provide so-called "Universal" drivers (again, HP is a good example). I generally try to avoid those and use plain PCL or PostScript drivers instead. If you're having problems, in my experience the best driver to use is PostScript (as long as the printer supports it), then PCL5, then PCL6.

"UNC" is Uniform Naming Convention, which you may be trying to use to address printers - and which should work.

When you mention "Universal", you may also be talking about Universal Printing, which is an attempt in later versions of TS to address this whole mess of printing from a TS session.