Permissions issue directing domain networked printer to LPT1

active-directorynet-useprint-server

We have an old FoxPro 2.6 application, that cannot print to a networked printer. Knows nothing about domains, etc, and uses it's own built-in drivers instead of Windows drivers, and can only print to lpt ports. Our normal setup to allow network users to print is for a printer to be attached to one computer, share that printer, then use a net use command from another computer to connect to the the shared printer and redirect it to lpt1. Works great, no issues, except that the computer the printer is attached to has to be on at all times. We want to get away from that, and have the printer's setup on the Active Directory server, shared from that like all of our other printers, and then do the net use command to redirect to lpt1, so that our outdated application can print to it.

Setup:

  • Domain, swtechinc, with AD server as swkcdc01. IP address of 192.168.1.10
  • Domain users have standard user permissions
  • LaserJet 5n printer, networked with IP of 192.168.1.207
  • The printer is setup and shared on the AD server as LJShip

If I do a net use lpt1: \\swkcdc01\LJShip as domain admin, I have to enter in the AD Administrator username and password, but then it completes successfully. Go into the user account, and do a net use, and the mapping is gone.

Do the same command from the user account, and it again asks for user name and password. BUT, it will not complete, says System Error 5, Access is denied.

I have tried adding his user account on the AD to the security tab of the printer on the AD server, and still get the same results.

I am hoping someone here can help me out, because I am at a loss.

Best Answer

I did find out the answer - took me a bit to realize it.

The standard users do not have access to make changes to the hardware. Due to their being a physical LPT port on the computer, and it being enabled in the BIOS, that is why I was getting the error I was getting. When I tried lpt2 or lpt3, I did not get the error.

So, disabling the lpt port in the BIOS solves my issue, since their is not a physical port there anymore, the standard users can NET USE to add the shared printer. I was thinking it was on the Active Directory side, but it wasn't.

Thanks to everyone who replied.

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