Windows 95 PostScript Driver May Not Download Properly

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

After you download a Windows 95 PostScript driver from a server running Windows NT through point and print, printing options for the printer may not match what the printer should have.

Another symptom is that 600 dpi resolution printers are only printing at 300 dpi resolution.

Windows 95 printer driver details may show that the wrong PPD is in use. The wrong driver in use is Apple380.ppd.

If the printer driver is loaded without the use of point and print (the printer driver is loaded by means of a compact disc, disks, or a share point), the proper PPD file is used.

CAUSE

When Windows 95 downloads a PostScript printer driver from the server running Windows NT, it parses the .spd file for the printer capabilities and creates a .ppd from the .spd. Under certain conditions, the parse determines that a default .ppd must be used instead. That default .ppd is the Apple380.ppd.

Differences between the Windows NT Ntprint.inf and the Windows 95 Printer.inf files can also cause this symptom to occur.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods below:

Method 1

Load the printer driver without the use of point and print. If the driver needs to be distributed to many workstations, place all of the necessary files in a shared network directory.

For more information about how to remove the Windows 95 driver from the Windows NT print server, please see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q162258
   TITLE     : How to Remove Cross-Platform Printer Drivers on Windows NT

Method 2

Use the following steps to install the PostScript driver on the server running Windows NT:

1. In Explorer, navigate to the %SystemRoot%\INF folder, and then copy the Ntprint.inf file to another location or name.

   NOTE: The INF directory is hidden by default.

2. Edit the Ntprint.inf file in Notepad and remove everything between the printer name and the last quote. For example:

         original line: "QMS-PS 2200 v51.0 or 52.3" = Q2200523.PPD
         change to:     "QMS-PS 2200 "              = Q2200523.PPD
   
   

3. Install the printer on the server running Windows NT 4.0 and share it with Windows 95 alternate drivers.

4. Connect to the printer from the Windows 95 client.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

During the installation of the networked printer, the Windows 95 workstation is provided information on the files that should be copied for the printer being connected to, and then the file copy takes place. Next, the Windows 95 workstation finds the driver name installed by the host computer, in this case the server running Windows NT 4.0, and tries to match the driver to install. Because the Windows NT host driver name is in the form of <printer> <ps version> and Windows 95 sometimes only uses <printer>, there may not be an exact match and it will default to the generic postscript driver (Apple380.spd).