Printing to Local Port May Fail with Access Denied Error

ID: Q188878

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

SYMPTOMS

When sharing a printer that is redirected using a local port to another Windows NT computer that is sharing a local printer (LPTx), the following message may appear on the Windows NT computer with the reshared local port.

There was an error writing to \\Computer1\share. Access is Denied.

This message only occurs when other remote clients print to this reshared printer after the computer with the shared LPT printer is restarted. The error occurs regardless of the source of the print job (LPR, SMB, Macintosh, and so on).

The problem does not exist when the target computer is a Windows 95 or Windows 98 computer.

CAUSE

User credentials can only cross one computer boundary, not cross two computers. The second session will be opened with "NULL" user credentials.

RESOLUTION

If printing to another Windows NT print server is required, you can substitute the reshared local port with an LPR/LPD printer port.

WORKAROUND

As a workaround, set up a null session share on the target NT computer. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q121853 Downlevel Print Jobs Not Redirected Correctly

STATUS

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

Additional query words: null session pipes

Keywords : kbbug4.00
Version : WINDOWS:2000; winnt:4.0
Platform : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type : kbprb