Printing within Hosted Desktop
Because your Hosted Desktop is in the Cloud, any documents which you print from it are sent via your own local PC to enable the Hosted Desktop to talk to your local printer. This relationship is shown in the diagram below.
Any printer which you wish to print to from your Hosted Desktop must therefore be installed on your own local PC, and not on the Hosted Desktop.
When you connect to your Hosted Desktop, Hosted automatically detects which printer(s) you have currently installed on your own local PC and then connects to them. This is known as Terminal Services Printer Redirection.
To enable effective communication between your Hosted Desktop and your local printer, several pieces of software must be installed on your own PC. Depending on which Operating System you are using, some of these may be installed already, but click the images below to select your Operating System and check the specific software requirements.
Windows XP Service Pack 3
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection 7
Windows Vista Service Pack 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection 7 32-bit Version / 64-bit version
A. There is no need to install your new printer on your Hosted Desktop, just install it on your own local PC as per the manufacturer’s instructions that were provided when you purchased the device. Now log off, and back onto your Hosted Desktop and Hosted will pick up your new printer.
I can print from my Hosted Desktop, but when the document prints out it appears as a load of mixed-up characters - why is this?
A. This is likely to be caused because your printer requires a specialised printer driver which is not currently installed on your Hosted Desktop. Please raise a Support Ticket to us and we can install the driver for you - ensure that you include the following details in the ticket or email: Exact make and model of your printer (i.e HP DeskJet D3600) and if possible the current version of the driver which is currently installed on your local PC.
Q. I can print from my Hosted Desktop, but some of the printer features such as Duplex Printing, or selecting a specific printer tray do not work correctly - why is this?
A. This is likely to be caused by one of two reasons:
i. Your printer requires a specialised printer driver which is not currently installed on your Hosted Desktop. Please raise a Support Ticket to us and we can install the driver for you - ensure that you include the exact make and model of your printer (i.e HP DeskJet D3600) and if possible the version of the driver which is currently installed on your local PC. or
ii. The manufacturer’s driver for your printer does not support Redirected Printing - your Hosted Desktop Support Technician will advise you if this is the case and what specific options are open to you to resolve it.
Any printer which you wish to print to from your Hosted Desktop must therefore be installed on your own local PC, and not on the Hosted Desktop.
When you connect to your Hosted Desktop, Hosted automatically detects which printer(s) you have currently installed on your own local PC and then connects to them. This is known as Terminal Services Printer Redirection.
To enable effective communication between your Hosted Desktop and your local printer, several pieces of software must be installed on your own PC. Depending on which Operating System you are using, some of these may be installed already, but click the images below to select your Operating System and check the specific software requirements.
Windows XP
Before Printer Redirection will function correctly with Windows XP, the following three pieces of software must be installed on your local PC. You can download and install each of these pieces of software from Microsoft’s website by clicking on the links provided below.Windows XP Service Pack 3
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection 7
Windows Vista
Before Printer Redirection will function correctly with Windows Vista, the following three pieces of software must be installed on your local PC. You can download and install each of these pieces of software from Microsoft’s website by clicking on the links provided below.Windows Vista Service Pack 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection 7 32-bit Version / 64-bit version
Windows 7, 8 & 10
Windows 7 & 8 do not require any additional software to be installed to allow Printer Redirection to function.F.A.Q.’s
Q. I have a new printer, how do I install it on my Hosted Desktop?A. There is no need to install your new printer on your Hosted Desktop, just install it on your own local PC as per the manufacturer’s instructions that were provided when you purchased the device. Now log off, and back onto your Hosted Desktop and Hosted will pick up your new printer.
I can print from my Hosted Desktop, but when the document prints out it appears as a load of mixed-up characters - why is this?
A. This is likely to be caused because your printer requires a specialised printer driver which is not currently installed on your Hosted Desktop. Please raise a Support Ticket to us and we can install the driver for you - ensure that you include the following details in the ticket or email: Exact make and model of your printer (i.e HP DeskJet D3600) and if possible the current version of the driver which is currently installed on your local PC.
Q. I can print from my Hosted Desktop, but some of the printer features such as Duplex Printing, or selecting a specific printer tray do not work correctly - why is this?
A. This is likely to be caused by one of two reasons:
i. Your printer requires a specialised printer driver which is not currently installed on your Hosted Desktop. Please raise a Support Ticket to us and we can install the driver for you - ensure that you include the exact make and model of your printer (i.e HP DeskJet D3600) and if possible the version of the driver which is currently installed on your local PC. or
ii. The manufacturer’s driver for your printer does not support Redirected Printing - your Hosted Desktop Support Technician will advise you if this is the case and what specific options are open to you to resolve it.
Instructions on how to enable printer redirection to Hosted Desktop with Remote Desktop Connection. This guide was done on Windows 8.1. The guide will apply to Windows 7 and Windows 10 as well
1 - In the Start screen search for mstsc. If using Windows 7 or Windows 10 put mstsc in the search box in the Start Menu and then select Remote Desktop Connection
2 - Click on Show Options
3 - Select Local Resources
4 - Ensure Printers is ticked
5 - Go back to General followed by Save and then Close
1 - In the Start screen search for mstsc. If using Windows 7 or Windows 10 put mstsc in the search box in the Start Menu and then select Remote Desktop Connection
2 - Click on Show Options
3 - Select Local Resources
4 - Ensure Printers is ticked
5 - Go back to General followed by Save and then Close
1 - Open Microsoft Remote Desktop from Launchpad
2 - Click on your Hosted Desktop connection once to highlight it, and then select Edit at the top of the window
3 - Navigate to the Session section of the screen by clicking on it
4 - Tick the box Forward printing devices to enable the redirection
5 - Click the red circle to close the options screen, and then Start to begin your Hosted session
2 - Click on your Hosted Desktop connection once to highlight it, and then select Edit at the top of the window
3 - Navigate to the Session section of the screen by clicking on it
4 - Tick the box Forward printing devices to enable the redirection
5 - Click the red circle to close the options screen, and then Start to begin your Hosted session
VPN Printing is an alternative to Redirected Printing. Redirected Printing relies on your Local PC’s installed printers to work. It passes the job from Hosted Desktop, via the internet, to your local PC, your local PC then handles the print job.
With VPN, the printers are installed directly onto the Hosted Desktop, giving you their full functionality as well as removing the dependency from your local machine.
This is a free service we offer to our Hosted Desktop customers, however you must meet certain requirements in order to take advantage of the benefits.
This is a free service we offer to our Hosted Desktop customers, however you must meet certain requirements in order to take advantage of the benefits.
The Advantages
- VPN Printing is often faster due to a shortened route to the printer.
- More reliable as all the factors of local/redirected printing is removed, such as driver issues and PC issues.
- Full support. As these are installed on the Hosted Server we can fully support the printer within Hosted as it no longer controlled by your local PC.
The Requirements
- Static Public IP Address - This is the Public IP used by your local network when communicating via the Internet. This is usually standard on most business broadband packages, you can confirm if you have one by contacting your ISP. You can also see your public IP by going to http://whatsmyip.org
- Lan to Lan VPN Compatible Router - In order to establish the VPN connection between Hosted and your Network you will need a router that supports Full ‘Lan to Lan’ (Site to Site, IPsec VPN). We can quote for and supply a compatible router for you if you are interested in this.
- Network Printers - VPN Printing requires Network printers as opposed to USB printers as they communicate via IP address. These will need to be set with a Static/Reserved IP Address.
- Change to Internal IP Range - In order to establish a VPN you will need to adjust your Internal IP Range to a range assigned to you by Hosted Desktop in order to enable your network to communicate with ours.
The Process
- Router Installation - You will need to install and configure the new Router to use the assigned IP Range and you ISP connection details. Once this is done you’ll need to contact us to let us know this is done.
- VPN Configuration - Once the router is in place we will arrange a time and date to connect to one of your local PC’s via Teamviewer. We will then establish the VPN link and set up remote access to the router for future support.
- Local Printer Installation - Once the VPN is live you’ll need to send us a list of your printers in the following format:
We will then install the printers and you’ll be able to print directly to them from within Hosted.
Printer Make Printer Model Desired Name IP Address HP LaserJet P2015n Fred’s Printer 192.168.10.45 HP Colour LaserJet CP2025n Bob’s Printer 192.168.10.46
Next Steps
If you are interested in VPN Printing or have any other queries about this please contact our support desk at support@hosteddesktopuk.co.uk and one of our Technical Support Engineers will address this for you.
Once TSPrint has been installed this creates 3 new printers: TSPrint Default, TSPrint Printer & TSPrint PDF
If you wish to print on another printer, please select the TSPrint Printer, which will show you a print dialogue where you can select the desired printer.
TSPrint Default - Print to your local default printer
When printing to the TSPrint Default printer, the printer will always prints to your default local printer.If you wish to print on another printer, please select the TSPrint Printer, which will show you a print dialogue where you can select the desired printer.
TSPrint Printer - Select the printer to print to with any required options
When printing to the TSPrint Printer, the printer will offer you an option to select the required printer with any required options.TSPrint PDF - Print and E-mail
When printing to the TSPrint PDF printer, the printer will give you an option to create a PDF document and automatically send them as e-mail attachments from either your server or your local computer.Printer Troubleshooting
Printer Checks
- Does the printer have power? If not check the power cable is securely plugged in and that the socket is turned on
- Are all the cables plugged securely into the back of the printer? If not plug them in securely
- If the printer is connected to a PC / Laptop via a usb cable, is the usb cable securely plugged into the PC / Laptop? If not plug in securely
- If the printer has a network cable plugged in, is the other end of the cable securely plugged into the Router/Switch/Wall socket? If not plug in securely
- Are there any any warning lights/messages on the printer? Depending on what the warning light/error message means a 3rd party might have to be called to repair the printer
- Does the printer have paper in it? If not re fill the paper tray
If the above checks have been carried out and the printer appears fine, then please follow the steps below
- Try printing from the Local machine - Hosted Desktop pulls through the printer from the Local machine, so if you cannot print from the Local machine you will not be able to print from Hosted Desktop
If you are unable to print from the Local machine please proceed to the next section: Clearing Print Jobs
As explained in our Terminal Services Printer Redirection section (above), when you print from your Hosted Desktop your printing goes via your local PC. Therefore, if you are having issues printing from Hosted Desktop, the first place to check is your own local PC. Please follow Sectons A, B and C to resolve common issues which can occur when printing from Hosted Destop. If you are still experiencing issues having completed these steps, please contact Hosted Desktop Support.
This section describes how to clear print jobs which have become stuck in the printer queue on your local machine, which may be preventing your printer from working correctly.
A.1 - On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. The click Devices and Printers. (If you are using Windows XP, this icon is called Printers and Faxes)
A.2 - When the Devices and Printers folder opens, double-click on the printer you are experiencing issues with. In this example, we are using a Dell 2230d Laser Printer
A.3 - The window below shows the print queue for the Dell 2230d Laser Printer. In this example, we can see that three copies of a Microsoft Word document - My Word Document are currently waiting in the print queue to be printed. Right-click on each of these documents in turn, and then click Cancel
A.4 - You will get a confirmation message similar to the one shown below. Click Yes to confirm that you wish to cancel the printing of the document
A.5 - When all of the documents have been cancelled, the printer queue should look similar to the screen-shot below. Then proceed to Section B
Sometimes the software which allows Windows to communicate with your printer can crash thereby preventing print jobs reaching your printer. This section describes how to restart the Print Spooler service on your local machine.
B.1.1 - On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. In the Search Programs and Files box, type services.msc (If you are using Windows XP, please see B.1.2 below)
B.1.2 - (Please Note: This step is only relevant if you are running Windows XP on your local machine; if you are not, please proceed to Step B.2) On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. Then click Run…, type services.msc and click Ok. Proceed to Step B.3
B.2 - (Please Note: This step is not relevant if you are running Windows XP on your local machine, if you are running XP please proceed to Step B.3) Click Services, as shown below
B.3 - In the Services window, scroll down until you locate Print Spooler
B.4 - Right-click on Print Spooler and click Restart. Then close the Services window
Having performed the steps in Sections A and B above, you can now attempt to print a Test Page from your local machine to verify that it can communicate correctly with your local printer, as described in this section.
C.1 - On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. Then click Devices and Printers. (If you are using Windows XP, this icon is called Printers and Faxes)
C.2 - When the Devices and Printers folder opens, right-click on the printer you are experiencing issues with, then click Printer Properties. In this example, we are using a Dell 2230d Laser Printer
C.3 - Click Print Test Page
C.4 - You will get a confirmation message similar to the one below. If the test page printed correctly, this confirms that your local printer is functioning correctly
C.5 - Fully log out of your Hosted Desktop, and then log back in again. This will ensure that the printer is re-initialised fully with your Hosted Desktop. Then attempt to print a test page from your Hosted Desktop and verfiy that this prints correctly
Section A - Check & Cancel Jobs From The Print Queue
This section describes how to clear print jobs which have become stuck in the printer queue on your local machine, which may be preventing your printer from working correctly.
A.1 - On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. The click Devices and Printers. (If you are using Windows XP, this icon is called Printers and Faxes)
A.2 - When the Devices and Printers folder opens, double-click on the printer you are experiencing issues with. In this example, we are using a Dell 2230d Laser Printer
A.3 - The window below shows the print queue for the Dell 2230d Laser Printer. In this example, we can see that three copies of a Microsoft Word document - My Word Document are currently waiting in the print queue to be printed. Right-click on each of these documents in turn, and then click Cancel
A.4 - You will get a confirmation message similar to the one shown below. Click Yes to confirm that you wish to cancel the printing of the document
A.5 - When all of the documents have been cancelled, the printer queue should look similar to the screen-shot below. Then proceed to Section B
Section B - Restarting The Print Spooler Service
Sometimes the software which allows Windows to communicate with your printer can crash thereby preventing print jobs reaching your printer. This section describes how to restart the Print Spooler service on your local machine.
B.1.1 - On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. In the Search Programs and Files box, type services.msc (If you are using Windows XP, please see B.1.2 below)
B.1.2 - (Please Note: This step is only relevant if you are running Windows XP on your local machine; if you are not, please proceed to Step B.2) On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. Then click Run…, type services.msc and click Ok. Proceed to Step B.3
B.2 - (Please Note: This step is not relevant if you are running Windows XP on your local machine, if you are running XP please proceed to Step B.3) Click Services, as shown below
B.3 - In the Services window, scroll down until you locate Print Spooler
B.4 - Right-click on Print Spooler and click Restart. Then close the Services window
Section C - Printing a Test Page
Having performed the steps in Sections A and B above, you can now attempt to print a Test Page from your local machine to verify that it can communicate correctly with your local printer, as described in this section.
C.1 - On your local machine, open up the Start Menu. Then click Devices and Printers. (If you are using Windows XP, this icon is called Printers and Faxes)
C.2 - When the Devices and Printers folder opens, right-click on the printer you are experiencing issues with, then click Printer Properties. In this example, we are using a Dell 2230d Laser Printer
C.3 - Click Print Test Page
C.4 - You will get a confirmation message similar to the one below. If the test page printed correctly, this confirms that your local printer is functioning correctly
C.5 - Fully log out of your Hosted Desktop, and then log back in again. This will ensure that the printer is re-initialised fully with your Hosted Desktop. Then attempt to print a test page from your Hosted Desktop and verfiy that this prints correctly
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