HOW TO MIGRATE PRINT SERVER

 If you are trying to migrate your print server from old server to new one, you have come to the right place. 

STEP 1 - INSTALLING PRINT SERVER ROLE TO NEW SERVER

On your new server, please follow the step to install the print server role.
If you have installed print server role on new server, you can skip this step.

1. Open the Server manager. Click on Manage and Add Roles and Features.
2. Click on Next.
3. Select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
4. Select a server from the server pool where you want to install the new print services. Click Next.
5. On server role, select Print and document services. Click on Add Features.
6. Click on next and Continue with Default selection

STEP 2 - EXPORTING PRINTER FILES FROM OLD SERVER

Follow this step on your old print server.
1. Open Print Management
(on Run type in “printmanagement.msc” and enter)
2. When the wizard opens, Right click on your old printer server and click on Export printer to a file

3. Hit Next and Located a folder to save the printer export file. Continue with Default selection.
4. Let the Wizard do its export. This will export all the drivers, forms, Port and printers.

STEP 3 – IMPORTING PRINTER FILES TO NEW SERVER

Follow this step on your new print server
1. Open Print Management
(on Run type in “printmanagement.msc” and enter)
2. When the wizard opens, Right click on your old printer server and click on Import printer from a file
3. Locate the file from the STEP 2, Continue with Default selection.
4. Let the Wizard do its import. This will import all the drivers, forms, Port and printers.
 
STEP 4 – Update your settings. (Optional)
If you have shared printer using GPO, do update the server share UNC name with new server name.

Good luck!!

TROUBLESHOOTING NTP SERVER TIME FOR WINDOWS SERVER

Hi ya,

I have faced many issues with the time on the servers which does not matches with real time and causes many software not to work properly, group policy not applying , user cannot logging to the domain, giving wrong time to the clients. Even I change time and date from the control panel it got revered back.

If time on your Primary domain controller is different, then the actual real time you have come to the right article.

To troubleshoot, First thing I would check 

- If your BIOS Battery are all working, this can be fixed by changing BIOS battery.
- If you are using a Virtual environment

Check the time on the Host VM and check if your VM is using time from the HOST.
Like on Hyper-V Time Synchronisation are on the Integration service.
(I usually keep then unsync)

If all the above are fine and your time of the server/client keeps changing, This might be because your NTP time server is corrupt and  not working correctly on your Primary Domain Controller.

To fix this, on your Primary domain controller (your main DC server).Open command prompt with the administrator user rights.

Run the following line

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:0.uk.pool.ntp.org /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update && net stop W32Time && net start W32Time

Or (if you want multiple time server)

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:”0.uk.pool.ntp.org,1.uk.pool.ntp.org,1.uk.pool.ntp.org” /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update && net stop W32Time && net start W32Time

I am from UK, so I am using UK (0.uk.pool.ntp.org) NTP time pool from the following website https://www.pool.ntp.org/zone/uk

If you are from different part of world please google any NTP server that you like and replace “0.uk.pool.ntp.org” from the above line.

If you have secondary Domain Controller. On that DC, open command prompt as admin and run the following line . This is not required if your secondary DC time is ok.

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update && net stop w32time && net start w32time

Once this is done run the following line on the affected computer (server/client). This will sync the time

w32tm /resync /force

I hope that helps.

HOW TO SET UP GOOGLE CLOUD PRINT (GSUITE AND WINDOWS PRINT SERVER/COMPUTER)

This guide is recommended for the people who have G Suite and Windows print server/Computer setup.
I haven't tried this for standard google account.


PRE CHECKS

1. Make sure you have gsuite account.
2. You have a windows server/computer where printers are shared.
3. Make sure your printers are compatible with Google cloud printing
https://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/printers/

STEPS
1. On your gsuite create an email account – Like GooglePrint@yourdomain.com
https://www.google.com/cloudprint/learn/printers/
- This account will be used to share printer to other users or group.
- If you want to share the printers to the group, please make sure the above account your created is the owner of the group.

2. Download google print connecter from the GitHub website and install on your print server/computer (where printer is shared)
https://github.com/google/cloud-print-connector/releases

3. Once downloaded, Run the installation. The installation is pretty straight forward. During installation it will ask for user email address to share the printer, you can share it from here or from
https://www.google.com/cloudprint#printers
 (I prefer sharing from google cloud print website –this is because sharing during installation share all printer including the windows default printers)

4. Once print connector is installed, Go to https://www.google.com/cloudprint#printers
Login with the step 1 account and Share the printer to user or the group if you havent shared from step 4.

5. Please note that printer needs to be accept by the user or group owner.
- To accept this login to google account like Gmail, YouTube,etc. and Print ( Control + P)
- On print Destination ,  Dropdown the option and click more
- On the next page you should see the shared printer and accept button.
- Accept the printer (If Printer has been share to a group this only needs to be done by group Owner)

 Now you should be able to printer from anywhere but you need to be logged in with google account.

Good luck !