Printers May Not Install on Computers Created from Other Computer's Image (221186)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When adding a printer for the first time, the user will receive a pop-up message asking if he or she wants to overwrite existing drivers. The user will get this message even though the user never had this printer installed before. Even if the user answers "Yes" to the question, the driver will not install properly. The driver for the printer will not appear in the Spool\Drivers\W32x86\2 folder (for x86-based computers).

CAUSE

The problem is that the image that was used to create the system had this printer installed and entries are in the registry for this printer but the driver files are not present in the drivers folder.

RESOLUTION

Before the image is duplicated, use Registry Editor and delete the driver entries in the registry or be sure the %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Drivers folder is copied as part of the image.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To remove the entries in the registry, delete all entries under the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Currentcontrolset\Control
\Print\Environments\Windows NT platform\Drivers\Version-x

For example, in the case of x86, a user would delete all entries under: