Managing Network Printers in Print Manager and Control Panel (90274)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11

This article was previously published under Q90274

SUMMARY

You can manipulate network printers from either Control Panel or Print Manager. However, the capabilities provided from these applications differ greatly. You can perform only some network printer operations from Control Panel, whereas you can perform all possible operations from Print Manager.

MORE INFORMATION

In Control Panel, the network driver provides only the minimal support needed for making a new network connection when setting up a printer for the first time. This is for backward compatibility with Microsoft Windows version 3.1 and for use when running Windows for Workgroups Setup. (Note you might not make network connections during Windows for Workgroups Setup because the network driver is not loaded during installation.)

Print Manager provides full functionality for printer configuration, including connecting to and disconnecting from network printers and managing documents in network print queues.

Some rules apply to the managing of network print queues:

  • On a locally connected printer, regardless of the shared status, any print job can be deleted. Print jobs sent across the network can only be paused.
  • On a locally connected printer, the topmost (currently printing) job cannot be moved. All locally submitted print jobs must remain above all network jobs in the queue. Therefore, the topmost network job cannot be moved up, and the bottommost local job cannot be moved down. At least three local jobs or at least two remote jobs must be in a queue before you can reposition any print job. (Note: Queue management menu items and buttons are not always dimmed when the options fail because of these rules.)
  • On a network (shared) printer, you can only pause and delete your own print jobs, and then only before they start printing. You can only move your print job down in the queue, and only before it starts printing.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/13/2003
Keywords:KB90274