FAQ: VMware Horizon and ThinPrint

See the VMware article below: kb.vmware.com → WINDOWS 7 DESKTOPS WITH THINPRINT DISPLAY ONLY THE DEFAULT PRINTER (1032872)

Before you print, enable print preview in the (Output Gateway) printer properties in the View session. Check here if your print job already differs from the original.

Please refer to Incorrect characters or fonts in print output.

Before you print, enable print preview in the (Output Gateway) printer properties in the View session. This allows you to check if the print job reaches the Windows workstation. Try to print directly from the preview window. If this also fails, check the printer properties, or replace/update the printer driver on the workstation.

If the local default printer of a client computer is other than the default printer in a View session, and the user(s) have to reset it every time they log in, proceed as follows:

• Delay the startup of AutoConnect on the View desktop by a few seconds, e.g. by changing the startup type of the TP AutoConnect service from AUTOMATIC to MANUAL and then start it using a script with:ping 127.0.0.1 -n 10 >NUL
  net start tpautoconnsvc(10 = 10 second startup delay)

Complete the following steps on the command line of the View session:

• Change either – under Horizon View 5 – to the directory %programfiles%\VMware\VMware Tools
  or -– under Horizon 6 – to %programfiles%\common files\thinprint
• Execute TPAutoConnect.exe -d (ends the current AutoConnect instance of the user)
• Execute TPAutoConnect.exe -v (create a printer in verbose mode)
  An error message should appear in the output with a description of the problem.

If the manual creation of the printer with AutoConnect from the command line is successful, check that the following Timeout values are set in the Windows registry and, if not, set them:

• on a virtual desktop in: hkey_local_machine\software\ThinPrint\TPAutoConnect
  TimeOutClientExecution [dword] “150000” (decimal)
  TimeOutVirtualChannelRead [dword] “130” (decimal)
  ListenToWTSTrys [dword] “450” (decimal)
  ListenToWTSTryDelay [dword] “2000” (decimal)
• on a Windows.Client:
  PropertyRequestTimeout [dword] “120” (decimal)
  On 32-bit operating systems in: hkey_local_machine\software\ThinPrint\Client
  On 64-bit operating systems in: hkey_local_machine\software\Wow6432Node\ThinPrint\Client

Restart the TP AutoConnect Service in the View session, and, if necessary, also on the virtual machine and the View Client.

The time to create a printer depends on the degree of functionality of the printer driver. It takes longer, for instance, on a printer with a universal printing driver than with a driver intended for a particular printer model.

Use the following syntax to enter IP addresses in a particular range:

IP address – IP address
Example: 10.112.116.0–10.112.119.255

Use the following syntax, to enter in all the IP addresses in a particular subnet:

IP address / Subnet mask bits
Example: 10.112.4.0/22

The example provides that the IPv4 addresses from 10.112.4.1 to 10.112.7.254 are able to be used.

To set up Location-Based Printing, refer to the Setting up Location-Based Printing page at www.vmware.com.

You can create a printer manually on the virtual machine using exactly the same settings as are used for a mapped printer (Printer port: TPVM:, driver: TP Output Gateway). All print jobs to this printer are now sent to the default printer of the View Client computer

However, if you would like to address a printer other than the Windows client default printer, then, in the View session, you should activate the print preview option in the Output Gateway user interface. In the preview, you can then select any locally installed printer.

The following will be transferred from Windows or Mac computers to the printers in a View session:

• paper size
• paper source
• color / black and white
• page orientation
• two-sided printing
• a range of finishing options

To do this, you disable the TP AutoConnect Service on the virtual machine. Doing so, however, also disables Location-Based Printing.

If you want to have the option, of disabling only the local printer mapping, we recommend upgrading to our product ThinPrint Engine.

With local printer mapping, the printers are first installed on the View Client computer and then mapped in the View session. For Windows and Mac clients the printer properties are transferred to the virtual machine. In contrast, Location-Based Printing allows for the creation of printers that are independent of the standardized local printer mapping. These printers can have custom drivers, names and printer ports (of the type standard TCP/IP), which can be defined in the Location-Based Printing group policy.

• Run the command gpresult /h gpreport.html on the command line. In the current directory, a report will be generated, which can be displayed in the browser. This report provides information on the active group policies and any previously made changes.
• On the virtual desktop, the Location-Based Printing group policy creates the registry value PrinterCreateListEx2 in: hkey_local_machine\software\policies\ThinPrint\TPAutoConnect

Yes, even if Location-Based Printing is set up and enabled, the printers installed locally on the View Client computer are also mapped, in addition to the Location-Based Printing printers.

The ThinPrint components included in VMware products are an integral part of each product.

• The doc­umentation can be found on the VMware website: https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/
• For all support requests regarding Vmware products, please contact VMware support directly: https://www.vmware.com/support/contacts/