Horizon 8 2111 integrated printing

[DKempf]

We have a user that works from home and she is connecting to a Windows 10 21H2 persistent running the Horizon 8 2111 agent. Her home PC is also Windows 10 and is running the Horizon 8 Client 2206. She has an Epson Workforce WF-2750 printer installed to her home PC via a wireless connection. When we were on Horizon 7.10 that still used Thinprint, this printer built on her persistent session and printed with no issues. On Horizon 8 with VM integrated printing, this printer is not available on her persistent session. I have tried installing the software and driver and the only thing that shows as available is the Fax function, it is still not building as an available printer. We have had very little joy with VM integrated printing. Any steps to get this wireless printer to connect to her persistent VDI session?

[mrkasius]

Hi @DKempf ,

Will a dummy printer be redirected when you create one on the home PC?

[ofox]

Similar to what mrkasius asked, is there any other printer(virtual or physical) in the client machine? Does it/do they get redirected into the remote session?

[DKempf]

No printers from the home PC are being created. This user had an older persistent that the printing worked on with no issues. For a number of reasons, a new persistent was created as she was having connection issues that were likely due to her ISP but I had her upgrade her View client in an attempt to resolve and when it did not, we moved her to the new persistent. I do not know what version she was at previously and she does not recall but I had her upgrade to View 8 2111. She never had printing work on her new persistent. Then, she went back to the old persistent and printers were no longer there either. I had her remove the client and re-install with no effect and then had her remove the client and install Horizon 7 5.5.4. She now has printers on both persistent machines (her old one will now be retired). I have had nothing but trouble with VM integrated printing in Horizon 8 since VM parted ways with Thinprint. I think what they are doing is pirated code from Thinprint and not done at all well. VM needs to go back to the drawing board on integrated printing or scrap it all together and partner back with Thinprint who knows what they are doing. We use a LOT of location based printing that barely works with integrated printing and does not work on any of our Dell Wyse ThinOS terminals. Going back to Thinprint based versions has corrected this issue. Normally a big supporter of VMware but your Horizon 8 platform leaves very little to be desired.

[mrkasius]

I can totally understand your frustration towards this issue.

Please check the log file 'C:\ProgramData\VMware\VDM\logs\print_service_<date_xxxxxx-xxx_xxxx>.log' on the remote desktop for error messages. In particular, 'UemState not DONE within 120 seconds'. There is a known issue with Horizon Agent 2111 and 2203 if the logon process takes more than 120 seconds, it may be seen that the local printers on the client device are not showing up on the remote desktop.

[ofox]

First mrkasius was having a very good point. If none of your local printers got redirected into a session probably DEM had some way to interfere the process. Upgrading Horizon or just uninstalling DEM might help with that.

Second I feel sorry to hear that you are having troubles with VMware Integrated Printing, particularly in LBP, but I'll be more than happy to help you if you'd provide more details about your LBP issue. You could also contact your VMware support to open a case for getting an official support.

[DKempf]

We are a hospital system with over 850 VM workstations and 165+ printers which equates to about 2700 printer entries in the GPO table. To manually do this is nearly impossible. I have a CSV file that was used with Thinprint, to import any changes into the GPO. When a CSV is imported, the initial import will show desired default printers checked but when the table is saved, no default printers are actually selected. Before the table is saved, default printers can be manually selected and the manual checks do save. This requires going through 2700 lines to find the default printers from the import, uncheck them and then check them again to get them to actually save in the table. This takes 15-20 minutes to make a single change that should take just seconds. I have discovered that I can import the CSV and then immediately export it as an XML (without saving) and then clear the table and import the XML that was just exported and save the table. Then the default printer selections stay saved. 

None of our Dell Wyse ThinOS terminals will respond to the LBP GPO entries. We have had to work other solutions for those workstations.  The Horizon 7 environment still using Thinprint, built printers on the Wyse terminals with no issues.

[DKempf]

Also, is there a way to have LBP build printers from our local print server? We use Sharp MFDs and HP printers. Our last printer refresh, both models have now coded their drivers with duplex on by default. I know of no way to change the defaults on the driver itself until after it is "attached" to a printer. We have a number of medical documents that are not to be duplexed. Users have to manually set the default printing options after the VM creates them from the LBP table. I have been unsuccessful in explaining how VM LBP works with these vendors, I keep getting instructions on how to change the printing defaults from the printer interface itself. I have been unable to make them understand that the driver code itself, needs to have duplex turned off before the driver is even applied to a printer. This is a driver issue and not a VM one but wondering if anyone has any suggestions. If the LBP could build from our print server, it has the desired defaults already set. Plus, for the Sharps, it has the full configuration for any additional paper trays or other installed options that don't get set without doing an auto config after the printers are installed from LBP by the users on the VMs.