The Problem:
Over the past few weeks, I've received several queries from readers on the same subject: When users send a job to a remote printer, Windows frequently displays an error message that the printer can't be found. The message suggests that the printer name is incorrect in Windows or that the printer has been removed from the print server. My correspondents insist that the printer names are correct, the printers are connected, and two mentioned that their printers were published to Active Directory (AD). One writer pointed out that if either error condition existed, the problem would be constant instead of intermittent. Good logic! This problem's cause is a common one. Do you know what it is?
The Solution:
Windows displays the error message for missing printers when the number of concurrent users that the print server allows is exceeded. If the print server is running a version of Windows XP Professional, the maximum number of concurrent remote users is 10. If the print server is running a version of Windows Server 2003, the maximum number of concurrent remote users is determined by the number of licenses attached to the server. You can ascertain the number of licenses on a server by opening the Control Panel Licenses applet.
