Blueprint: Cannot open "Printer Properties" or change printer defaults/preferences on a Secure Release Here print queue

Goal

• Modify Printer Properties or change printing defaults on a Pharos Blueprint Secure Release Here queue from a client workstation.

Symptoms

• An error message is generated when attempting to go into Printer Properties or change printing defaults on a client workstation.

Environment

• Pharos Blueprint Enterprise v4.2 (all builds and service packs)

• Pharos Blueprint Enterprise v4.1 (all builds and service packs)

• Pharos Blueprint Enterprise v3.5 (all builds and service packs)

• Microsoft Windows Vista

• Microsoft Windows 7

• Microsoft Windows 2008 Server

• Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Server

Cause

In some cases (notably on Microsoft Windows Vista or 7 64-bit clients), you may be unable to access the Properties or printing defaults on a print queue enabled for Blueprint Secure Release Here. The problem stems from the length of the printer port for the queue since, by design, a Secure Release Queue on the server is monitored by a pool of ten (10) Pharos Secure Release ports. Should this occur, the resolution is to reduce the number of ports available to the pool. This is accomplished by creating a new entry in the Windows Registry for the Pharos Blueprint software. This procedure must be followed on all Collectors serving Secure Release Here queues, and on the Analyst if the Analyst is also serving Secure Release Here queues.

Resolution

WARNING: The following procedure involves directly modifying the Windows Registry. While the following procedure has been used in several environments and affects only the Pharos application, editing the Windows Registry carries with it inherent risks. Pharos strongly suggests that all precautions be taken (system state backup, database backup, etc.) prior to applying the resolution on a production system. Further, this procedure requires the restarting of the Pharos services on the Collector/Analyst (at a minimum), so the task should be performed during an approved outage window.

On 32-bit Microsoft Windows Servers

Download the "NumberOfSecurePorts - x86.reg" file (below) to the Collector/Analyst. Right-click the file and choose "Merge" from the shortcut menu. Alternately, you may launch the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and choose File > Import and browse to the .reg file. The alternate option may be the only option in highly-secured computing environments because this allows the Registry Editor to be run with elevated credentials.

Once this has been complete, either restart the Collector/Analyst or restart the Pharos services instead. The modification will propogate to any connected client print queue, meaning no explicit client update is necessary.

On 64-bit Microsoft Windows Servers

Download the "NumberOfSecurePorts - x64.reg" file (below) to the Collector/Analyst. Right-click the file and choose "Merge" from the shortcut menu. Alternately, you may launch the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and choose File > Import and browse to the .reg file. The alternate option may be the only option in highly-secured computing environments because this allows the Registry Editor to be run with elevated credentials.

Once this has been complete, either restart the Collector/Analyst or restart the Pharos services instead. The modification will propogate to any connected client print queue, meaning no explicit client update is necessary.