Microsoft Windows displays fewer printers than are installed

Symptoms

• The number of print queues displayed is less than the number installed

• Can't find a recently-added print queue

Environment

• Pharos Systems Blueprint Enterprise

• Pharos Systems Uniprint Suite

• Microsoft Windows Vista

• Microsoft Windows 7

• Microsoft Windows 8

• Microsoft Windows 8.1

• Microsoft Windows 2008 Server

• Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Server

• Microsoft Windows 2012 Server

• Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 Server

Cause

Beginning with Windows Vista, Microsoft chose to engage a User Interface (UI) change within the "Devices and Printers" (formerly Printers and Faxes) view. If more than one print queue is defined on either a workstation or server and the following conditions are met:

• The print queues share the same driver

• The print queues share the same port

then the print queues will be grouped within the Devices and Printers UI.

In the following example, two Secure Release Here queues for Blueprint Enterprise were created. One was named "HP Secure #1" and the other was named "HP Secure #2". When viewed in Devices and Printers, it appears that only queue, HP Secure #1, is present: there is only one icon, and the number of objects within "Printers and Faxes" is one.

However, if the single object is selected and then right-clicked to display the shortcut menu, there are arrowheads next to the five (5) menu options specific to the printer object.

When hovered, the arrowhead creates another fly-out menu that displays both of the print queues created earlier.

If you do not wish to view print queues in this manner, you may add the Print Management Role Service within Windows 2008 or 2012 Server.

Microsoft has released their own Knowledge Base Article to help those using Windows 7 and 8.x.