MORE INFORMATION
Overview
Printer Migrator 2000 (Printmig.exe) performs a complete printer
configuration backup of a Windows NT 4.0-based or Windows 2000-based computer.
This backup data is stored in a user-specified .cab file. If Printmig.exe is
enabled (by default, it is enabled), Printmig.exe also writes status
information to the Pm.log file in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Pm folder.
The following data is backed up to the .cab file:
- Printers
- Defined print queues in Windows NT and Windows
2000
- Print monitor ports
NOTE: Printmig.exe recognizes and backs up the following ports:
- Hewlett-Packard network port
- LexMark MarkVision port monitor (IP/DLC)
- Jet Admin
- LPR port
- Local ports
- Digital network port
- Apple Talk port monitor
- Standard port monitor
- Printer driver platforms for Windows NT 4.0: x86, Alpha,
Mips, PPC. Printer driver platforms for Windows 2000: x86.
- Share point information. Note that all file shares, print
shares, and user permissions are backed up. Also, by default, only print shares
are restored.
NOTE: Printer Migrator 2000 does not back up the actual monitor,
instead, it only backs up the defined ports. Prior to the restoration
operation, you must reinstall the original set of port monitors to ensure
complete functionality. Printer Migrator 2000 generates a warning message for
each monitor that is not present after the restoration. However this
information is only written to the log file if you use the -i switch, or if you
previously clicked to select the
Suppress Warning Popups check box.
Features That Are Included in Printmig.exe Version 2.0 But Not Version 1.0
Merge Configurations
In Restore mode, Printer Migrator version 1.0 performed a printer
configuration registry overwrite of the target computer. Because of this, any
existing printer configuration would be lost after the Printer Migrator
restoration process finishes. The majority of development efforts for
Printmig.exe version 2.0 have been dedicated to the registry-merging code upon
a restoration. By merging registry information, printer configurations can be
merged (this is the default behavior) or overwritten. To overwrite printer
configurations, use the /o switch (in combination with the /r switch) or click
to select the
Replace (overwrite) existing print shares check
box in the
Restore dialog box.
Full Operation from a Command Prompt
Because you can start Microsoft Printer Migrator version 2000
from a command prompt, you can use it with a script. Several switches have been
added to Printer Migrator 2000 version 2.0 that are not included in version
1.0, and you can view these switches by using the /? switch. Note that if you
start Printmig.exe from a command prompt, the user interface also starts, but
it automatically shuts down when the operation is complete. The following list
provides a description of the different switches you can use with Printmig.exe:
- -?
This switch was introduced in version 1.0. The
/? switch displays the available switches. - -d
The disable spooler switch was introduced in
version 1.0. The /d switch disables the spooler. When you use the /d switch,
Printer Migrator does not allow any backup or restore activity, but enumerates
the target computer and populates the tree view with related information. Use
the /d switch if you are unable to gain access to the target computer when the
spooler is started and you want to check which printers are installed. This
switch is provided in case you do not have sufficient access permissions to
modify spooler information. - -b
The backup switch causes Printmig.exe to
backup the printer configuration information of a Windows NT 4.0-based or
Windows 2000-based computer. Note that if you do not specify the target
computer name (in the form of \\computer name), the local computer is implied. - -f
The file name switch determines the file name
to read from or write to, and this depends on whether you use the /r or /b
switch. In either case, the file name directly follows the switch. For file
names or paths with spaces, the complete file name and path must be enclosed in
quotation marks. - -r
The restore switch causes Printmig.exe to
restore the specified printer configuration of a Windows NT 4.0-based or
Windows 2000-based computer to a Windows NT 4.0-based or Windows 2000-based
computer. Note that Printmig.exe 2.0 does not allow restoration from a Windows
NT 4.0-based computer to a Windows 2000-based computer or from a Windows
2000-based computer to a Windows NT 4.0-based computer. Like Printmig.exe 1.0,
Printmig.exe 2.0 only allows like platform restorations for Windows NT
4.0-based computers (for example, x86 to x86). Also, the default for the /r
switch is to merge the printer configuration from the .cab file to the existing
printer configuration on the target. - -o
The overwrite switch (in combination with the
/r switch) causes the target server to be overwritten with the printer
configuration information that is contained in the .cab file that is specified
by the /f switch. - -s
The restore file shares switch merges the file
shares in the .cab file with the existing file shares that exist on the
target. - -p
The restore user permissions switch merges the
user permissions in the .cab file with the existing user permissions on the
target. - -i
The suppress warning popups switch disables
warning dialog boxes that require user intervention, such as OK, Cancel, and so on. Note that the warnings are still written to the log
file. You should use this switch when you use a script to start
Printmig.exe.
Terminal Services Aware
Printmig.exe 1.0 was not Terminal Services aware for
restorations. Instead, version 1.0 would target the %SystemRoot% folder on a
per-user basis, even though it needed to use a system-wide basis. This has been
corrected with Printmig.exe 2.0, and is transparent when you restore to a
computer that is running Terminal Services.
Scheduling
Printmig.exe has been fully tested with the Mstask.exe tool, and
all known scheduling bugs have been fixed. For example, no one needs to be
logged in for the program to operate successfully operate.
Multi-Threaded Graphical User Interface
Printmig.exe 2.0 is multithreaded, so the tool should not stop
responding (hang) during a long operation. Do not attempt to run simultaneous
backups or restorations with a single instance of Printmig.exe 2.0. Instead,
you must run separate instances of Printmig.exe 2.0 to perform simultaneous
backups or restorations from a single computer.
Usage
Backup
When you use Printmig.exe 2.0 to back up the printer
configuration of a Windows NT-based or Windows 2000-based computer, you must
specify the .cab file location and name that Printmig.exe will create.
Optionally, you can specify the target server.
To create a backup
from a command prompt, use the -b switch and the -f [
file name] switch. Optionally, you can specify the target computer name as
the last parameter of the command in the \\
server name form. To create a backup from with the program:
- Click Backup on the Actions menu.
- Manually enter the path and file name of the .cab file to
be created, or browse to the desired folder and type the file name.
- Click Save, and then click OK to begin the back up procedure.
As the backup command runs, a progress report is displayed in
the lower portion of the Printer Migrator window. The contents of this report
are saved in the Pm.log file that is located in the
%SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Pm folder. After this process completes, the .cab
file contains the related printer registry data and spooler files.
Restore
When you use Printmig.exe 2.0 to restore a printer configuration
to a Windows NT 4.0-based or Windows 2000-based computer, the default behavior
is to merge the configuration from the .cab file to the existing configuration
on the target computer. Note that this behavior differs from Printmig.exe 1.0
which overwrites the existing configuration on the target with the
configuration from the .cab file. To overwrite with Printmig.exe 2.0, use the
-o switch or click to select the
Replace (overwrite) existing print
shares check box in the
Restore dialog box.
To restore from a command prompt, use the
-r and the -f [filename] switches. Optionally, you can specify the target
computer name as the last parameter of the command in the \\
server name form.
To restore from within the program:
- Click Restore on the Actions menu.
- Open the folder that contains the existing .cab
file.
- Type the name of the .cab file you want to read in the File Name box. Optionally, you can specify the computer name in the \\server name form.
- Select any options you want to use, such as
Suppress warning popups, Replace existing file
shares, Restore user permissions, and Restore
file shares.
- Click Open to begin the restoration process.
IMPORTANT: Printmig.exe temporarily stops the spooler (and MacPrint, if it
is started) on the target computer to restore print queue information. Also,
before you run the
Restore command on a print server,
verify that the following requirements are satisfied:
- The backup computer and the target computer must both be
running the same operating system and use the same platform such as x86, Alpha,
and so on.
- Print monitor information is consistent with the backup
computer. If a monitor is missing, Printer Migrator generates a warning
message, and you must install the monitor or service to run the restoration
again.
- The current user must have administrative rights on the
target computer.
As the
Restore command runs, a progress
report is displayed in the lower portion of the Printer Migrator window. The
contents of this report are saved in the Pm.log file that is located in the
%SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Pm folder.
Note that Printmig.exe 2.0 is
backwards compatible with .cab files that were created by Printmig.exe 1.0, but
not the other way around.
Log File
The log file records detailed information about backups,
restorations, and errors that were encountered. The Pm.log log file is stored
in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Pm folder. Warnings and errors are still
logged even if these items are disabled.
Log To Text is enabled by default on the
Options menu. Click this command to disable logging to a text file.
However, note that all of this information is still displayed in the lower
portion of the Printer Migrator logging window.
View
The
Target and
Restore Local commands enumerate print queue information in a tree view format.
The title bar identifies the computer that corresponds to the currently
displayed tree view. Note that this computer is the target of all subsequent
operations.
To enumerate a remote computer and populate the tree
view:
- Click Target on the View menu.
- In the Target Server box, type the name of the target server, for example,
\\server1.
To enumerate the local computer and populate the tree view,
click
Restore Local on the
View menu.
Availability of Print Migrator 3.0
As of May 2002, Microsoft has made Print Migrator 3.0 available.
For information about how to obtain Print Migrator 3.0, visit the following
Microsoft Web site: