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Is Moving to Windows Server 2025 Print Server the Best Way to Clean Up Old Drivers and Queues?
Moving your print services to a new server can feel like a major project. A successful migration to Windows Server 2025 is more than just a technical task; it is an opportunity to build a more reliable, secure, and efficient printing environment for your entire organization. This guide will walk you through each step of the process in simple, clear language. We will focus on a structured approach that prepares your current system, executes the move smoothly, and ensures everything works perfectly afterward.
The core of this process involves using the Print and Document Services role in Windows Server. This built-in feature allows you to manage printers and print servers effectively. Our goal is to transfer all your essential printer queues, drivers, and settings from an old server to a new one running Windows Server 2025. Over time, print servers often collect a digital attic full of old drivers, unused printer connections, and outdated configurations. Migrating gives you the perfect chance to clean house, which improves performance and reduces potential security risks.
Why Migrate Your Print Server?
Upgrading your server operating system is a standard part of IT maintenance, but migrating a print server offers specific advantages. Understanding these benefits helps justify the effort and ensures you are making a strategic improvement.
- Modern Security: Windows Server 2025 includes the latest security protections. Print systems can be a target for attacks, and running a supported, up-to-date operating system is your first line of defense.
- Improved Performance and Stability: A new server, free from years of accumulated clutter, will run more efficiently. This means faster print job processing and fewer service interruptions for users.
- Lifecycle Management: Server operating systems have a limited support lifespan. Moving to Windows Server 2025 ensures you receive critical security updates and technical support from Microsoft for years to come.
- Simplified Driver Management: The new environment provides an opportunity to standardize on modern print drivers. This can greatly simplify administration and reduce compatibility headaches.
Phase 1: Preparation and Cleanup
Thorough preparation is the most critical phase of the migration. A clean and well-documented starting point prevents most common problems during the actual move. This phase is about auditing what you have, removing what you do not need, and backing up everything important.
Your first task is to create an inventory of all printers. If you do not have one, you can generate a list with a simple PowerShell command on your current print server. This command gathers key details about each printer and saves them to a file.
Get-Printer | Select-Object Name,PortName,DriverName,@{Name='DriverVersion';Expression={ (Get-PrinterDriver -Name $_.DriverName).DriverVersion }} | Export-Csv -Path "c:\temp\printer_inventory.csv" -NoTypeInformation
This command creates a CSV file named printer_inventory.csv in the c:\temp folder. The file will list each printer’s queue name, the port it uses, its driver, and the driver’s version number. This inventory is your map for the migration.
With the inventory in hand, you must identify which printers are actually being used. A printer that is not shared or assigned to users through Group Policy is a good candidate for removal. Before deleting anything, create a full backup of your current print server configuration. This is your safety net. You can use a tool called Printbrm.exe, which is included with Windows Server.
To create the backup, open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator and run this command:
Printbrm.exe -b -f c:\temp\printserver_initial_backup.printerExport
This command backs up your entire print configuration to a single file. After the backup is secure, you can confidently begin the cleanup.
- Remove Unused Printers: Use the Print Management console to delete the printer queues you identified as obsolete from your inventory.
- Remove Unused Ports: Old printer installations often leave behind unused network ports. You can clean these up efficiently with a PowerShell script. The following commands find all ports not currently associated with a printer and remove them.
$usedPorts = Get-Printer | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PortName
Get-PrinterPort | Where-Object { ($usedPorts -notcontains $_.Name) -and ($_.Name -notmatch 'COM|LPT|FILE|PORTPROMPT') } | Remove-PrinterPort -Verbose
- Remove Unused Drivers: Similarly, you can remove old drivers that are no longer linked to any active printer. This helps streamline the new server and prevent potential conflicts.
$usedDrivers = Get-Printer | Select-Object -ExpandProperty DriverName
Get-PrinterDriver | Where-Object { ($usedDrivers -notcontains $_.Name) -and ($_.Name -notmatch 'Remote Desktop Easy Print|Microsoft') } | Remove-PrinterDriver -Verbose
The final preparation step is to update the drivers for the printers you are keeping. Check the manufacturers’ websites for the latest drivers compatible with Windows Server 2025. Many vendors offer “universal” drivers designed to work with a wide range of their printer models. Using these can simplify your driver library significantly.
Phase 2: Execution of the Migration
With the cleanup complete, it is time to perform the migration. This phase involves setting up the new server, transferring the configuration, and resolving any issues that arise.
First, create a final backup of your cleaned-up print server using the same Printbrm.exe command as before. This backup contains only the printers, drivers, and ports you intend to migrate.
Printbrm.exe -b -f c:\temp\printserver_final_backup.printerExport
One critical piece of information this backup does not include is the security settings of the print server itself. You must document these manually. Open the Print Management console, right-click your print server’s name, choose Properties, and go to the Security tab. Take a screenshot or write down which user groups have which permissions (e.g., Print, Manage this server, Manage documents).
Now, build your new server with a fresh installation of Windows Server 2025. After the initial setup and updates, install the Print and Document Services role. You can do this with a PowerShell command.
Add-WindowsFeature -Name Print-Server -IncludeManagementTools
Once the role is installed, apply the security settings you recorded earlier to the new print server. Next, copy the printserver_final_backup.printerExport file to your new server. You can restore the configuration using the Printbrm.exe tool.
PrintBrm.exe -r -f c:\temp\printserver_final_backup.printerExport
The tool will import all the printer queues, ports, and drivers from your backup file. Pay close attention to any errors reported during this process. Errors often occur when a specific driver in the backup is not compatible with the new operating system. If this happens, you will need to find and install a compatible driver manually for the affected printer.
Phase 3: Cutover and Verification
After the import is complete and you have fixed any errors, you must test the new server. Before directing users to it, conduct your own tests. Try printing a test page from several different printers to confirm they are working correctly.
The final step is to direct all user computers to the new print server. The method for this depends on how you deploy printers.
Group Policy (GPO)
This is the most common method in business environments. You will need to edit the Group Policy Objects that deploy your printers. Find the printer deployment settings under Computer Configuration or User Configuration in Policies > Windows Settings > Deployed Printers. Update the print server path in each policy to point to the new server’s hostname.
Logon Scripts
If you use scripts to map printers when users log in, you must edit those scripts to replace the old server name with the new one.
CNAME Record (Best Practice)
A highly recommended strategy is to use a generic DNS alias, or CNAME record, for your print server (e.g., print.yourcompany.com). If you point this alias to your new server, clients will connect automatically without any changes needed on their end. This also makes future migrations much simpler.
Once you make the change, it is time for final verification. Ask a small group of pilot users to test printing from their workstations. Confirm that their printers are mapped correctly and that they can print from various applications. Once you are confident everything is working as expected, you can inform all users about the successful upgrade.
Finally, plan to decommission the old server. Do not turn it off immediately. Keep it running but disconnected from the network for a week or two as a precaution. If no printing issues are reported, you can then safely power it down and remove it from your environment.