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Server 2016 Domain member server Policy in effect prevents connecting to print queue
I have server 2016 member server (terminal server). Cannot add shared printers, get "A policy is in effect on your computer which prevents you from connecting to this print queue" I have check added changed the Point and print ect policies, no change...This is a new issue in the last few months but not sure exactly when it started.
2 Replies
That message can reflect an effective printer policy or a driver-installation restriction; changing several Point and Print settings does not establish which one is blocking this terminal server.
I would not leave RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators at 0 as the routine fix. Microsoft explicitly warns that this makes devices vulnerable and that other mitigations are not equivalent to keeping it at 1. The same article says changing that registry value requires no restart.
On the affected server, run gpresult /h gp.html from an elevated prompt and inspect the applied computer and user printer policies. Check Point and Print Restrictions and Package Point and Print – Approved servers against the actual print-server name used by the connection.
Then test installation with administrator credentials while retaining the driver-installation restriction. If that fails too, collect the exact error, driver name/version, print-server name, and effective policy report. Those results distinguish a policy rejection from an elevation-only problem.
Hello simp513 ,
Since August 2021, Microsoft has defaulted to restricting only administrators from installing printer drivers. The key to resolving this issue lies in the RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators registry value, which may not be in the same location as the traditional Point and Print restrictions you modified.
Please check or modify the following registry key on this Windows Server 2016 terminal server:
Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\PointAndPrint
Value name: RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators
Type: REG_DWORD
Value data: Set to 0
Key point: Setting it to 0 allows non-admin users to install print drivers from the print server; if it is 1 or the value doesn't exist (default state), it will block installation. After making the change, it's recommended to restart the Print Spooler service or restart the server to ensure it takes effect.
