Question : Sharing printer drives to 32-bit XP with a 64-bit Windows 2003 R2 Server

I have a Windows 2003 R2 64-bit server and I am trying to share print drivers out to XP 32-bit Clients.

I am going into the properties of the printer driver and then click on the sharing tab and then on additional drivers.

I have a Sharp AR-M455N Printer/copier.

TX64 is already checked, so I check x86 and point to the 32-bit drivers and I get the error that "The specified location does not contain the driver Sharp AR-M455N PCL 6 for the requested processor architecture.

If I use an embedded driver such as a HP LaserJet 4000, which I do have, the sharing works because XP has a HP Laserjet 4000 driver.

How is someone supposed to do this?

Thanks,

Patrick

Answer : Sharing printer drives to 32-bit XP with a 64-bit Windows 2003 R2 Server

I had the same problem with a few of our Cannon IR copiers.  I took the same steps as you did and had the same errors.  

I'm not sure if this will apply to you or not, but here's what I had to do to get our copier to work being shared off of a 64 bit server to 32 bit clients.

Download the most current 64-bit drivers, in my case version 282, download the version 282 drivers for 32 bit (which are not the most current drivers available for a 32 bit OS, but in this case worked)
http://www.usa.canon.com/html/download/irc3100.html

Install the printer on the server (as you normally would) using the 64 bit drivers and share it, after the installation go into the additional drivers and add the x86 version of the driver (making sure that the version of the driver matches up for both the x86 and x64 versions)...  When prompted for a installation disk, choose the inf for the 32 bit drivers (with the same version as the 64 bit).  Alternately some manufacturers will make a driver that works with both 64 and 32 bit OSes.. this is the best case scenario but after looking here, http://www.sharpusa.com/products/TypeWizardShow/1,2122,18,00.html# it doesn't appear that Sharp has this option.

If you still have problems with it, try using the PostScript drivers and then the PCL drivers or contacting Sharp and ask them when they plan on writing a driver that will work with your setup, or if you're not using the advantages that a 64 bit os offers, reinstall your OS with a 32 bit version.