Because your Hosted Desktop is in the Cloud, any documents which you print from it are sent via your own local PC to enable the Hosted Desktop to talk to your local printer. This relationship is shown in the diagram below.
Any printer which you wish to print to from your Hosted Desktop must therefore be installed on your own local PC, and not on the Hosted Desktop.
When you connect to your Hosted Desktop, Hosted automatically detects which printer(s) you have currently installed on your own local PC and then connects to them. This is known as Terminal Services Printer Redirection.
To enable effective communication between your Hosted Desktop and your local printer, several pieces of software must be installed on your own PC. Depending on which Operating System you are using, some of these may be installed already, but click the images below to select your Operating System and check the specific software requirements.
Windows XP
Before Printer Redirection will function correctly with Windows XP, the following three pieces of software must be installed on your local PC. You can download and install each of these pieces of software from Microsoft’s website by clicking on the links provided below.
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection 7
Windows Vista
Before Printer Redirection will function correctly with Windows Vista, the following three pieces of software must be installed on your local PC. You can download and install each of these pieces of software from Microsoft’s website by clicking on the links provided below.
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection 7 32-bit Version / 64-bit version
Windows 7, 8 & 10
Windows 7 & 8 do not require any additional software to be installed to allow Printer Redirection to function.
F.A.Q.’s
Q. I have a new printer, how do I install it on my Hosted Desktop?
A. There is no need to install your new printer on your Hosted Desktop, just install it on your own local PC as per the manufacturer’s instructions that were provided when you purchased the device. Now log off, and back onto your Hosted Desktop and Hosted will pick up your new printer.
I can print from my Hosted Desktop, but when the document prints out it appears as a load of mixed-up characters - why is this?
A. This is likely to be caused because your printer requires a specialised printer driver which is not currently installed on your Hosted Desktop. Please raise a Support Ticket to us and we can install the driver for you - ensure that you include the following details in the ticket or email: Exact make and model of your printer (i.e HP DeskJet D3600) and if possible the current version of the driver which is currently installed on your local PC.
Q. I can print from my Hosted Desktop, but some of the printer features such as Duplex Printing, or selecting a specific printer tray do not work correctly - why is this?
A. This is likely to be caused by one of two reasons:
i. Your printer requires a specialised printer driver which is not currently installed on your Hosted Desktop. Please raise a Support Ticket to us and we can install the driver for you - ensure that you include the exact make and model of your printer (i.e HP DeskJet D3600) and if possible the version of the driver which is currently installed on your local PC. or
ii. The manufacturer’s driver for your printer does not support Redirected Printing - your Hosted Desktop Support Technician will advise you if this is the case and what specific options are open to you to resolve it.