Terminal Server Printer setup recommendations, considerations, and troubleshooting steps

EPASS Support

08-Jan-2026

Terminal Server Printer setup recommendations, considerations, and troubleshooting steps

In terminal server environments, IT departments may use redirected printers which allow for a user’s individual printer (accessible to them before logging into a remote environment) to be available in the remote environment. This can potentially cause issues for EPASS if/when the printer name changes (for example: Printer ABC (redirected 2) changes to Printer ABC (redirected 6)).

Without the user specifically updating the EPASS printer any time the printer redirect changes (like when they log out and log back in), this may cause unexpected printing behavior as EPASS isn’t able to find the expected printer and attempts to fall back on the Windows default printer.

Suggested steps to resolve printing issues in remote environments where the user logs directly into the remote environment before accessing EPASS

Here is a common set of steps that a user may need to follow when a redirected printer changes. These instructions assume the user is already in the remote environment. For setups where the remote environment is entirely locked to EPASS and the user does not have access to the Windows user settings, the user may need to be logged in directly to the remote environment instead.

1. Open start menu, start typing ‘printers’ and select Printers from the list

2. In the list of printers note the redirect numbers in place for Microsoft Print to PDF and/or the user’s normal default printer (SHARP BP-70C31 (4510148100) in this example)

3. In EPASS, go to File > Terminal Settings > Printers tab. The printer listed there should match what you saw in the list of printers previously. If it doesn't, update the listed printer for all categories.
   

4. Hit OK. 
5. Close EPASS. 
6. Login to EPASS again
7. Test printing.

8. If it fails, repeats step 3 - 7 using the other printer (ie. if you did the SHARP printer originally, try Microsoft Print to PDF this time)

Suggested steps to resolve printing issues in remote environments where the user logs directly into EPASS and has no access to their Windows user settings in that remote environment:

1. Note the IP address shown in EPASS on the lower bar.
2. Log directly into that IP via Remote Desktop Connection. (IT may need to assist with this)
3. Set the default printer as Microsoft Print to PDF (not the redirected one).
4. Test in EPASS. EPASS should now load the print preview directly without error.
5. Click the print icon
6. Select the physical printer
7. Disable/un-check ‘default properties’
8. EPASS prints to the physical printer as expected

Global setting – Company Variable

EPASS offers an alternate global option which ignores any printer set in EPASS directly and instead uses the user’s Windows Default Printer. This is an ‘all or nothing’ setting and applies to all users. It is set in System Maintenance > Variables > Company, enable Use Windows Default Printer for all Reports and Print Forms. This may help in environments where the terminal server is not automatically seeing a user’s local printers when the user logs in.

Print Dialog “Default Properties” setting

Users may notice different behavior when printing depending on if they have Default Properties selected or not on the print dialog window that pops up when printing from EPASS:

We typically expect that the Default Properties check box is disabled/not-checked in order to see expected printing behavior, especially when using redirected printers. When EPASS is unable to find the expected printer, users may find that check box is enabled. There is no programmatic way to consistently disable the Default Properties check box and in some remote environments, users must ensure this setting is correct for every print action.

Other common printer issues

If the user tries to preview a report or invoice and gets an error message of Page Header plus Page Footer is too large for the page, there may be an issue with the Windows default printer. For the scope of this article, we typically expect that the Windows default printer is set correctly in the remote environment itself and not on the user’s local workstation. See this document for steps to resolve.