Printer Driver Installation Reference

The functions in this section install and configure printer drivers on a computer.

In this section

Function Description
AddMonitor
The AddMonitor function installs a local port monitor and links the configuration, data, and monitor files.
AddPort
The AddPort function adds the name of a port to the list of supported ports. The AddPort function is exported by the port monitor.
AddPrinterDriver
The AddPrinterDriver function installs a local or remote printer driver and associates the configuration, data, and driver files.
For more flexibility in installing or upgrading printer drivers, use the AddPrinterDriverEx function because it allows strict upgrade, strict downgrade, copying of newer files only, and copying of all files (regardless of the file time stamps).
Note: Installing a printer driver without a driver package is no longer recommended. Use InstallPrinterDriverFromPackage instead.
AddPrinterDriverEx
The AddPrinterDriverEx function installs a local or remote printer driver and links the configuration, data, and driver files. Besides having the capabilities of AddPrinterDriver, it also has options that permit strict upgrade, strict downgrade, copying of newer files only, and copying of all files (regardless of file time stamps).
Note: Installing a printer driver without a driver package is no longer recommended. Use InstallPrinterDriverFromPackage instead.
AddPrintProcessor
The AddPrintProcessor function installs a print processor on the specified server and adds the print-processor name to the list of supported print processors.
AddPrintProvidor
The AddPrintProvidor function installs a local print provider and links the configuration, data, and provider files.
CorePrinterDriverInstalled
The CorePrinterDriverInstalled function reports whether a core printer driver with a specified GUID, date, and version is installed.
DeleteMonitor
The DeleteMonitor function removes a port monitor added by the AddMonitor function.
DeletePort
The DeletePort function displays a dialog box that allows the user to delete a port name.
DeletePrinterDriver
The DeletePrinterDriver function removes the specified printer-driver name from the list of names of supported drivers on a server.
To delete the files associated with the driver in addition to removing the specified printer-driver name from the list of names of supported drivers for a server, use the DeletePrinterDriverEx function.
DeletePrinterDriver deletes a driver only if no version of the driver is in use for the specified environment. DeletePrinterDriverEx can delete specific versions of the driver.
DeletePrinterDriverEx
The DeletePrinterDriverEx function removes the specified printer-driver name from the list of names of supported drivers on a server and deletes the files associated with the driver. This function can also delete specific versions of the driver.
DeletePrinterDriverPackage
Deletes a printer driver package from the driver store.
DeletePrintProcessor
The DeletePrintProcessor function removes a print processor added by the AddPrintProcessor function.
DeletePrintProvidor
The DeletePrintProvidor function removes a print provider added by the AddPrintProvidor function.
EnumMonitors
The EnumMonitors function retrieves information about the port monitors installed on the specified server.
EnumPorts
The EnumPorts function enumerates the ports that are available for printing on a specified server.
EnumPrinterDrivers
The EnumPrinterDrivers function enumerates the printer drivers installed on a specified printer server.
EnumPrintProcessorDatatypes
The EnumPrintProcessorDatatypes function enumerates the data types that a specified print processor supports.
EnumPrintProcessors
The EnumPrintProcessors function enumerates the print processors installed on the specified server.
GetCorePrinterDrivers
Retrieves GUID, version, and date of the specified core printer drivers and the path to their packages.
GetPrinterDriver
The GetPrinterDriver function retrieves driver data for the specified printer. If the driver is not installed on the local computer, GetPrinterDriver installs it.
GetPrinterDriver2
The GetPrinterDriver2 function retrieves driver data for the specified printer. If the driver is not installed on the local computer, GetPrinterDriver2 installs it and displays any user interface to the specified window.
GetPrinterDriverDirectory
The GetPrinterDriverDirectory function retrieves the path of the printer-driver directory.
GetPrinterDriverPackagePath
Retrieves the path to the specified printer driver package on a print server.
GetPrintProcessorDirectory
The GetPrintProcessorDirectory function retrieves the path to the print processor directory on the specified server.
InstallPrinterDriverFromPackage
Installs a printer driver from a driver package that is in the print server's driver store.
UploadPrinterDriverPackage
Uploads a printer driver to the print server's driver store so that it can be installed by calling InstallPrinterDriverFromPackage.