Windows 7 / Getting Started

Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode Using the Print Management Console

You can configure the Printer Driver Isolation mode for a printer driver from under the All Drivers node, a custom driver filter node, or the Drivers node for a print server. To configure the Driver Isolation mode for a printer driver, right-click the driver and select Set Driver Isolation from the context menu. Doing this displays four choices:

  • None Runs the driver within the spooler process (legacy Isolation mode).
  • Shared Runs the driver within the shared process.
  • Isolated Creates a new isolated process for this driver only.
  • System Default This menu option displays (None) if the DriverIsolation entry in the driver's .inf file is missing or has a value of 0, or it displays (Shared) if the DriverIsolation entry in the driver's .inf file has a value of 2. In other words, None indicates that the driver is not designed to support driver isolation, and Shared indicates that it is designed to support driver isolation.

Note also the new Driver Isolation column in the details pane when drivers are being displayed in Print Management, which is new in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note If you are using the Print Management console on a computer running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 and connect to a print server running a previous version of Windows, the Print Management console will indicate that driver isolation is not supported on that server, and you will not have the option to change modes.

[Previous] [Contents] [Next]

In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Printing
  2. Enhancements to Printing in Windows 7
  3. Printing Enhancements Previously Introduced in Windows Vista
  4. Additional Printing Enhancements in Windows 7
  5. How Printing Works in Windows 7
  6. Understanding XPS
  7. Understanding the Windows Printing Subsystem
  8. Understanding Printer Driver Isolation
  9. Understanding the Print Management Console
  10. Enhancements to the Print Management Console in Windows 7
  11. The Print Management Console
  12. Adding and Removing Print Servers
  13. Configuring Default Security for Print Servers
  14. Adding Printers Using the Network Printer Installation Wizard
  15. Creating and Using Printer Filters
  16. Creating and Using Driver Filters
  17. Managing Printers Using Print Management
  18. Configuring Properties of Printers
  19. Publishing Printers in AD DS
  20. Managing Printer Drivers
  21. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode
  22. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode Using the Print Management Console
  23. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode Using Group Policy
  24. Troubleshooting Driver Isolation
  25. Exporting and Importing Print Server Configurations
  26. Printer Export Files
  27. Performing Bulk Actions Using Print Management
  28. Client-Side Management of Printers
  29. Installing Printers Using the Add Printers Wizard
  30. Searching for Printers
  31. Installing Printers Using Point and Print
  32. Using Devices And Printers
  33. Using the Color Management CPL
  34. Managing Client-Side Printer Experience Using Group Policy
  35. Configuring the Add Printer Wizard
  36. Disable Client-Side Printer Rendering
  37. Configuring Package Point and Print Restrictions
  38. Extending Point and Print Using Windows Update
  39. Deploying Printers Using Group Policy
  40. Preparing to Deploy Printers
  41. Deploying a Printer Connection
  42. Limitations of Deploying Printers Using Group Policy
  43. Migrating Print Servers
  44. Migrate Print Servers Using Print Management
  45. Migrating Print Servers Using PrintBRM
  46. Monitoring and Troubleshooting Printers
  47. Configuring E-Mail Notifications
  48. Configuring Print Server Notifications
  49. Configuring Script Actions
  50. Configuring Detailed Event Logging