Exporting and Importing Print Server Configurations

You can export the configuration of all print queues and printer drivers on a print server to a Printer Migration file (*.printerExport), which you then import on either the same print server or a different one. This is useful for administrators who want to back up printer configurations or migrate printers to a different print server. Exporting print queue configuration settings and printer drivers is also a useful method for backing up the configuration of a print server as part of your organization's Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

To export all printer drivers and the configuration of all print queues for a print server, right-click the print server's node in Print Management and select Export Printers To A File. This opens the Printer Migration Wizard, which displays a list of print queues and printer drivers that will be exported. Save the resulting *.printerExport file on a network share so that you can import it again during a disaster recovery scenario or when consolidating print servers.

You can import previously exported print server configurations by using either of the following methods:

• Right-click the print server's node in Print Management, select Import Printers From A File, and then browse to select a *.printerExport file and import it.
• Double-click a *.printerExport file while logged on to the print server into which you want to import the configuration information to start the Printer Migration Wizard and import the configuration.

For more information on using the Printer Migration Wizard, see the section titled "Migrating Print Servers" later in this tutorial.

Note The PrintBRM command-line tool can also be used in Task Scheduler to perform nightly backups of your print server configurations.