HP UPD - Microsoft Driver Isolation Mode FAQs

USING THE HP UPD IN DRIVER ISOLATION MODE

Does the HP UPD support driver isolation mode?

The driver in isolation mode is supported for the HP Universal Print Driver 5.0 and higher on

Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2. This is true for all HP UPD PDLs (PS/PCL5/PCL6), for x32 and x64

bit, and regardless of supported install method. This support includes:

• HP UPD Dynamic Mode installations

• HP UPD Traditional Mode, both version-specific and standard install

• Two or more instances of the HP UPD in shared isolation

• Combinations of HP UPD instances defined for isolated, shared, or none

• All HP UPD supported installation methods (such as Add Printer Wizard, UPD’s Install.exe,

printUI, and others)

• Jobs spooled utilizing Enhanced MetaFile (EMF) (RAW spooling is handled by the Application

process, not Spoolsv.exe, so isolation mode is not appropriate for RAW)

• The ability to define the HP UPD to run in isolation mode via the Print Management Console

(PMC), by Microsoft group policy, and via modification to the driver *.inf files

What is the HP UPD install default for driver isolation mode?

For both traditional and dynamic mode, the installation default for HP UPD prior to 5.1.1 was

isolation mode set to “None”. For 5.1.1 and later, the installation default is “Shared isolation” (this

change was announced in the 5.2 release notes).

What isolation mode will subsequent installed instances of the HP UPD

have?

Assuming the absence of Microsoft policies for isolation mode, any subsequent install of the same

HP UPD version will have the same isolation mode. This assumes that during installation the user

selects, “Use the driver that is currently installed”. This step utilizes the *.inf stored on the local system.

If the user selects “replace the current driver”, the install will use the *.inf where INSTALL.EXE was

launched. If the selected driver is the same version, all installed instances of that driver version will

inherit the defined settings of the *.inf from the installation directory.

Will HP UPD Point and Print clients inherit the same isolation mode

defined on the print server?

Regardless of how isolation mode was defined for the HP UPD on the print server (via the PMC or

using the *.inf prior to server installation), the server that vends the HP UPD to clients will not inherit

isolation mode settings defined for the server. The vended driver will default to the no isolation mode.

Isolation mode is not supported for Point and Print clients running Windows Vista, Windows XP, or

Server 2003.

Do HP UPD tools have settings specific to isolation mode?

HP UPD tools such as Managed Print Administration (MPA), Driver Configuration Utility (DCU), Driver

Deployment Utility (DDU), Active Directory Templates, and UPD’s install.exe do not have driver

isolation settings. Driver isolation mode definition can be managed through the PMC, Printbrm, or

Microsoft group policy, or defined in the driver *.inf prior to installation.