PushPrinterConnections.exe is not a valid Win32 Application Error

Okay, so, we have our Group Policy setup for deploying printers: SBS 2008 - Deploying Printers.

But, our Windows XP Professional workstations were choking:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: UserInit
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: 11/13/2008
Time: 9:43:22 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SS-CAREFEEDING
Description:Could not execute the following script PushPrinterConnections.exe. .
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Copy the utility out of the Sysvol share onto the desktop to run it just in case we were dealing with some sort of funky permissions issue and we receved the following:

PushPrinterConnections.exe is not a valid Win32 App

Head out to do a search and we turn up this TechNet article: Scripts deployed to computer do not run (Userinit events 1000 and 1001). Nothing pertaining to our problem there.

A further search based on the PushPrinterConnections.exe error brought us to the EggHeadCafe which gave us to the clue about the x86 versus x64 version of the utility.

Well, that is all fine and dandy, but we are running 100% Windows Server 2008 x64 versions! So, where do we get an x86 version of the utility?

We download the WAIK for Vista SP1 and Server 2008 and install it. Then we download an x86 version of Windows Server 2008 via TechNet or the MVLS site, mount the WIM image from that disk and copy the utility out!

Ouch! But, once the 32bit copy of the utility was in place, we are good to go! Our printers deployed.

But, this situation does present a bit of a pickle for anyone that runs through the deployment as per the Help file and ends up in the position where they have no where to turn to get the utility. Download the WAIK and a trial version of Server 2008 x86? Probably not.

Microsoft: We do believe that packaging this utility's 32bit and 64bit versions up on the Microsoft Download site might be a good idea.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

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