6.4. Windows Registry settings overview

These Windows Registry settings are used by Printix Client

• KioskMode
• DisableHTTPPrinting
• DiscoverPrintersByHostname
• ForceAzurePrt
• ForceOfflineMode
• useGroupPermissions
• StartAsVDI

KioskMode

• Purpose: Make Printix Client run as kiosk.
• Printix Windows Registry:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
  printix.net\Printix Client\
• Value name: KioskMode
• Value type: String
• Value:
  • Enter your Kiosk ID. Example: K08fLFIswGHM9KOXBGjGKfrCFravIo01DmNwSBc9jo6YoKgd

DisableHTTPPrinting

• Purpose: Control if communication locally for between the Windows Print Spooler (spoolsv.exe) and PrintixService.exe should be via HTTP (default) or secure via HTTPS.
• Printix Windows Registry:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
  printix.net\Printix Client\
• Value name: DisableHTTPPrinting
• Value type: DWORD
• Value – Decimal values (hex value in parenthesis):
  • 0 (0×00000000): Local communication via HTTP (TCP port 21339) to allow the PrintixService.exe to listen for print data from the Windows Print Spooler (spoolsv.exe).
  • 1 (0×00000001): Local secure communication via HTTPS (TCP port 21343) to allow the PrintixService.exe to listen for print data from the Windows Print Spooler (spoolsv.exe).
• Requirements:
  • Printix Client version 1.3.1245 or later.

*With a value of 1 Printix Client will within 10 minutes convert Printix printers to use TCP port 21343 instead of the previously used TCP port 21339. Printix printers will be converted back to use HTTP printing within 10 minutes after the registry has been changed back to 0 from 1.

!If Microsoft’s Windows Registry DWORD value name DisableHTTPPrinting in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\ has a value of 1 it disables both HTTP and HTTPS printing for the Windows Print Spooler and thereby Printix printing altogether. It is not possible to use Printix printing on Windows if a group policy (GPO) disables HTTP printing.

DiscoverPrintersByHostname

• Purpose: Control if and how Discover printers requests are handled by the computer.
  By default, the computer accepts the Discover printers requests and examines the list of installed print queues and network subnet information to broadcast for and ping printers, collect information via SNMP, and register the discovered printers in the Printix Cloud by IP address.
  If Printix Home is configured to Discover printers by hostname, you can use this Windows Registry setting to control which computer should accept Discover printers requests. The computer examines the list of installed print queues, uses the print queue’s hostname to ping the referenced printers, collect information via SNMP, and register the printers in the Printix Cloud by hostname.
• Printix Windows Registry:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
  printix.net\Printix Client\
• Value name: DiscoverPrintersByHostname
• Value type: DWORD
• Value – Decimal values (hex value in parenthesis):
  • 0 (0×00000000): If Printix Home is configured to Discover printers by hostname, the computer ignores any Discover printers requests.
  • 1 (0×00000001): If Printix Home is configured to Discover printers by hostname, the computer accepts any Discover printers requests.
• Requirements:
  • Printix Home is configured to discover printers by hostname. See also: How to enable discover printers by hostname.
  • Printix Client version for Windows is 1.4.0.80 or higher, version for Mac is 1.4.0.53 or higher.

ForceAzurePrt

• Purpose: Make Printix Client believe the computer supports SSO. Relevant if a group policy blocks Printix Client from running the dsregcmd command, which is used to determine if the computer supports SSO.
• Printix Windows Registry:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
  printix.net\Printix Client\
• Value name: ForceAzurePrt
• Value type: DWORD
• Value – Decimal values (hex value in parenthesis):
  • 0 (0×00000000): Computer is not Microsoft Entra joined and SSO (Single Sign-on) will not work.
  • 1 (0×00000001): Computer is Microsoft Entra joined and SSO (Single Sign-on) will work.

ForceOfflineMode

• Purpose: Force Printix Client into offline mode. To force computers into offline mode, refer to the knowledge base for instructions. To see how Printix behaves in offline mode, see What if the Internet connection is lost?
• Printix Windows Registry:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
  Policies\printix.net\Printix Client\ForceOfflineMode
• Value name: ForceOfflineMode
• Value type: DWORD
• Value – Decimal values (hex value in parenthesis):
  • 0 (0×00000000): Disable offline mode.
  • 1 (0×00000001): Enable offline mode.
• Requirements:
  • Printix Client version 1.3.1286 or later.

useGroupPermissions

• Purpose: If StartAsVDI is enabled, use this to control which print queues are available to the signed in user.
• Printix Windows Registry:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
  printix.net\Printix Client\
• Value name: useGroupPermissions
• Value type: DWORD
• Value – Decimal values (hex value in parenthesis):
  • 0 (0×00000000): Printix Client will make all installed print queues available to the signed in user.
  • 1 (0×00000001): Printix Client will look at the users’ group membership and only make print queues with Exclusive access available to the signed in user. This is done by setting the security permissions on the print queues accordingly. The groups MUST be in both Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID.

StartAsVDI

• Purpose: Make Printix Client work with a managed image, which is typically used in connection with: Azure Virtual Desktop, Citrix, Remote Desktop Services (RDS), and VMware Horizon VDI.
• Printix Windows Registry:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
  printix.net\Printix Client\
• Value name: StartAsVDI
• Value type: DWORD
• Value – Decimal values (hex value in parenthesis):
  • 0 (0×00000000): Printix Client will run normally.
  • 1 (0×00000001): Printix Client will NOT update itself automatically. It will read and write the user’s Printix settings, including access tokens, in the user’s Application Data folder.
    • The path to the users application folder is based on %APPDATA%.
  • 2 (0×00000002): Printix Client will update itself automatically. It will read and write the user’s Printix settings, including access tokens, in the user’s Application Data folder.
    • The path to the users application folder is based on %APPDATA%.
  • 999 (0×000003e7): Printix Client will NOT update itself automatically. It will read and write the user’s Printix settings, including access tokens, in the user’s Application Data folder.
    • The path to the user’s application folder is based on %USERPROFILE% and then AppData\Roaming is appended.

*StartAsVDI only takes effect after a restart of the Printix Service and only takes effect for new profiles.