Installing XPS Document writer on Azure

Question

So i have a Windows Server 2008 virtual machine on Azure, and I need to install the XPS Document writer. The problem is that the spooler is not started. When I try to start the spooler i get the 1058 error. I tried clearing the printers from the spooler, removing registry keys, starting RPCSS service, still nothing. If I try to install a printer i get an error stating that the spooler is not started. I tried to install new hardware, I selected the XPS driver from Windows\system32\spool\tools\Microsoft XPS Document Writer but i get a driver install failure. I searched on Goolge and i found out that you can enable XPS document writer with the DISM tool but the machine does not have it.

Does anyone have any ideas?

P.S. XPS document viewer is enabled...but that`s the viewer

Answer 1

It appears that I've sorted it. I`m not exactly sure what I have done since I've tried many things but after a restart the spooler was started and the XPS Document Writer was installed and set to default. I found somewhere that on the first start of the virtual machine provided by Microsoft on Azure the printer spooler is not started by default, so maybe a simple reboot of the VM could do the trick.

Thanks for all the help!

Best regards!

Answer 2

Can you not just use .NET to create the XPS document? How to create an XPS document?

(Very quick search for that...)

Then store your documents in blob storage so they are persisted and accessible on-premises for printing locally (REST or Mgmt API)?

I don't understand your requirement for XPS document writer on Azure and touching drivers, doesnt sounds right in a stateless machine?