How to Load Printer Drivers from Trusted Source Only

In Windows NT you can install printer drivers from a trusted share, rather than from the remote print server to which your print service is connected.

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To install printer drivers from a trusted source:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Locate the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Providers\LanMan Print Services\Servers
3. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following value:
   Value Name: LoadTrustedDrivers
   Data Type: REG_DWORD
   Value: 1
   
   A value of 1 indicates that drivers can be installed only from the trusted print server shares specified by the TrustedDriverPath value.
4. On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following value:
   Value Name: TrustedDriverPath
   Data Type: REG_SZ = \\servername\sharename
   where servername is the name of the appropriate server and sharename is the name of the appropriate share.
   
   This value specifies the path to trusted print server shares from which you can install printer drivers. If the LoadTrustedDrivers value is 1, you can only install drivers from the server shares located in the path specified in the value of this entry.
5. Quit Registry Editor, and then restart your computer.

To obtain a set of trusted files, you must install a driver on a computer one time. If you install printer drivers for a Windows NT 4.0 Intel system, the following structure exists: You must copy the files from this folder into the \2 subfolder of the trusted driver share. For example, if the share is located in the C:\Tmp folder and the share name is "ins," the structure is C:\Tmp\2 and you must type the following path into the registry: