Excel programming module running slow on Terminal Server 2008

Question

I have a Windows application that exports to Excel using the Excel Object Module (programming module). It has worked fine on all Winodws versions except Windows Server 2008. It takes about 2 seconds to do anything in Excel, making the process take minutes or even hours to complete what normally takes a few seconds.

This happens when using Terminal Services or RemoteApp. I discovered that it only happens when you check the Printers checkbox under Local Resources when connecting via Remote Desktop. If you uncheck it the speed is normal.

However, I need my printers, so I can't just uncheck it. Any ideas what is causing the slow down?

Answer 1

The MS Office apps do a lot of calculation in the background based on the default printer. When you connect from a remote Terminal Services session and import the Printers from your Local Resources, the Terminal Server really needs to have an appropriate driver for each printer you're connecting.

Thus, one solution to the speed issue would be to ensure that the server has the right drivers (and that they work as expected).