I've been dealing with a frustrating printing issue in my Azure-hosted environment for almost a year now and could really use some guidance. Here's the setup I'm working with:
- We're running **Windows Server 2025** with **Print Management** hosted in Azure.
- Clients are on **Windows 11 25H2**, which is the latest release.
- All devices are **Azure AD joined**—we don't have any on-prem AD setup.
- Printing happens through traditional **SMB client-server connections**.
The trouble kicked off when we upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 (from 22H2 to 23H2).
**Symptoms I'm experiencing:**
- It takes about **15 seconds** just to open the print server via Windows File Explorer.
- When I print something, the connection can take up to **2 minutes** to establish.
- Even after that, spooling can be unusually slow.
- Some days, everything works smoothly and documents print in seconds.
The inconsistency makes it tough to diagnose. I reached out to Microsoft support, and their response was that this setup (Azure-hosted print server + Azure AD clients + SMB) is quite complex and tough to support. They suggested I switch to **Universal Print**, but that would hike up our costs considerably given our printing volume. I'd prefer to stick with the current setup if possible.
Has anyone dealt with similar issues in a fully cloud-based Azure AD setup? What might be causing these intermittent delays?
3 Answers
We switched to a cloud print solution that allowed us to eliminate the print server and VPN dependencies. The vendor we use compresses print files, which really reduced latency—even when printing cross-country. You might want to consider a similar approach.
That's interesting! What vendor are you using? We've got a cloud printing option too, but it feels more like 'Follow Me' printing, which doesn't quite fit our needs. Users usually prefer one specific printer based on location.
What kind of connection do you have to Azure? Is it through a VPN or an ExpressRoute? That could be a factor in your delays.
I understand that—having location-based printing is key! If your current vendor isn't meeting your needs, it might be worth exploring other options that focus on direct printing.