Can I disable WSD (Web Services for Devices) on Server 2012/R2? How?

Question

I am looking for a way to disable WSD on Server 2012 and Server 2012 R2. Basically, a number of our printers on a number of our print server have decided that using this bloody service is better than using the TCP/IP ports they were assigned, and they are changing themselves over to WSD ports which results in users being unable to print to these printers.

On Windows 2008 R2 server, I can prevent this behavior by stopping and disabling the PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator service, however, that service doesn't seem to be present in Server 2012.

The only suggestions I've come across for stopping this behavior are all sub-optimal.

1. Turn off Network Discovery (which WDS relies on to function)
2. Block WDS at the Firewall
3. Disable the WDS functionality on the printers.

I'd like a way to disable this service (and only this service) at the print server, because any of the other options involve a lot more work than I'd like (2, 3) or have undesirable side-effects (1). Does anyone know of a way to do this?

Answer 1

I'm afraid there is no "Off"-switch for WSD specifically for Printer discovery in Windows Server

As an alternative to disabling the "Function Discovery Provider Host" service, you could change the following outbound rules' Action to Deny, in the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security:

This will specifically block WSD and WSDAPI discovery events

If your print servers are segregated from your printer networks, block interzone traffic on these specific ports instead:

• TCP 5357 - WSDAPIEvents
• TCP 5358 - WSDEvents Secure
• UPD 3702 - WSD publishing

I don't think you need to disable WSD inbound on your Print Servers.

Answer 2

1) Merge this reg file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WSDPrintDevice]
"Type"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000004
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Tag"=dword:00000028
"ImagePath"=hex(2):00,00
"DisplayName"="@WSDPrint.Inf,%WSDPrintDevice.SVCDESC%;WSD Print Support"
"Group"="Extended Base"
"Owners"=hex(7):00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WSDPrintDevice\Enum]
"Count"=dword:00000000
"NextInstance"=dword:00000000

That disables WSD print service from starting and removes the location of WSDPrint.Inf if something wants to force it to start.

2) Rename the extensions on these 3 files in your WINDOWS\INF folder to .bak :

WSDPrint.Inf
WSDPrint.PNF
WSDScDrv.inf

That prevents WSD print devices from starting.

While WSD printers are shown in Add Printer window, and it seems you can add them, WSD ports are never created, and the WSD driver for printer is not installed. All criteria satisfied. Verified in Windows Server 2012 R2.

1 Drawback: You should rename the 3 files back to their original names before doing any Windows Updates related to printing or WSD. And then change them back to .bak after patch installed successfully.

Answer 3

The service you want is the "Function Discovery Provider Host" (also called fdPHost). This will disable the WS-Discovery protocol. This has a side effect of disabling SSDP support as well, however.

Answer 4

Install the printer manually through Devices and Printers to the network. Select the option to "Add a printer using a TCP/Ip address or hostname. In the next window, make sure to change the the Device Type option to TCP/IP Device and NOT the Auto Detect option (which is generally the default). Enter the IP address of the printer and click Next. Finish the install as normal from this point. This should resolve this issue.

Answer 5

Here's a reg and a batch files to make this a 2 clicks operation:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mlx_ziiygRib9f4UkweBvAV8n-DXYNKg

disablewsdservice.reg is the registry hack given by RoelDS:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WSDPrintDevice]
"Type"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000004
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Tag"=dword:00000028
"ImagePath"=hex(2):00,00
"DisplayName"="@WSDPrint.Inf,%WSDPrintDevice.SVCDESC%;WSD Print Support"
"Group"="Extended Base"
"Owners"=hex(7):00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WSDPrintDevice\Enum]
"Count"=dword:00000000
"NextInstance"=dword:00000000

disablewsdservice.EN.bat is a batch file to take ownership of the files you need to rename before you rename them. It also ends by running the registry hack.

TAKEOWN /F %WINDIR%\INF\WSDPrint.Inf
ICACLS %WINDIR%\INF\WSDPrint.Inf /grant administrators:F
ren %WINDIR%\INF\WSDPrint.Inf WSDPrint.Inf.bak
TAKEOWN /F %WINDIR%\INF\WSDPrint.PNF
ICACLS %WINDIR%\INF\WSDPrint.PNF /grant administrators:F
ren %WINDIR%\INF\WSDPrint.PNF WSDPrint.PNF.bak
TAKEOWN /F %WINDIR%\INF\WSDScDrv.inf
ICACLS %WINDIR%\INF\WSDScDrv.inf /grant administrators:F
ren %WINDIR%\INF\WSDScDrv.inf WSDScDrv.inf.bak
disablewsdservice.reg

You need to run the batch file in a elevated (Administrator) command prompt. Use the EN file for any English version of Windows and the FR file for any French version.

You can run the batch then the reg, or the other way around it doesn't matter.

Successfully tested on W10 LTSC.

Answer 6

I found a registry entry for my WSD port under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Print\Monitors\WSD Port\Ports. There was a key named the same as the port. Once the offending key was deleted, the printer stopped auto-assigning itself to that port.

Note: For those not intimately familiar with the registry, you can right click on the key and choose export. If things stop working, you can run the reg file you just exported to put the info back.

Answer 7

What I did:

1. Go to the Printer Web Interface and disable all WS relative stuff from the network settings (WS Discovery, WS Scan, WS Print). This will cause the printer to never advertise again through WSD
2. Check computers and change port to TCP/IP if needed.

Make these quick steps for all new printers.

Hope this will help