setting a default printer for all users

[wellwillthisnamedothen]

For a while now I've been trying to set a specific printer as the default printer for all users in a computer suite. The domain is managed by Ranger but as the school does not have their print manager the support desk won't help.

I found a bit of code that will set the default, but only for a user, by saving it as a .cmd and placing it in the all users startup folder of every work station, anyone logging in has the required network printer as default. It is tested and works (but only two days so far). Is there a more elegant solution?

the line of code is-
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n\\PrintServer\PrinterSharedName

where of course you have to substitute for printserver and printersharedname.

[alonebfg]

ok I am not being funny but i am sure i have seen this on the fourm befor i beleve have a look here you might find what you are looking for http://www.edugeek.net/index.php?nam...iewtopic&t=404 just run a script like the one here but just do it for default and do it at user login. (i am sure someone will correct me if i am wrong)

[tosca925]

I have two printers in each IT suite, I add these printers by 2 seperate logon scripts with the one script telling it which is the default printer.

IE I have a mono laser and a colour laser in certain rooms. Now we dont want the default printe to be the colour so i add a little line in the script of the mono and it then sets it as default.

we found rather then all these domain printer scripts
using something simple like

Set WshNetwork = CreateObject ("WScript.Network")
WshNetwork.AddwindowsPrinterConnection "\\bcfeps01\bg08-staff"
WshNetwork.AddwindowsPrinterConnection "\\bcfeps01\bg08-colour"
WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\bcfeps01\bg08-staff"

saved as vbs in all users programs startup folder on each pc
change for each room and printer

[tosca925]

Thats similar to our script but its easier to manage via in GPO than all users folder.

[wellwillthisnamedothen]

alonebfg

I don't know if your ref does cover the point, I cannot see the script, (I dunno why) several very clever people seem to be arguing over it, and it seems to be adding a printer.

The .vbs in the other replys seems to be a reasonable alternative (and more understandable to me), but if I were able to add it to the GPO (how?) then surely this would effect people logging on outside the suite.

The school is a JMI with only 16 computers in the suite, the startup folder is managable, but the better I do- the longer the tea breaks.

[SteveBentley]

You can set a script to run on an OU containing the computer objects for the PCs in that suite rather than the user objects.

[farmerste]

why not add the printers you need locally on the machine, that way they will always be available

printers
add new printer
local printer- untick auto detection
add new local port
enter \\servername\sharename
give it the drivers it requires
and the printer now is a 'local' printer and all users will get it

alternative use a default user profile and add the printers during the setup process ( this way is best if you are using printmanagerplus)

hope this helps

[MicrodigitUK]

I have a similar setup and I find it works really well. I use start-up batch file scripts setup so that the different groups in Active Directory install different printers at start-up by running the correct script for the room grouping. I also use two different drivers and mappings on the server to the same printer, one for mono and one for colour. For the mono I use the equivalent mono make of printers at the times driver.

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /dl /n "HP Color LaserJet 3700 in D26" /q

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /dl /n "HP B&W LaserJet 3700 in D26" /q

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /u /if /b "HP Color LaserJet 3700 in D26" /f "\\jogdom.local\NETLOGON\InstallPrinters\Drivers\HP LJ 3700n\hpc3700c.inf" /r "\\JOGSERV01\hp3700n-002$" /m "HP Color LaserJet 3700 PCL 6" /q

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /u /if /b "HP B&W LaserJet 3700 in D26" /f "\\jogdom.local\NETLOGON\InstallPrinters\Drivers\HP LJ 24x0\hpc24x0c.INF" /r "\\JOGSERV01\hp3700n-002BW$" /m "HP LaserJet 2420 PCL 6" /q

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n "HP B&W LaserJet 3700 in D26" /q

The first 2 commands delete any existing copies of the printers if already installed the second 2 install the correct printers, network path and drivers. The last one as you know sets the mono as the default printer name for windows to use.

p.s. Be warned that parts of the script are case sensitive as I found out the long way after days experimenting. I think it’s because the driver file printer name/description must be an exact match to find the driver in the *.INF file!!!!

[RobFuller]

Don't know if you’re running R2 on your servers or not (I’m sure this tool was available for 'normal' versions as well)

Printer Management MMC

[wellwillthisnamedothen]

Thanks all

This is getting like the No 84 bus, nothing for ages then lots together.
Its going to take me a while to digest some of this, oh and I'm going to have to get an R2 disk.. and experiment