Default Printer

[campbellp]

hello there,

my question is; is it possible to create a script that will display in the task bar that will show 1 icon when the colour printer is set as default and another icon when the B+W is set as default?

Background...

I am currently in the process of trying to save the school £200+ on an un-needed colour printer as the assessment manager finds it to difficult to change the default printer!

At present said member of staff has a local B+W printer and is also connected to the network colour printer (Which is in the same room!), and she needs to be able to alternate between two depending on the document she is printing out of sims/pars

I have created two batch files, one to set the B+W as default, one to set the colour as default and placed them in the tool bar, which works great.
but now im being hit with " i havent got time to click one of those thingies before i print and its going to the wrong printer"

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated otherwise im

Thanks

Pjc

[danrhodes]

If they haven't got "time" to click on one button to change the printer then should they really be printing!

I've just timed and it takes about 3ms to move your mouse to the bottom of the screen and click a button, over week if you click the button 20 times a day that still only 300ms of time presing said button, hardly a lifetime!

[campbellp]

HAHAHA tell me about it!

the member of staff in question is one of those how shall i say Very high maintance people who has an assistant head wraped round her finger and so gets what she wants

[LeMarchand]

I don't know if this is possible, but if they don't need both programs open simultaneously could you not change the shortcuts to point to a script that does the following:

Program names x and y, example is that user is launching program y

1) Check if program x is running
2) If it is, display message that prog x must be closed before prog y can be used yes/no
3) If yes, close program x and go to 5) if no briefly display prog y not launched
4) If program x not running go to 5)
5) Set appropriate printer for program y
6) Launch program y

with something similar for program x?

Or just slap them upside the head and tell them to do their job properly.

[campbellp]

@LeMarchand

yea thats a good idea thanks, but she has sims and pars both running at all times during the day

[RinSewand]

I'd be tempted to go for the "laughing and walking out of the room approach"... but...

Switch Default Printer On The Fly In Windows Does that help at all?

[campbellp]

I'd be tempted to go for the "laughing and walking out of the room approach"... but...

Switch Default Printer On The Fly In Windows Does that help at all?

---------------------------

LOL thats exactly what i did monday morning, then got a visit from the assistant head yesterday and was Basically told to get it done.

i think that "Switch Default Printer On The Fly In Windows" will work perfectly

thanks

Pjc