Papercut, Windows 7 and GPP printers

[3s-gtech]

Windows 7 printers, oh the fun.

I have started using Group Policy Preferences to deploy printers rather than using .kix scripts. This works fine - however, and as I understand it, this method does not use the Print Spooler on the Print Server, but instead prints directly to the printer. Of course, this renders Papercut useless - the balance never goes down!

Is there a solution to this, or do I have something setup incorrectly? Otherwise, it'll have to be back to scripts

[3s-gtech]

Managed to get the balance to go down, changed the printer options by unticking the 'Render print jobs on client computers'. Not sure if this is the right way to go though.

[skell]

We use the Print Management MMC and deploy printers through that. Like you have stated, using GPP bypasses the print server and connects the client directly.

[3s-gtech]

Managed to get the balance to go down, changed the printer options by unticking the 'Render print jobs on client computers'. Not sure if this is the right way to go though.

Nope, this isn't it - it only relates to Vista up and I have this happening on Windows XP and Windows 7.

[mounters]

If you deploy the printers under the User Configuration node rather than the Computer node then you can use shared server paths for the printers and these will then log fine against papercut.

[skell]

Create a blank GPO. Name it something like "Staff Room Printer".
Open up the Print Management MMC
Right click on the printer you want to deploy.
Click on Deploy with Group Policy
Select the blank GPO you just made
Set per user or per computer and click OK
Assign the GPO accordingly

As I stated, and as you correctly asserted, you cannot use Group Policy Preferences to deploy printers through a print server.

[3s-gtech]

Will give it a try!

Okay, you're now officially my hero. Now I just have to swap all the GPOs over to this deployed system rather than GPP. Shame, as the GPP setup works great otherwise.

[mounters]

As I stated, and as you correctly asserted, you cannot use Group Policy Preferences to deploy printers through a print server.

This is not correct, you can but if you are wanting to deploy a printer installed and shared from a print server you have to do it under user and not computer configuration. I know this because this is how I deploy my printers and I use PaperCut as well.

[skell]

Ah, that explains why we couldn't get it to work. We deploy ours per machine, not per user. When we deployed them via GPP it completely bypassed the print server and connected directly.

Thanks for the clarifications and apologies for the mis-advice.

[3s-gtech]

Strange, as I had deployed all mine through GPP under User configuration already, but it connected directly to the printers (the path to the printer was just the IP address), and therefore the logging, balance etc in PC didn't work. Print Management/Deployed Printers seems to do this - are there any downsides to either system in your experiences?

[Cache]

All mine use GPP to deploy per User and just filtered out per machine.

If you use roaming profiles, just make sure you have a delete printer preference for machines that aren't supposed to have it (is not a member of group) and then update the printer connection for that group and it should all work as you want it.

[mounters]

Strange, as I had deployed all mine through GPP under User configuration already, but it connected directly to the printers (the path to the printer was just the IP address), and therefore the logging, balance etc in PC didn't work. Print Management/Deployed Printers seems to do this - are there any downsides to either system in your experiences?

You new to choose New -> Shared Printer under the preference settings and then either enter the share path or browse for it manually.

[skell]

Which would you say was a better way to deploy them then? Per user or per machine? We use per machine just because it seemed easier to do it this way!

[mounters]

It's probably more personal preference or how it works with your organisations needs.

I needed to deploy shared printers as I wanted single print queues so this made my mind up for me.

The only downside to deploying by user is logon delays as it applies printers, however this is countered by ensuring that users only get printers you want them to.

With effective targetting you can specify which machines and users have the printers allocated to them.