How do you set default paper size on a print server?

[sidewinder]

We've recently started deploying printers using a script based on PC name, from someone here, might have been Gatt, and it works a treat

However for some reason one printer (A Minolta Magicolour) seems to always default to Letter.

I assumed, since all PC's were connecting to the print server and had no local drivers installed (?) that I would be able to set the default at server level and that would be that.

However the setting stays on the server but on the clients it still defaults to Letter. The only way seems to be to change it manually which is of course not viable

I'll be honest I havent got a huge amount of experiance of using network printer connections because for years we were adding printers manually using local ports and installing drivers manually.

Am I missing something simple?

[Geoff]

You must set the default printer settings on the server prior to deploying the printer drivers to clients. You can't do is retrospectively without cleaning off the drivers and reinstalling them on the clients.

[plexer]

If you go to the printer on your server and properties for it.

Printing Preferences, create a set in here if you need to.

Ben

[ChrisH]

You must set the default printer settings on the server prior to deploying the printer drivers to clients. You can't do is retrospectively without cleaning off the drivers and reinstalling them on the clients.

It does work in a lot of cases but there are always the awkward ones.

[DaveP]

This is a very good question: I have a problem with my print queues resetting to Letter evey so often [without me asking for it] I want them to STAY at A4.

Anyone else seeing this/cured it?

[sidewinder]

Right well Ive had a go at this today and failed

I went to server properties in printers on a client and found the location of the driver files. Booted back into safe mode and deleted the whole lot.
Then tried booting agaian, so presumably as the printers were added, the files were copied down again

But despite the server being set to A4, the clients are STILL getting set to Letter

Ive noticed it does this on all printers, however most will still print (albeit not perfectly) except for this Magicolour - you need to pull out and insert the paper tray every time as it keeps requesting letter.

Is there something on the clients that can be set so paper size always defaults to A4, no matter what printer? Or does it go by individual driver?

[MrDarcy]

OK I agree with everyone so far, that you need to change the printer's Properties on the server, which the PC picks up when it installs. But which properties?

As well as 'General' tab|Printing Preferences..., there is often an 'Advanced' tab|Printing Defaults... . I think this is where your clients pick up their settings. If in doubt, change both!!

Does anyone have a neat way of changing settings once some users have had the wrong paper size installed?

[TechSupp]

I had this when we installed our photocopier as a network printer. It may be down to the way you have profiles set. We have roaming profiles and they are mandatory. When installing the printer it makes it Letter by default so you have to unlock the profile, set the paper size on the PC to A4, shut down the PC to make sure the setting is save to the profile, lock the profile back up, then re log on and it should have saved your A4 setting so that it is set wherever you log on. Just have to do it for each profile. We only have class logons so it wasn't too bad but a pain if you have individual pupil logons. Maybe a script from someone may help?
Anyway as they say "Worked for me!"

[contink]

As well as 'General' tab|Printing Preferences..., there is often an 'Advanced' tab|Printing Defaults... . I think this is where your clients pick up their settings.

That's the one you need...

If you change the other print preferences you just change them for you on that one machine, not anywhere else or for anyone else.

There may be registry or some ini file settings elsewhere for resetting things otherwise but let's be honest it'll be different for different printers and you might as well spend the time using one of the existing login script that will remove all your network printers and redeploy them.

[sidewinder]

Nice one, looks like I was changing the wrong setting then - the printing defaults was indeed still set to letter

Will try again later and see if it sets it right

[pallen]

You could also try the settings on the actual printer. If it is requesting letter as the paper size you should be able to overide it to accept A4 instead. You should able to make this the default setting so if anyone prints out using a letter sized document it will still print out using A4. This also helps for when pupils select Letter sized documents using Wizards etc.

[sidewinder]

Thanks, I will have a look at that too, although the menu system on that printer is a nightmare to navigate

[DaveP]

I have just had a conversation with a printer care centre working for HP. They pointed me toward Control Panel/Regional and Language Options on the Print Server [Should have thought of trying this myself ]

Checking the settings I found:

Regional Options: English (United States) [changed this to English (United Kingdom)]
Location: United States [changed this to United Kingdom]

Languages/Details

English (United Kingdom) - United Kingdom [left this value unchanged]
Installed services: Keyboard: United Kingdom [left this value unchanged]

Advanced

Language for non-Unicode programs: English (United States) [changed this to English (United Kingdom)]

After this the server required a restart.

Checking the queues where the Letter/A4 issue is currently a problem and Letter is still the default. Have changed the properties of one printer [in the History corridor] and I will keep an eye on it to see if it now reverts.

Posting this here incase it helps anyone else.

[mac_shinobi]

That's the one you need...

If you change the other print preferences you just change them for you on that one machine, not anywhere else or for anyone else.

There may be registry or some ini file settings elsewhere for resetting things otherwise but let's be honest it'll be different for different printers and you might as well spend the time using one of the existing login script that will remove all your network printers and redeploy them.

I was just about to say that lol

Needs to be advanced tab and printing defaults button

[Michael]

To be honest from what you're describing I think it's a driver issue rather than something you're doing wrong.

Usually (depending how you've deployed printers), it should pick up settings from the printer server and this does work with 2003 R2. I recently did something similar, so documents defaulted to black and white and users had to choose colour if they needed it.