Sharp Photocopiers - User Codes? Do you use them? Would you use them?

[L3OUGH]

Hi guys,

 

Just a quick question, after opinions on what you'd do... I'm in the process of getting all my GPO's for one of my primary schools ready for Win7. Come to get printer mapping working and hit a hitch in the road. At present to be able to print to the photocopier staff have a 'User Number' (see attached piccy) plumbed into the printer driver for it to successfully print jobs being sent by end user. If this number isn't entered, nothing prints.

 

They are used to limit/monitor what staff are printing, however as soon as they hit the limit they just go to the receptionist who effectively clears out the limit and resets it, allowing them to print again. So the monitoring side of this is really non existent.

 

So would you just get rid of these codes as the school doesn't seem to bothered by the amount they print or would you try and find a way of getting the code to be pre-filled in the driver via GP or similar?

[Steve21]

How is the receptionist clearing the limits?

 

We have the codes deployed via the printer deployment, uneditable by users, and machines locked down so no-one can access the admin side on our schools that use sharp etc.

 

(You can also deploy via GP/reg etc if you want)

 

Steve

[L3OUGH]

How is the receptionist clearing the limits?

 

We have the codes deployed via the printer deployment, uneditable by users, and machines locked down so no-one can access the admin side on our schools that use sharp etc.

 

(You can also deploy via GP/reg etc if you want)

 

Steve

 

I believe she just goes into the webmin and clears them from there, TBH I've never witnessed what she does. She's been doing since before I arrived at the school.

[Steve21]

My personal opinion would be to lock down the webadmin side, (obviously checking with the head or w/e), but if they've asked for a limit/log and it's being bypassed remove the access.

 

Shouldn't really be a reason they're logging into the admin side of the machine anyway if you're managing the users/codes?

 

Either that, or use a free logger (papercut etc), which is serverside, and it won't matter what codes they use.

 

Steve

[L3OUGH]

My personal opinion would be to lock down the webadmin side, (obviously checking with the head or w/e), but if they've asked for a limit/log and it's being bypassed remove the access.

 

Shouldn't really be a reason they're logging into the admin side of the machine anyway if you're managing the users/codes?

 

Either that, or use a free logger (papercut etc), which is serverside, and it won't matter what codes they use.

 

Steve

 

I don't think head has asked for a limit to be applied, that's just how it's been setup. And the receptionist has always been able to log in and clear the codes, it's been done this way since it was setup with the previous tech. Until a few weeks ago I wasn't even aware they had limits. I just assumed they printed freely.

 

Do they have to use print codes? I presume they do. Or is there a way I could set it up so they just hit print?? Sorry if that's an obvious question, first time messing with printer codes etc.

[Steve21]

You can enable anon/guest printing, it's normally just setup with codes if it's a leased machine as that's what they use for logging in regards to charging the school, which if it is the case the reception shouldn't be touching it anyway.

 

Within the admin side there's users you setup (the codes etc), and you can limit them to print b/w or colour, and then there's guest access and what that can print.

 

Steve

[L3OUGH]

You can enable anon/guest printing, it's normally just setup with codes if it's a leased machine as that's what they use for logging in regards to charging the school, which if it is the case the reception shouldn't be touching it anyway.

 

Within the admin side there's users you setup (the codes etc), and you can limit them to print b/w or colour, and then there's guest access and what that can print.

 

Steve

 

Cheers for your help. It is a lease machine... What would you say is the best way to deploy the print codes then from your experience?

[chazzy2501]

I've tried adding the code using GPP and reg keys but it never worked.

 

What I did on the server is set the auto job control box. So when the pupils print, the driver brings up the box in which they enter the code. (12345) Best solution I could find...

Edited March 21, 2014 by chazzy2501

[Steve21]

I'd advise them to be careful messing with those settings then As normally if it's anything like the companies our primaries use for leased machines, they use the tally of the prints to work out how much they charge the school.

 

e.g. 100 B/W prints = 100x 0.0Xp etc.

 

So if they setup users with codes those are often what's used, but may not be depedant on your leaser etc. Just a warning

 

You can set the codes on the printer share on the server if it's a generic one (Not the printer settings for the actual server, but the print management for the shared it). If you look at the pic below those are two different settings, one is locally for the user logged into the server, the other is the "deployed" settings.

 

 

You can also deploy the codes via the regkey but it's in a retarded place, and uses hexcode etc to put the code which makes life "fun"

 

 

If that makes any sense?

 

Steve

Edited March 21, 2014 by Steve21

[L3OUGH]

I'd advise them to be careful messing with those settings then As normally if it's anything like the companies our primaries use for leased machines, they use the tally of the prints to work out how much they charge the school.

 

e.g. 100 B/W prints = 100x 0.0Xp etc.

 

So if they setup users with codes those are often what's used, but may not be depedant on your leaser etc. Just a warning

 

You can set the codes on the printer share on the server if it's a generic one (Not the printer settings for the actual server, but the print management for the shared it). If you look at the pic below those are two different settings, one is locally for the user logged into the server, the other is the "deployed" settings.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]23494[/ATTACH]

 

You can also deploy the codes via the regkey but it's in a retarded place, and uses hexcode etc to put the code which makes life "fun"

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]23493[/ATTACH]

 

If that makes any sense?

 

Steve

 

Just had a quick Google and came across the regkey method. I only have maybe 8 PCs that need the number entering, think I may just run round and set it manually. Will be quicker than messing with reg hacks and hex... Thanks for the help.

[Steve21]

Just had a quick Google and came across the regkey method. I only have maybe 8 PCs that need the number entering, think I may just run round and set it manually. Will be quicker than messing with reg hacks and hex... Thanks for the help.

 

It's per user setting though, so depending how many people using those pcs Just saying

 

Steve

[L3OUGH]

It's per user setting though, so depending how many people using those pcs Just saying

 

Steve

 

Staff don't roam, at all, ever. They live in their room and don't move...

[Steve21]

lol fair enough yeah probably easier then!

 

Steve

[tinca492]

Hi

 

Our Sharp Photocopiers were installed with User Codes, However staff could never remember them so they were printed and pinned to a noticeboard next to the Copier.!

 

As copiers are actually in a separate room, I managed to persuade Head that codes were serving no purpose so he agreed to their removal.

 

Best decision, as all "printing" problems then disappeared.

Kim

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Hi

 

Our Sharp Photocopiers were installed with User Codes, However staff could never remember them so they were printed and pinned to a noticeboard next to the Copier.!

 

As copiers are actually in a separate room, I managed to persuade Head that codes were serving no purpose so he agreed to their removal.

 

Best decision, as all "printing" problems then disappeared.

Kim

[LDB]

Copier companies are always looking for ways to hide extra charges.

How old is the copier?

Maybe look at a proper networked multifunction printer?

Liam

[MatthewL]

The figures you are clearing are the user count under user control, print companies are not bothered in this figure, you cannot wipe the overall total as its an engineers code to do this from the machine.

 

The only way to do anything with user codes on a sharp is to use the auto job review or on the newer sharp drivers in the configuration tab is to use the print policy but it acheives the same thing. If you really want to monitor what people do you need to go down the PaperCut route.