Printer Deployment Issues

[smacrory1980]

Hi,

 

I'm having major issues with printer deployment.

 

There are a number of windows 7 machines where printer deployment only works intermittently.

 

I have tried

• Different logins
  
• Postscript, PCL5 and PCL6 (plus universal) Drivers
  
• Deploying via group policy (both users and computers)
  
• Deploying via a logon script
  

Occasionally it will work, and appears to be resolved but then someone else or the same person can log back in and the printers are not there again. It's not specific to certain machines either. One time it will work and then it won't.

 

Windows 7, Server 2008R2, HP Laserjet

 

Any help appreciated. Driving me nuts!

 

Cheers

[budgester]

Printers listed in AD ?

Are other GPO's applying ?

what happens if you run gpupdate on the client ?

[Grey-gear]

The users having the problem are they different types or the same e.g are they all students or mixed between staff and students? If it is the former it could be GPO inheritance causing the problem.

[smacrory1980]

They are all different types of users - teachers and students in various year group in different OUs. Even logging in as admin sometimes they may not appear.

 

The printers are listed in AD, other GPOs applying fine and GPupdate GPO doesn't help the issue

[Grey-gear]

Is the server they are connected to are they in the list as normal or do they say offline or error?

 

from a computer that has failed to link to the printers can you ping them?

 

Are the printers on a different VLan from the computers?

 

sorry if this is no help.

[smacrory1980]

No, it's fine. Thanks for replying

 

The printers are all online and ready, they are on the same VLAN. I havn't tried to ping them actually. I will give that a go now, I suspect a ping will be successful.

[Grey-gear]

As a test you could try and make a test user that only has the the printer GPO and see if that works, if so it could be a setting in another GPO causing the trouble.

[plock]

Are there any point and print restrictions in place on the network?

[smacrory1980]

Morning, no there are no point and print restrictions. I will try the test user this morning, thanks. I was able to ping the printers

[Grey-gear]

Morning, no there are no point and print restrictions. I will try the test user this morning, thanks. I was able to ping the printers

 

How did the test user work out?

[smacrory1980]

I still get the same issues I'm afraid. I also put one of the workstations in another group with no other policies applied and still got the same problem. So, it doesn't appear to be a group policy or inheritance issue. I can't find any network issues either. I will investigate the workstations today and see what I can find. Any other ideas?

[Grey-gear]

Hmm could their be an issue with the drivers for the printers?

[jcs808]

Search for this file on Microsoft's website MicrosoftFixitPrinterSpool50984.msi

It fixes some registry corruptions that you may have.

[browolf]

I had those kind of weird problems when I tried gpo deployed printers. Could not find a reason for it so went back to our old login script that uses rundll32 printui.dll

That thing never goes wrong.

[smacrory1980]

I get the same issue using a script as well! If sharing printers from server 2008R2 to windows 7 machines would you install the server 2008r2 version of the driver or the windows 7 version? I've installed the server version, but just double checking everything.

 

I will try the registry fix.

[jcs808]

Are you installing any 32bit drivers onto the server by using the Print Management admin tool from a workstation? I've had trouble installing some 32bit drivers directly on to a 64bit server.

 

I get the same issue using a script as well! If sharing printers from server 2008R2 to windows 7 machines would you install the server 2008r2 version of the driver or the windows 7 version? I've installed the server version, but just double checking everything.

 

I will try the registry fix.

Edited June 20, 2014 by jcs808

[themightymrp]

Somewhere on here is a thread which lists a number of Microsoft hotfixes/updates that deal with problems with printers. I can't remember where it is but will have a nosey.

 

We had many issues with this for a long time. In the end I went with logon scripts (VB) that take the form of:

 

Option Explicit
Dim WshNetwork
on error resume next
Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection "\\Printserver\Printer"
WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection "\\Printserver\Printer2"
WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\Printserver\Printer"

 

I also use a program called adprintx.exe with a "/f" switch at logoff which forces removal of networked printers. They just get re-added again at next logon.

 

So far has been working great (since Feb this year)

[smacrory1980]

MicrosoftFixitPrinterSpool50984.msi seems to have done the job. I've run it on 6 machines when the fault showed, rebooted and all the printers are there.

 

Thanks everyone for your assistance

[sted]

ive found if point n print is in default state (ie not configured) it can stoip printers i always turn it onand set it to

 

enabled

 

users can only print to print machines in their forest

 

do not show warning

 

do not show warning

 

otherwise i cant remember the last time i got a signed copier driver and it can cause issues

[fiza]

I had those kind of weird problems when I tried gpo deployed printers. Could not find a reason for it so went back to our old login script that uses rundll32 printui.dll

That thing never goes wrong.

 

@browolf - I am looking at usng rundll32 printui.dll but I am finding that users get a pop up which says "Connecting to printer - installing driver" or "Connecting to printer - downloading driver". The -pop up also has a cancel button. It would be good If it would run without the popup. I have tried the \q switch - no joy.

This happens everytime even though I would assume the machine just downloaded the driver and installed it the last time I ran the script? Other than that it works.

 

Does this happen when you use it? If not could you give me a snippet of your script?

 

Thanks

[machin05]

Search for this file on Microsoft's website MicrosoftFixitPrinterSpool50984.msi

It fixes some registry corruptions that you may have.

 

Anyone got a copy of this file they can send my way?

[browolf]

@fiza

 

I don't think you can get rid of that box. we have one script that covers all classrooms which has sections like:

 

if %computername:~0,3% == K2- (
 rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\server2\K2colour
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n \\server2\K2colour /q
 goto END 
)

[fiza]

@browolf - Thanks

I've actually cobbled together a working vb script from info I got from other posts on edugeek. It seems to be working and no pop ups!!