Printer Installs - most reliable method?

[rypowell]

Hi All,

 

I'm sure this is a common thread and I've read a few posts but I'm looking to spark a little debate if possible...

 

What is the most reliable method of installing printers on your workstations? GPO, KIX, VBS, BAT, PS, etc? We currently use a Kix script that executes at login but this has proven to be less than reliable at times and we find we're needing to restart the print spooler on clients before the printer connections are visible and sometimes no printers are installed at all. I also find we're gaining between 20 and 40 seconds to login speed when installing printers via script which is clearly less than desirable - especially on laptops that are already slower.

 

Have you come across any more reliable methods that don't result in increased login times, or at least don't considerable add to them?

 

I've tried GPO but I didn't see much of an improvement and the ability to target a printer to a group of workstations without needing multiple policies / OUs was lacking.

 

We're using Win 7 Enterprise x64. Any and all hotfixes I can find related to printer installs and SBSL has been applied but if you've found any others let me know.

 

Thanks

Ryan

[scottweedon]

We tend to stick with GPOs and enable item level targeting.

[Chuckster]

Been using the same vbscript from the good ol' days of XP, and not have had any problems with it.

[sidewinder]

Yeah VBScript here too, used it for years and years and still will as long as it works

[timbo343]

Use VBScript here too. Lots of variables in ours which is great and very flexible. Been working for us since moving to Windows 7, 4 or 5 years ago.

[sparkeh]

GPPs with item level targeting work well for us

[caffrey]

Using GPO here, it's unreliable so may just go back to a vb script

[stitch]

I was using GPO here, but I found that it was unreliable with installing and connecting to the printers so I went back to vb script which seems to work without issue.

[ITGURU]

Would anyone be willing to kindly share their printer script? We moved to Papercut last year and intermittently we've had issues with printers not mapping the first time the users log on , but logging off and back on then pulls the printer in.

 

Tried GPP and currently on VBSCript but still seems unreliable at times.

[Davit2005]

Group Policy Prefernces here via Group Policy.

 

We craete a Group Policy Object and set Loopback mode to merge, in User Preferences we create a Shared printer, link this to a OU where the computers are that need the printer and that's it.

 

There are a few other things we had to do i.e. point and print restrictions but it works brilliantly.

[sidewinder]

Here's an excerpt of mine.

 

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set WshNetwork = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Network")
Set oPrinters = WshNetwork.EnumPrinterConnections

Dim computerName
computerName = LCase(WshNetwork.ComputerName)

' Degugging line> WScript.Echo "ComputerName variable: " & computerName

' Delete existing connections to network printers
For i = 0 To oPrinters.Count - 1 Step 2
           On Error Resume Next
	If Left(oPrinters.Item(i), 3) <> "lpt" And Left(oPrinters.Item(i), 3) <> "usb" Then
            	WshNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection oPrinters.Item(i+1), True, True
           Else WScript.Echo "No network printers found"
           End If
Next

' Add printer connections dependant upon location


Select Case (Left(computerName, 9))
Case "sd-sports"
	WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection "\\sd-print\sports-mono"
	WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\sd-print\sports-mono"
Case Else
	 'WScript.Echo "No default printers added"
End Select

Select Case (computerName)

Case "headsoff"
	WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection "\\sd-print\office-mono"

Case "computername"
	WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "hp LaserJet 1010 HB"
	
Case Else
	'WScript.Echo "No default printers added"	

End Select

[Novalee]

We found group policy too erratic - sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. So went back to VBScript.

[robsonma]

Yes we had same issue on papercut we now have a GPO in place to wait for network before applying script. we have a .bat in the users profile script.

[ITGURU]

Group Policy Prefernces here via Group Policy.

 

We craete a Group Policy Object and set Loopback mode to merge, in User Preferences we create a Shared printer, link this to a OU where the computers are that need the printer and that's it.

 

There are a few other things we had to do i.e. point and print restrictions but it works brilliantly.

 

I tried various combinations of settings but had to stick with the vbscript, as found when I initially had then in group policy preferences and found it was delaying the users login time.

[LeMarchand]

GPPs with item level targeting work well for us

 

Same here. The only people that occasionally have problems are "those people" who never shut down their machines.

[synaesthesia]

GPP with item level targetting. Never had any problems with it in any of the schools I manage.

[Duke5A]

Migrating to GPP from VBS. Never had any issues with VBS itself, but wireless systems stared developing problems where the wireless never came up in time to run scripts (never did figure it out). So I started moving to GPP and it works every time. The only thing I would recommend is that you preload the printer drivers onto the machines if you use anything like Deep Freeze. The initial install of the driver can take ages.

[ITGURU]

Migrating to GPP from VBS. Never had any issues with VBS itself, but wireless systems stared developing problems where the wireless never came up in time to run scripts (never did figure it out). So I started moving to GPP and it works every time. The only thing I would recommend is that you preload the printer drivers onto the machines if you use anything like Deep Freeze. The initial install of the driver can take ages.

 

I find that using VBScript that the printer sometimes doesn't always show up for the user immediately when they get to their desktop if want to print something straight away. we have to tell them to wait a minute then it appears. I would have though that once the drive had been installed the first time the machine is used, that subsequent logins should be quick and printer appear immediately as the drivers are already in the local machines driverstore folder.

[SteveB_NI]

Here's an excerpt of mine.

 

Thanks for that, although I'm stuck as to where to put this script. If I put it into the log on group policy, then it fails to run for all users (anything other than admin). If it's ran as a startup item it displays an error message about the vbs script being invalid.

 

However, I can save it as printers.vbs & click to run / tested ok on my log in account.

[zag]

I don't apply printers automatically anywhere. We just provide a link to the print server on their start menus.

 

When they need a shared printer the user just double clicks on the printer and it connects. This is then saved in their local profile on that machine.

 

Seems to work well. We install the print drivers on the computer images and the print server has both 32bit and 64bit drivers.

Edited March 23, 2016 by zag

[Davit2005]

I tried various combinations of settings but had to stick with the vbscript, as found when I initially had then in group policy preferences and found it was delaying the users login time.

 

If you select Replace as the mode this can slow down the logon process a bit as it removes and re-adds but in our scenario it was better to do this way.

[Davit2005]

I don't apply printers automatically anywhere. We just provide a link to the print server on their start menus.

 

When they need a shared printer the user just double clicks on the printer and it connects. This is then saved in their local profile on that machine.

 

Seems to work well. We install the print drivers on the computer images and the print server has both 32bit and 64bit drivers.

 

We have added the GUID for printer drivers to the list of drivers that non-admins can install and this works fine, no need to install the drivers in the image for us..

[zag]

We have added the GUID for printer drivers to the list of drivers that non-admins can install and this works fine, no need to install the drivers in the image for us..

 

Thanks! didnt know about this

 

A quick google shows up this

 

Also, don't forget to make sure the users have permission to install printer drivers, since you're not even going to try to use Admin privileges any more:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Driver Installation

The setting is called "Allow non-administrators to install drivers for these devices setup classes".

You will need to add thedevice class GUID of printers: {4d36e979-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}

 

Install Network printers without Local admin rights in windows 7 - Microsoft Community

Edited March 23, 2016 by zag

[rypowell]

Hi All,

 

Thanks for the replies. We've spent the afternoon toying with GPP and conclude the same as many of you that this is unreliable. After only trying two laptops and two users some printers don't install, on occasion the default isn't set and we're getting weird and wonderful eventvwr messages about "printer name is invalid" or "the data area passed to a system call is too small".

 

Just out of interest what are the recommendations for printer share names now? Are spaces and characters likes ( ) allowed? Is there a length restriction on name. I've found differing articles but most only reference Win XP and not 7.

 

Thanks

[Davit2005]

Hi All,

 

Thanks for the replies. We've spent the afternoon toying with GPP and conclude the same as many of you that this is unreliable. After only trying two laptops and two users some printers don't install, on occasion the default isn't set and we're getting weird and wonderful eventvwr messages about "printer name is invalid" or "the data area passed to a system call is too small".

 

Just out of interest what are the recommendations for printer share names now? Are spaces and characters likes ( ) allowed? Is there a length restriction on name. I've found differing articles but most only reference Win XP and not 7.

 

Thanks

 

We've never had a problem with GPP, never fails, are you adding as Shared Printers??? Or TCP/IP Printers.