GPP - Printers

[Manny-Tech]

We've recently moved our printer deployment to a user based policy through Group Policy Preferences. We're finding that they don't apply on initial logon but if the user logs out and back in again then the all printers are there as expected. Even on first logon, if you run a gpupdate it then applies the printers, just not sure why it doesn't apply on first logon. Anyone else come up against this one?

[skell]

I followed this article and tweaked the script. Works very very well and still lets you use GPP. Best of all, scripts run synchronously, which means faster login times.

 

Check it out here https://www.atumvirt.com/2013/11/dramatically-reducing-logon-time-to-desktop-by-moving-from-group-policy-preferences-to-powershell-logon-script/

[DCUK6]

Have you ticked the "run in logged in user context" (setting name from memory) under the gpp options.

[smarties11]

Did you get any further with this @Manny-Tech? I'm having exactly the same issues. Unreliable mapping but always works perfect after a log out and back in or a gpupdate. I've looked at the script presented by Skell and will check it out properly when I'm back in on Tuesday but just wondered if you have had any success?

[the_wuigi]

What OS? we had same issue until we applied MS Fix KB2797136

[smarties11]

Windows 10 1803 x64

[Manny-Tech]

Did you get any further with this @Manny-Tech? I'm having exactly the same issues. Unreliable mapping but always works perfect after a log out and back in or a gpupdate. I've looked at the script presented by Skell and will check it out properly when I'm back in on Tuesday but just wondered if you have had any success?

No - I just went to Print Management user based deployment, it was a lot easier, I just use the GPP for setting the default printers. If you do find a solution then please let me know. I didn't really fancy running gpupdate /target:user each time a user logged in just to add a printer.

[sonofsanta]

I spent weeks fighting with GPP printers when we went to 2008R2/Win7, but I could never get it working with 100% reliability. It was fine 99% of the time, but 500 computer x 5 periods a day means that 1% comes up a lot.

 

We use a VBScript now, not as a logon script but through User\Admin Templates\System\Logon\Run these programs at logon (linked to the computer OU and applied to the user via loopback processing). That stops it slowing the login down, and although the printers take around a minute to install after the desktop appears (depending on the driver etc.) Office is clever enough to pick them up as soon as they're added without needing to close & reopen the program. The only problem is that this policy doesn't stack like logon scripts do, so you can only ever run one thing through this setting; that's fine for us, but if you already use it you may need to set it as a login script instead.

 

Dim server
Dim printer

' replace "printserver" with the name of your server; no particular need for the DNS suffix
server = "\\printserver\"
'List printers, separated by a comma, with the default printer first e.g.
'printers = Array("IT Lobby - HP M880z (U)", "Te2 - HP X451dw")
printers = Array("N2 - HP X585z", "N2 - Epson XP-860", "Ar3 - HP M651")

Set wshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
on Error Resume Next

'Deletes all existing network printers, to make sure only the correct printers for this location are available
Set clPrinters = wshNetwork.EnumPrinterConnections
On Error Resume Next
For i = 0 to clPrinters.Count - 1 Step 2
wshNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection clPrinters.Item(i+1), true
Next 

'Add Network printers
for each printer in printers
   wshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection server & printer
next

'Set Default Printer (takes the first printer from the list above)
wshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter ps0 & printers(0)

 

That has worked far more reliably for me than GPP ever did. Does mean you have to start from scratch, though, so @skell's linked solution may be less work for you at this stage if you have the GPP infrastructure set up.

[chazzy2501]

@sonofsanta This is exactly what I ran into and the solution I also implemented. Works most of the time isn't good enough. My script is a little more basic.