need advice on assigning printers based on classroom

[projector1]

all our machines are setup as room name followed by pc number ie

R21-2

R2-1

 

the script provided by this site has worked fine.

I have just reghosted batch of student laptops. The only issue is that the names are LAPTOP followed by the year purchased followed by department followed by the machine number ie

 

LAPTOP05H01

Unfortunatelly these do match the naming convention we have implemented.

 

i have tried adding these to the vbscript but they are not mapping the printer.

 

I have tried this

(extracted from the script)

' Add printer connections dependant upon location

Select Case (Right(computerName, 7))

Case "OP05H??"

WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection "\\cse2k01\historylaser"

WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\cse2k01\historylaser"

 

I also tried it as "OP05H*" this did not work

 

is it possible to use wildcards in vbscripts?

 

(all xp pro sp2 clients)

[krisd32]

2003 server r2 does this for me, and works very well infact!

apart from theat you can't set default printers with it but i got around that problem.

 

Kris

[projector1]

thanks for the info

[Ric_]

You could use

 

Mid(computerName, 7, 5)

 

This will return 5 characters from the computer name, starting at the 7th character.

[projector1]

thanks ric i will try that after i enjoy these few days off! phew! roll on july ( 3 week trip to india)

[Heebeejeebee]

As bossman says, it's this easy.

 

Off topic but how did you create that example? That's the sort of thing I need to do for some of our staff but the software I've managed to find is clunky and doesn't make smooth animations.

 

Now back to topic. We tried R2's push printers features and had to go back to a script that picks up the room names because the printers were not always being installed with R2 (see this thread)

 

HBJB

[webman]

HBJB: I used Wink.

[Heebeejeebee]

HBJB: I used Wink.

 

I'm checking it out now.

 

Edit: Looks nice and does the job well. Free as well!

 

Thanks

 

HBJB

[meastaugh1]

HBJB: I used Wink.

 

Thanks for the tip, very useful.

[srochford]

@joedetic

Yeah ...the problem with monolithic batch files is that the Windows command processor doesn't do string splicing. This means you either have to name each printer or put the room attribute in an enviromental variable.

 

Not completely true. NT/2000/XP do string slicing and splicing. It's a bit hard work but it's all possible - try this:

@echo off
set a=123456789
set b=%a:~0,3%
set c=%a:~3,2%
set d=%c%%b%
echo %a%
echo %b%
echo %c%
echo %d%

 

Of course room identifiers don't matter so much if the script is run from a GPO which then selects the right computers. For those prefering the centralisation of monolithic scripts it's better to use a grown up language such as VBS/JScript or KiXtart

Agreed to the last bit :-) all you then have to worry about is putting the computers in the right OU and the job's all done.

[projector1]

You could use

 

Mid(computerName, 7, 5)

 

This will return 5 characters from the computer name, starting at the 7th character.

 

well back at work today

was just mooching over your suggestion......

 

if i use Mid(computerName, 7, 5)

 

that will not work with the

rooms that have pc's named

 

R30-13 need to extract R30-

RDCXP21 need to extract RDC or RDCXP

[srochford]

This is where you need a standard naming convention that helps with things like this. for example, in theory all our room names are like WG150 (Willesden; G Block; 1st floor; room 50) so we should be able to name computers and know that the first 5 characters are the room number. This all falls over when you get rooms like WFG33A (room 33A on the ground floor)

 

We've now given up trying to assume we can have a standard PC name and put machines in OUs - it's easy to find the OU name and that effectively is the room name.

 

If you decide to rename a batch of computers then it can (of course!) be scripted - I've put some info here:http://techinfo.cnwl.ac.uk/Windows%20Scripts/default.asp?dest=Rename%20a%20remote%20computer.htm

[mac_shinobi]

You could use

 

Mid(computerName, 7, 5)

 

This will return 5 characters from the computer name, starting at the 7th character.

 

well back at work today

was just mooching over your suggestion......

 

if i use Mid(computerName, 7, 5)

 

that will not work with the

rooms that have pc's named

 

R30-13 need to extract R30-

RDCXP21 need to extract RDC or RDCXP

 

I think you will find that the split function will do the trick for you if you have hyphens in your room names ie

 

RDC-#

 

then you can split it using the hyphen which is the common denominator

[projector1]

sorry over the summer i plan to standardise the it suite naming convention

 

not all the pc names contain hyphens

 

i have contemplated another ou for laptops thus another vb script, but if there is away around it then i would be greatful

 

thanks for the suggestion though

[beeswax]

As bossman says, it's this easy.

no replay button?

[webman]

As bossman says, it's this easy.

no replay button?

 

Just F5

[Joedetic]

@NetworkGeezer.

 

Yeah, the batch files did require environment variables and was an extremely poor bodge that was used by the person that designed and built the network the first time round.

 

It got a complete rebuild on an external contract because it was so poorly designed.

 

The VB script i referred to was the logon script that did EVERYTHING. The "super logon script" i think it was called or something like that (one of the techies wrote it). It checked the machine name and then assigned printers based on that IIRC.

 

It's been a year since i was still helping out in ICT services and there were a few months before i left where i was focusing on my education so i could get into uni so it's a long time since i had anything to do with it to be honest.

[Andi]

We connect our printers with a VBScript using con2prnt.exe which is then assigned per OU with GPO. This works a treat for our client stations, however. It doesn't work for our terminal stations.

 

Our terminal stations connect using thinstation which boots from PXE on the network cards. This requires them to have an account in AD on which you set the Remote Install properties to use the thinstation boot file. What I want to be able to do is to assign a printer to the terminal station depending on which classroom it is. Of course the terminal stations do not take any notice of GPO despite the fact that they are placed in OUs with them set.

 

Currently they all connect to one terminal server which has all the necessary printers installed which then relies on the student choosing the correct printer from the drop down list, which of course never happens.

 

Does anybody know a way to sort this?

[ChrisH]

Look at the scripts in the scripts section. Ric's in particular. You can do it using the clientname. He has had thinstation running and assigning printers according to their name with no problem once you get the client name and not comptername as that returns the terminal servers name.

[projector1]

ok thanks i will do that this weekend after i start and finish the dreaded tiling on the bathroom at home

[mac_shinobi]

Just out of curiousty where is RIC's post and how did you get the client name versus the machine name ?

[Ric_]

Check out http://edugeek.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=404

 

The important bit is

 

LCase(WshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings("%CLIENTNAME%"))

 

The system has two variables on thin clients:

* computername = the server's name

* clientname = the client machine's name

 

Hope this helps.

[accura2000]

I currently use con2prt.exe to assign printers to computers based on location.

Just enter a location into the enviornment settings in windows and make yourself a logon script and hey presto. Work flawlessly for the last 18 months.

[Rozzer]

Here is a printer script which can be done by room and has been very easy to run. It was provided by our network migration.

 

Processprinter.vbs

Option Explicit

DIM ForReading

DIM ForWriting

DIM ForAppending

DIM strComputer

DIM WshNetwork

DIM objWMIService

DIM colInstalledPrinters

DIM objPrinter

DIM FileIn

DIM FSO

DIM WshShell

DIM objEnv

DIM ClientName

DIM Username

DIM objFile

DIM Found

DIM Wild

DIM strContents

DIM SpltInput

DIM Col0

DIM COl1

DIM ColLen

DIM UFound

DIM UMatch

DIM Match

DIM objShell 

DIM FN_Loop



ForReading = 1

ForWriting = 2

ForAppending = 8

strComputer = "."

Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")

Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")



Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")

Set colInstalledPrinters =  objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_Printer")





ON ERROR RESUME NEXT

REM Delete all printers except for local ones.

For Each objPrinter in colInstalledPrinters

If Left(objPrinter.Name,2) = "\\" Then

	objPrinter.Delete_

End If

Next

ON ERROR GOTO 0



FileIn = "\\clustaps\batch$\ClientPrinterMapping.txt"

Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

Set objEnv = WshShell.Environment("Process")



FOR FN_Loop = 1 TO 5

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

ClientName = objEnv("COMPUTERNAME")

IF ClientName <> "" THEN EXIT FOR

Wscript.Sleep(5000)

IF FN_LOOP = 5 THEN

	MSGBOX "Unable to read the computer name , please inform a technician."

END IF

NEXT



Username = objEnv("USERNAME")



Set objFile = FSO.OpenTextFile(FileIn, ForReading)

Found = 0

Wild = 1

Do While Not objFile.AtEndOfStream

strContents = objFile.ReadLine

SpltInput = split(strContents,VBTAB)

If ubound(SpltInput) > 0 Then

	Col0 = SpltInput(0)

	Col1 = SpltInput(1)

	If UCase(Col0) = "NAME" THEN

		ColLen = InStr(Col1,"*")

		If Found  = 0 and Wild = 1 Then

			IF COlLen > 0 Then

				IF UCASE(Left(ClientName, ColLen -1)) = UCASE(Left(Col1, ColLen -1)) THEN

					Found = 1

					Wild = 1

					Match = Col1

				End IF

			End If

		End If

		IF ColLen = 0 Then

			IF UCase(ClientNAme) = UCase(Col1) THEN

				Found = 1

				Wild = 0

				Match = Col1	

			End If

		End If

	End If

	IF UCASE(Col0) = "UNAME" THEN

		IF UCase(Username) = UCase(Col1) THEN

			UFound = 1

			UMatch = Col1

		End If

	End IF

End If

Loop

objFile.close

IF Found = 1 Then

call Readblock("NAME",Match)

END IF

IF UFound = 1 Then

call Readblock("UNAME",Username)

END IF



sub ReadBlock(Match1,Match2)

Set objFile = FSO.OpenTextFile(FileIn, ForReading)

Do While Not objFile.AtEndOfStream

	strContents = objFile.ReadLine

	SpltInput = split(strContents,VBTAB)

	If ubound(SpltInput) > 0 Then

		Col0 = SpltInput(0)

		Col1 = SpltInput(1)

			If UCASE(Col0) = UCASE(Match1) AND UCASE(Col1) = UCASE(Match2) Then

				Do While Not objFile.AtEndOfStream

					strContents = objFile.ReadLine

					SpltInput = split(strContents,VBTAB)

					If ubound(SpltInput) > 0 Then

						Col0 = SpltInput(0)

						Col1 = SpltInput(1)

						IF UCASE(Col0) = "MAP" Then

							ON ERROR RESUME NEXT

							FOR FN_Loop = 1 TO 5

								WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection Col1

								IF Err.Number = 0 THEN EXIT FOR

								Wscript.Sleep(5000)

								IF FN_LOOP = 5 THEN

									MSGBOX "Unable to map the printer " + Col1 + ", please inform a technician."

								END IF



							NEXT

							ON ERROR GOTO 0	

						End If



						If UCASE(Col0) = "DEFAULT" Then

							ON ERROR RESUME NEXT

							FOR FN_Loop = 1 TO 5

								WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter Col1

								IF Err.Number = 0 THEN EXIT FOR

								Wscript.Sleep(5000)

								IF FN_LOOP = 5 THEN

									MSGBOX "Unable to set the default printer to " + Col1 + ", please inform a technician."

								END IF

							NEXT

							ON ERROR GOTO 0	



						End If

						If UCASE(Col0) = "NAME" OR UCASE(Col0) = "UNAME" Then

							Exit Do

						End If

					End If

				Loop

			EXit Do

			End If

	End If

Loop

objFile.close

End sub

 

You have this VBS file to run on each log in.

 

You then make a txt file which will contain the following. This is a example.

 

ClientPrinterMapping.txt

REM Room B11

NAME	B11*

MAP	\\apsrv01\B11_BW_HP4100

MAP	\\apsrv01\B11_Colour_TallyT8006e

DEFAULT	\\apsrv01\B11_Colour_TallyT8006e



REM Room B12

NAME	B12*

MAP	\\apsrv01\B12_BW_HP4100

MAP	\\apsrv01\B12_Colour_TallyT8006e

DEFAULT	\\apsrv01\B12_BW_HP4100



REM B13

NAME	B13*

MAP	\\apsrv01\B13_BW_HP4050

MAP	\\apsrv01\B13_Colour_TallyT8006e

DEFAULT	\\apsrv01\B13_BW_HP4050

 

Its very easy and i have never had to touch the VBS file only the txt file.

 

Sorry for the long post.

 

Ross

[srochford]

Just enter a location into the enviornment settings in windows and make yourself a logon script and hey presto.

 

I always love the "just enter a ..." type things :-) These are always the bits which get forgotten (because it's one extra thing to do) :-)