Group policy assigned printers problem

[mrbios]

Hi Everyone,

 

I've got a server 2008 R2 print server, our domain is running at a Server 2008 R2 functional level and there are currently 9 Windows 7 PCs running in our library (test bed for the proper windows 7 rollout)

 

In the library the printer is set to apply to those PCs via group policy to the computer account, this works fine for a while, and after time randomally someone will log on and the printer won't be there, and won't return until the PC is restarted (no doubt to reapply the policy?) does anyone have any idea how i can fix this? the librarian is getting frustrated with restarting the PCs intermittently throughout the day and im getting frustrated by the librarian!

 

On our XP machines we used scripts to apply the printers on logon but these seem pretty flakey in windows 7 so we avoided using them again but the benefit of those were that you could run them at any point during someones login rather than just when logging on, can't think how i would do this with the GP system (that said, i havent tried a shortcut to a cmd file kids could run to do gpupdate /force, but im not holding out much hope)

 

Any ideas?

[mrbios]

No one have any ideas?

[soveryapt]

I know on XP using 2003R2 to send out printers I have to use the PushPrinterConnections.exe file which gets called at log in to ensure the printers are mapped correctly. Not having Windows 7 or 2008R2 I couldnt' say if this would fix it for you, but it might be worth giving it a shot or investigating that option.

 

[mrbios]

Seeing as this appears to be a failed attempt at printer mapping im attempting powershell

 

Does anyone know why this isn't running:

C:\Windows\system32>Powershell -command \\archway.local\netlogon\machine\LIB\scr
ipt1.ps1

Security Warning
Run only scripts that you trust. While scripts from the Internet can be useful,
this script can potentially harm your computer. Do you want to run
\\archway.local\netlogon\machine\LIB\script1.ps1?
[D] Do not run  [R] Run once  [s] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "D"): R
Exception calling "AddWindowsPrinterConnection" with "1" argument(s): "The spec
ified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E)"
At \\archway.local\netlogon\machine\LIB\script1.ps1:3 char:33
+ $net.addwindowsprinterconnection <<<< ($Printerpath)
   + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: ( [], MethodInvocationException
   + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ComMethodTargetInvocation

 

I have powershell script signiture execution set to Unrestricted

 

I also need a way of stopping it from asking me to press R to run it

 

EDIT: Alternatively the error im getting from the group policy ones: when i manually attempt to add a mapped network computer when the problem occurs that the printer has disapeared i get an error: 0x0000007E, could not map printer

exactly the same problem as this: http://help.wugnet.com/vista/connect-printer-error-0x0000007e-ftopict137454.html

Edited April 1, 2010 by mrbios

[mounters]

Are you assigning the printers using Group Policy Preferences? If so are you using targetting?

 

What's the refresh time on the policies?

[mrbios]

Are you assigning the printers using Group Policy Preferences? If so are you using targetting?

 

What's the refresh time on the policies?

 

using targetting to apply only to windows 7 workstations, refresh time on policies i think is 30 minutes

 

I've just found out about this fancy new windows 7 addition called printer driver isolation, i've disabled that to see if it makes any different, as of disabling it, doing gpupdate and restarting the print spooler the printer repappeared!!!! (the only way i could get it to work before was via restarting the machine completely) so i'll see how that goes

[featured_spectre]

I found that installing the printer on the server, then batch scripting each profile to attach the printer to join worked well rather than GPO.