Uninstall Office Document Image Writer across the domain

[eejit]

Hi there,

I have a bit of a problem with the Office Document Image Writer printer that gets installed with office. Is there an easy way to remove it across the domain? The scripts I've tried for removing regular printers have failed. I know I could re-deploy office again without the image writer selected, but that will really be a last option as I don't fancy creating the MST and having machine's take 30 mins to boot up while they re-do the install.

 

Any ideas will be welcomed.

cheers.

[Geoff]

You can do this with a VBS script, however, one has to be violent and use the extended options for the RemovePrinterConnection method. Like so:

 

Option Explicit
Dim objNetwork, strUNCPrinter
strUNCPrinter = "Office Document Image Writer"
bForce = "True"
bUpdateProfile = "True"

Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
objNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection strUNCPrinter, bForce, bUpdateProfile

Wscript.Quit 

[eejit]

Cheers Geoff, I will give a go right now.

[eejit]

Sorry to be a pain Geoff, but I'm getting the following error:

 

Line: 4

Char: 1

Error: Variable is undefined: 'bForce'

 

:oops:

[Geoff]

2000 machine?

[eejit]

No, XP SP2 on a server 2003 SP1 network. Office 2003 SP2 too.

[Geoff]

ah my bad.

 

Change

Dim objNetwork, strUNCPrinter

to

Dim objNetwork, strUNCPrinter, bForce,  bUpdateProfile

 

Also double check that the printer name is correct, I'm not 100% on that either.

[eejit]

Will do Geoff, thanks. The printer name is "Microsoft Office Document Image Writer"

[Geoff]

You'll have to change that too then.

[eejit]

Ok, still no joy.

 

I've copied it locally to an XP machine and run it there. I get the following error:

 

Line: 8

 

Error: This network connection does not exist

 

Am I reading too much into the error message in assuming that this code will only work for network printers?

 

Here is the current script:

Option Explicit
Dim objNetwork, strUNCPrinter, bForce, bUpdateProfile
strUNCPrinter = "Microsoft Office Document Image Writer"
bForce = "True"
bUpdateProfile = "True"

Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
objNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection strUNCPrinter, bForce, bUpdateProfile

Wscript.Quit 

[Geoff]

Sorry I should of said, local printers need to be in quotes thus:

 

strUNCPrinter = ""Microsoft Office Document Image Writer""

[eejit]

Oh dear, that causes an "Expected end of statement" error at the end of the first set of double quotes.

 

I feel guilty about taking up all your time with something that won't even benefit you. Maybe I should concentrate on making an MST instead after all

[Ric_]

I've been trying to get rid of this recently too.

 

I've had no luck yet but I am past the stage of errors - there's another method of reoving printers with VBScript.

 

I'll post my attempts so far when I get to work tomorrow.

[Geoff]

ok, lets try the evil hard coded approach.

 

Option Explicit
Dim objNetwork

Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
objNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection "Microsoft Office Document Image Writer", True, True

Wscript.Quit

[eejit]

Sorry Geoff, we're back to "This network connection does not exist" with this one. The fact that it's a local printer is at root of the script problems I believe.

[eejit]

In the end I downloaded the reskit and made myself an MST removing the image writer. The install took about 30 secs. Should have done that originally

[Ric_]

Just for completeness... I used the attached file in the startup script and ti worked perfectly.

del_imagewriter.vbs

[tarquel]

Never actually tried using the image writer but it doesnt make a pdf of the doc does it? hehe That would be damned useful, but i guess its some other 'orrible thing instead right?

 

Nath

[Geoff]

It makes TIFF image files or MS's proprietry MDI format image files..

 

There's various free/shareware tools for making a PDF based printer. My prefered way is to use a Linux Samba server though.

[tarquel]

It makes TIFF image files or MS's proprietry MDI format image files..

 

Ahhh - i thought it'd be some sort o' crap like that hehe

 

There's various free/shareware tools for making a PDF based printer. My prefered way is to use a Linux Samba server though.

 

I know

 

Cheers for the info tho

Nath