Recommended Printer Deployment

[speckytecky]

We have a Server 2008 (Standard Edition) Domain with a mix of XP Pro and Windows 7 Clients. Currently our printer deployment is via a script file. I hope this isn't considered a too muppety question but is a script file the best way to deploy the printers in this environment?

 

Reason for asking - the historical computer naming policy has been a bit of a crock so there are now a heap of names to add to the script file

[Devontechie]

With Win 2008, you can use Group Policy to deploy printer. I would say that would be easier than using scripts

 

Steve

[sparkeh]

Even better is to use Group Policy Preferences with item level targeting and all that jazz.

Just make sure that the XP clients have the group policy extensions update applied and you are good to go.

[speckytecky]

Thanks Steve and Sparkh - is there a muppets guide that I can be pointed toward please?

[SYNACK]

Scripts are still a valid solution, vbs ones anyway. If you current system was working fine I'd probably leave it as GPP is effectivly just a GUI version of scripting that is applied to each station/user. If you are looking at redoing the system easier GPP is probably easier and much more transferable in future as long as the XP machines are fully up to date with the GPP extentions and playing nice with them.

[Devontechie]

Thanks Steve and Sparkh - is there a muppets guide that I can be pointed toward please?

 

I'll see what I can find for you Geoff. I have done it before but was done without any guides, just ended up playing with it.

[speckytecky]

I have now run the GP Side extension on 4 XP Clients which I have previously set in an OU that has printers applied specifically to it. Tried a forced GP Update but so far they continue failing to pick up the printers they should be getting.

[SYNACK]

I have now run the GP Side extension on 4 XP Clients which I have previously set in an OU that has printers applied specifically to it. Tried a forced GP Update but so far they continue failing to pick up the printers they should be getting.

 

I've found GPP to be a bit iffy under XP which is why I only really started using it when we went all 7 as it was not truely bundled before 7.

[OverWorked]

I'm just going down the route of GPP to deploy printers.

 

It works well for deploying by users, but it's not so easy to deploy by computer. (This is probably by design and I'm just not understanding something).

 

Adding printers to users, there's an option to add a shared printer. Adding to computers (more useful in a school), there's no options to add a shared printer (only TCP/IP or local printer) or set the default.

 

Is there a way round this? I want users to see the printer in the room and have that as default.

 

Thanks.

 

EDIT:-

 

http://claymoore.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/deploying-tcpip-printers-with-group-policy-preferences/

 

has a lot of detail on deploying TCP/IP printers. It doesn't use another printer server - just the local machine. It does use a path to the printer on a server as a reference for settings and drivers. Still can't set it as default, though.

Edited September 5, 2011 by OverWorked
added more

[OverWorked]

The solution I've gone for is to deploy shared printers to users, with item-level targetting to detect the computer name (wildcards accepted). Also corresponding entries to delete the printers when the computer name doesn't match.

 

Works like a dream.

 

(I didn't like the idea of deploying TCP printers to computers, as it bypasses the print server and so there's no central logging or control).

[Psymon]

The solution I've gone for is to deploy shared printers to users, with item-level targetting to detect the computer name (wildcards accepted). Also corresponding entries to delete the printers when the computer name doesn't match.

 

Works like a dream.

 

(I didn't like the idea of deploying TCP printers to computers, as it bypasses the print server and so there's no central logging or control).

 

We are also using a similar method. All of our computers are grouped per department in AD (COM_ICT, COM_Art, COM_DT). This then allows us to add staff laptops to the groups, and to be a member of multiple groups (multiple printers). If you are using GPP to set the default printer, make sure you arrange the printers so that the last installed is the default.

 

Simon

 

Edit - We are using security groups, not computer names. Remember to change the radio button to "Computers in this group" instead of users

[OverWorked]

We are also using a similar method. All of our computers are grouped per department in AD (COM_ICT, COM_Art, COM_DT). This then allows us to add staff laptops to the groups, and to be a member of multiple groups (multiple printers). If you are using GPP to set the default printer, make sure you arrange the printers so that the last installed is the default.

 

Simon

 

Edit - We are using security groups, not computer names. Remember to change the radio button to "Computers in this group" instead of users

 

Thanks for that. That's a better way if the machine names aren't all the same format, like mine.

 

For the default printer, I just check the box "Set this printer as the dfault printer". Or were you referring to a situation where there may be more than one checked as the default?