Printer wont deploy

[Gaz]

I've got a printer that I need to deploy to a couple of computers that are located in classrooms.

I've got an OU called "Classrooms" with the computers in it and a GPO called "classrooms printer"

I have tried to deploy it through Print Management by right clicking on the print and selecting "Deploy with Group Policy..." and then selecting the relevent OU and GPO.

However it just wont appear on the computers in "Printers and Faxes" (XP SP3 pcs) for love nor money. I have tried "gpupdate" and "gpupdate /force" but nothing works.

[plexer]

What does event viewer say?

 

Ben

[Gaz]

The computer eventlog doesnt say anything and neither does the server event log which is a little worrying.

 

I have sucessfully deployed 2 other printers in the same way but to Win7 Pro clients. Is this possibly XP related?

[dalsoth]

Try gpresult on the machine to see what is applying perhaps. Maybe check that you have it applying to computers rather than users etc...

[Michael]

With Windows XP (even on Server 2008 R2) you need to set pushprinterconnections.exe as a Startup and/or Logon script. This essentially maps the printer via GPO as you require.

 

With Windows 7 and 2008 R2, pushprinterconnections.exe isn't required as Microsoft have essentially built it into the OS. This is why your attempts to deploy printers to Windows 7 have been successful.

 

If you need the pushprinterconnections.exe file, you can download it from my site here. Hope this helps!

[plexer]

Deploy printers by using Group Policy

 

Ben

[Gaz]

Cheers plexer, I'll give that a try tomorrow, I did read a microsft guide (not that one) and it didn't help but it didn't include some of that info.

This sounds promising.

I hade the problem deploying printers on XP -32 bit systems.

 

That’s until I thought, maybe my Server 2008 R2 is using the 64-bit version of pushprinterconnections.exe, which it was of course.

 

Tried the 32-bit pushprinterconnections.exe one, from one of my Server 2003 R2 systems.

 

Now deployment works fine, both adds and deletes.

[Gaz]

OK I've followed that guide to the letter, even trying the 32bit version from my 2003R2 server but nothing worked. The printer GPO is applying according to a "gpresult" but its not showing up in "Printers and Faxes"

I'm going to try and map another printer in the same fashion, just in case something fruity is going on. I don't know if it matters but I'm trying to map a UTAX CD1242 photocopier.

[Gaz]

The other printer didn't apply either, so its not related to the printer its self.

[Gaz]

OK its working now for whatever reason, I don't care. I decided to start again from scratch so deleted the deployment and the printer and went through the process again, this time using the 32bit version of PushPrinterConnections.exe as I managed to find in the event log when I was using the 64bit version that it wouldn't execute.

 

Thank you to everyone for your help.