Setting the Default printer on deployed printers

[Stuart_C]

Firstly yes I saw the other thread but this is a slightly different question and I didn't want to go thread-jacking.

 

I'm deploying printers through Group policy (so right click on printer in print management and "deploy printer with Group policy". And it works. My problem is how do I set the default printer? For example the staff room has a MFD in it, but I also want to print to the MFD in reception as a fall back. However I don't want the printer in reception to be the default. I also don't want users to have to manually set the default themselves and I was trying to avoid using scripts.

 

Any suggestions?

[pete]

We do it via a DefaultPrinter GPP that picks an (and/or) default based upon either:

 

The OU that the device is in. Jeff logging onto a machine in the Staff Room will get StaffRoomPrinter as the default

The printer group. Jeff logging onto his laptop will get the Physics printer by default, because that's what he's opted for and is in the Physics-Printer group.

 

If staff don't choose a default for their laptop, they default to the StaffRoomPrinter because there's no chance of students walking buy and snaffling interesting docs.

[Stuart_C]

IS that through printer deployment via GPP thouhg or printer deployment vai the "delpoy wih group policy" route?

[pete]

IS that through printer deployment via GPP thouhg or printer deployment vai the "delpoy wih group policy" route?

 

Printer deployment via GPP because it allows much more granular options (as shown above). Be aware you pay a small amount of time for each printer you deploy this way.

 

But you can mix and match, so long as you're not trying to do the same thing twice.

 

For example:

 

Deploy printers however you want.

Set default printer using GPP rules.

[Stuart_C]

I couldn't see the options to just set the default printer in GPP, just add then and then set the printer. My research on the internet seems to say that to set the defualt you need to deploy the printers to users (ad set the default) then use item level targetting to deploy specific printers only when a user logs in on a PC.

 

Ie. if I want all users to in the ICT suite to see a printer the ICT printer I deploy it to the users but set item level targeting to look at PC's OU and if the PC is in the ICTSuite OU to run the item.

 

Is that essentially what you are doing?

[plexer]

In GPP - control panel - printers.

 

If you are doing a shared printer you have a check box under the share path for "set as default" then you can use item level targetting based on things such as computer name.

 

Ben

[Stuart_C]

Sorry, I thought you were saying that you could JUST set the default printer. That would install it again. Looks like it's time for some complicated preference settings...