Deploying printers with group policy

[mmholland]

Hello guys!

 

I have been at my current job for a year now as a network technician...Since I have been here a year now, I am starting to get deeper into things. I just got done with my last project...before the guys here were using clonezilla/ghost to clone PC's...I setup a FOG server in order to make things go smoother, and be more automated....

 

Anyway, back on topic.

 

We have a windows 2008 r2 core server setup as a print server. For whatever reason when you go out to explorer and go to \\printserver and double click on the shared printer...for some reason it will cause issues sometimes, but not always...When I say issues, then it takes a lot longer than normal to print, or sometimes does not print at all...so what we do is setup printers manually by creating a local port and making the local port \\printserver\name_of_printer then add the correct driver & settings.

 

I noticed if you use the print management tool in Windows 7 to manage the printers on our print server, if you right click on a shared printer, and click on deploy with active directory, in one of the OU's that I tried it in, it creates the port as the printers IP address as opposed to creating it as a local port.

 

I am somewhat new to Group Policy...I have played around in it a little bit, but not a whole lot.

 

What would be the best way for me to deploy printers using Group Policy? For some reason a different OU that I tried this in I could not get them to deply...Windows logs on 2 machines in the OU gives me the following error message:

Failed to register for user printing preferences change notification.  Open the Services snap-in and confirm that the Printer Spooler service is running 

For more information, see Help and Support Center at .

[deano]

Hello guys!

 

I have been at my current job for a year now as a network technician...Since I have been here a year now, I am starting to get deeper into things. I just got done with my last project...before the guys here were using clonezilla/ghost to clone PC's...I setup a FOG server in order to make things go smoother, and be more automated....

 

Anyway, back on topic.

 

We have a windows 2008 r2 core server setup as a print server. For whatever reason when you go out to explorer and go to \\printserver and double click on the shared printer...for some reason it will cause issues sometimes, but not always...When I say issues, then it takes a lot longer than normal to print, or sometimes does not print at all...so what we do is setup printers manually by creating a local port and making the local port \\printserver\name_of_printer then add the correct driver & settings.

 

I noticed if you use the print management tool in Windows 7 to manage the printers on our print server, if you right click on a shared printer, and click on deploy with active directory, in one of the OU's that I tried it in, it creates the port as the printers IP address as opposed to creating it as a local port.

 

I am somewhat new to Group Policy...I have played around in it a little bit, but not a whole lot.

 

What would be the best way for me to deploy printers using Group Policy? For some reason a different OU that I tried this in I could not get them to deply...Windows logs on 2 machines in the OU gives me the following error message:

Failed to register for user printing preferences change notification.  Open the Services snap-in and confirm that the Printer Spooler service is running 

For more information, see Help and Support Center at .

 

TBH if it was me in your position, I would backup the printers and drivers using Microsoft's PrintMig tool and then rebuild the server/migrate to new server.

 

There are a number of different variables that could give you symptoms you state and one could be the way in which somebody has configured the server or printer. At least by starting again, you can ensure setup is done correctly and the way you want.

[mmholland]

This print server was just made about a month ago...We have not tried to add printers by double clicking on them since we have built the new print server. Its one of those things that has just been a problem in the past. What is the best way to deploy a printer using Group Policy?

 

EDIT- I am not doing something right...The first OU I applied this to which is the one that I fall in, it worked fine, but I edited an existing object that we no longer needed...After I deleted that object and re-created one just for printers, it does not work...I am doing something wrong but don't know what since I don't know enough about Group Policy haha.

 

This should actually be moved to windows server 2008 not w2k8 r3

Edited August 27, 2012 by mmholland

[mmholland]

I really don't understand why it wont work with an object that I create to use as testing when I pick the right OU in print management, create an object, and select it....yet it will work with a different object that one of the previous admin's have made...why is this?

[simpsonj]

Not often I get to publise my one and only blog post, but it might help you out a little: Adding printers to Windows 7 machines via GPO - Blogs - EduGeek.net

 

If nothing else, the link in that blog post should help...

[mmholland]

I checked your blog out, and it was helpful, but I still have not been successful...I have saved a report of the working object and the non working object, and after going through your blog and changing 2 settings to enabled...after comparing the 2 they are identical, but will not work wth!?

 

Also, the link in your blog is dead.

 

Thanks man!