Default printer changed - what would you do?

[speckytecky]

Our default printer is a leased Ricoh multifunction. It has been an Afico 3245C but today was changed to a MF C5000. Setting it up on the same IP address as I was short of time and testing it it seems to be printing fine and dandy and the web interface is bringing up the new machine. I haven't tested it yet with all our client machines but if the first tests are anything to go by then it's settled itself onto our domain well.

 

Our printers are picked up by local IP address installs on Macs and a mix of Group Policy and vbs for our MS XP and Windows 7 clients. I'm tempted to leave well alone as everyone knows where their work is going to pop out and unless there turns out to be a need to change drivers then clients will just continue printing to the default even though it is not listed under the correct name - won't they?

[speckytecky]

Bump - I'm no further forward on this one - advice would be most welcome please.

[SYNACK]

Not sure I understand this, is it going via a server or just direct and if direct are you using the universal drivers. If it is a server you can just change the drivers and it will just push it out in the background to the clients, transparent for Vista and 7 and a reboot or two for XP dinosaurs.

 

If its just via the IP and the universal driver it may work.

 

If its via the IP and a specific driver is is likely to cause at least a few issues with paper trays etc. if it works. HP was really good for transferable drivers but not sure about Ricoh. I have seen huge variation in their drivers so if it is a printer specific driver then it will depend massively on the printers themselves.

 

All and all, through a server is much easier and offloads stuff from the printer too.