How to install a printer for multiple users from Admin

[chris480]

IT setting. Multiple departments with unique network printers but a common image.
Creating scripts have been considered, but become impractical for each unique department in the domain.

While on the local admin account can I install printers to other accounts on the computer?

 

[fowang]

You can but doing this you will need to use a domain account to add the printer, problems will be incountered when the domain acocunt password needs changed/reset.

Its better to have each user adding the printer than having the printer added on each computer using the local admin acocunt.

Thats if these printers are network printers installed from a central print server.

 

[mi1ez]

The best way to do it is through group policy. Push the connection to the printer and it *should* install the printer on logon.

 

[johnnyq1233]

It's probably easier to just make each user add the network printer and the drivers will install automatically...
I've done this with my Brother MFC-255CW wireless and everyone in my house can access this printer..the nice thing about this is the printer resides on the network as a device rather than in the printers tab.

 

[chris480]

It's probably easier to just make each user add the network printer and the drivers will install automatically...
I've done this with my Brother MFC-255CW wireless and everyone in my house can access this printer..the nice thing about this is the printer resides on the network as a device rather than in the printers tab.

I wish this was a viable option. With the amount of users under the domain and the uniqueness of each department, I need to find a solution that works without them doing much to anything.

 

[fowang]

I look after 4000+ users with about 20 sites and its the easiest option, no messing about with GPO

 

[chris480]

I look after 4000+ users with about 20 sites and its the easiest option, no messing about with GPO

Thanks for you reply. Lucky for me that major upgrades don't happen all that often.

 

[hang-the-9]

you want a "Per System" printer setup. http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterAllUsers.htm

Few gotchas with this. In some MS programs (Outlook for one) that you can only print HTMP email to your default printer when you have a per system printer set up. You can't set the default printer for the system using this method unless it's the only printer on the computer, then obviously it will be the default.

You can also setup a printer, default printer, etc.. for a generic user account, then copy the account to the Default User account. Then every new user on the sytem will inherit the settings you configured.