Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.group_policy (
More info?)
I work for a university and this is a really large problem for us. My cheap
(free) solution is to use the login script to get the computer name and set
the printer based on that. If you move PCs frequently this will not be a
good solution. Here is a copy of my login script:
if '%COMPUTERNAME%' == '0421PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
"\\pserver1\G158"
if '%COMPUTERNAME%' == '0426PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
"\\pserver1\G158"
if '%COMPUTERNAME%' == '0429PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
"\\pserver1\G158"
if '%COMPUTERNAME%' == '0430PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
"\\pserver1\G158"
if '%computername%' == '1591PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
"\\pserver2\M120"
if '%computername%' == '1612PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
\\pserver2\M120"
if '%COMPUTERNAME%' == '2798PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
"\\pserver1\M109"
if '%COMPUTERNAME%' == '2799PC' rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n
\\pserver1\M109"
This is not elegant solution, but it works. Here is what I do to make it
work:
Install XP, hotfixes, software, join to domain, etc.
Create a new user on the domain with domain admin rights.
Login to the PC as the new user.
Set all of the settings you want (show standard and formatting toolbars on
two rows, always show full menus, etc). Get the PC exactly as you want it.
Install all of the printers you want your users to print to.
Logoff
Login as the local admin.
Go into the user profiles area and select the account you just created,
select copy. Find the default user directory and give everyone permission.
Click on OK.
Go to the default user directory, right click, select properties, security
tab, select everyone and uncheck the write permission. User only need read
access.
Use this as your image.
Now when a user logs on to the domain, all possible printers are there and
the login script makes the correct printer the default printer. I worte a
little group policy to hide the printer and faxes option on the start menu.
Now if only MS would allow administrators to set printers at the OU level,
my life and the lifes of many other administrators would be simplified.
Perhaps we might see this HIGHLY NEEDED functionality in Windows 2003 SP1?
"Aziraphale" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:975d01c433f9$908e88b0$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> I have a very inelegant solution, so if someone has
> something better, please let me know.
>
> Basically, I run a machine startup script to copy a
> generically named printer install script to a directory on
> the client. Then I have a user logon script that calls
> the local copy of the printer script.
>
> As I said, inelegant, but it solves the problem for the
> time being. I would still prefer something cleaner.
>
> A.
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Thanks Ken, for the good suggestions.
> >
> >The printer is a network printer, not a local printer.
> We
> >don't use roaming profiles yet (a policy decision, not
> >mine). The problem with the default user profile
> solution
> >is that if the machines get moved to another room (and
> >thus the default user profile is changed), and a kid logs
> >on who already has a profile, then he/she will end up
> with
> >the wrong printer.
> >
> >I do find it a bit mind-blowing that there doesn't seem
> to
> >be an effective, elegant solution for what seems like an
> >obvious problem built into Windows 2000/XP/2003.
> >
> >Any other suggestions are welcome!
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>If you're not using roaming profiles, you could make the
> >>printer in the room as part of the default user
> profile.
> >>Alternatively, if the printer is a local printer,
> >>shouldn't it automagically show up in the printers?
> >>
> >>Ken
> >>
> >>>-----Original Message-----
> >>>I've spent the last two days scouring the web for a
> >>>solution to this, and all I've found are scripts that
> >>work
> >>>per user, but not per machine. Perhaps it's a
> >>permissions
> >>>setting, but here goes.
> >>>
> >>>I work in a school. Each classroom has a printer.
> >>Users
> >>>(students) use multiple computers in multiple rooms
> >>>throughout the day. Computers are grouped into OUs
> >>based
> >>>on room. Each machine needs to print to the printer in
> >>>its room. The printers need to be installed by
> >>default.
> >>>I want to assign them per machine
> >>>
> >>>I know that Policy Maker can do this, but my boss won't
> >>>spring for it.
> >>>
> >>>I've swept this forum for script solutions, as well as
> >>>TechNet, but although all the scripts I found seem to
> >>work
> >>>when I'm logged in as a user, none of them work when
> run
> >>>as a startup script. They *run*, but they don't do
> >>>anything.
> >>>
> >>>I don't want to use a logon script that assigns
> printers
> >>>based on computer names, so please don't suggest that.
> >>>For reasons too complicated to explain here, the
> >>machines
> >>>will all share similar names with unique numbers (MS-
> >>CLASS-
> >>>###). I need to assign a printer on a per machine
> level.
> >>>
> >>>Since I'm currently running a Startup script, I'm
> >>>wondering if it's some kind of permissions issue?
> >>>(Startup scripts run as LocalSystem)
> >>>
> >>>What have I missed?
> >>>
> >>>Thanks!
> >>.
> >>
> >.
> >