Automatic printer selection 1

[Leozack]

Greets - I was curious if there's a registry method or otherwise for assigning default printers to default users. So if you had a user for room 1-5 the priner for their room would be the default when they logon despite having access to the other printers, for example. I haven't come across anything yet that doesn't ahve to remove all the other printers first then add it wiht the default setting, and require a specific logon script to call it differently for each user. con2prt I think it's called.

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Leozack

MakeUniverse($infinity,1,42);

 

[bcastner]

The basic notion is here, showing a user choice:
thread779-581142

You could take the idea of using PrintUI and combine it with something like the user MAC address (with the native GETMAC.EXE command) or environmental variable such as %COMPUTERNAME% to script the assignment.

 

[Leozack]

That's a good plan. I remember stumbling accross that amazing resource before (

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=581142)

but now I've looked into it more.
I guess I could have a load of lines in the logon.bat saying if %computername% == "whatever" rundll32 blablabla. But if I had more pcs that might get a bit nuts. Inwhichcase you'd have to put the computers into AD groups but then how would you do it, ie, to groups of computers? Then you could say if computer is in this group, make this printer default.

I guess half the problem is I don't want to delete or add printers, I just want to specify which one should be the default depending on which computer you're on - or in a bigger environment, which printergroup that computer is in. Somehow. Man - why don't I just start writing an enterprise printer mmc

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Leozack

MakeUniverse($infinity,1,42);

 

[bcastner]

You create OUs by resource, in this case the printer. Then add the machine names to that OU.

Consider though that even if a p.i.a. to script CASE statements in script, you only have to do this once and edit it rarely.

Or, consider my original suggestion: use the logon script to prompt the user to pick a printer. The instructions are in the earlier links as to how to set this to the default printer. Place large signs on each printer: "This is printer PARIS; this is printer ROME"; or some other easy to remember schema other than: "This is printer OGX:009123-01" which I have seen (and nobody guesses right at logon).

 

[Leozack]

Yeah I don't think anyone would guess that last one However I work with schools, and as such I can't expect them to choose stuff unfortunately. Though luckily most of mine are before the malicious age ><;
So I'd like to have an AD solution if possible. I could make an ou and move the machines into them (I guess I have to do this but I don't think they're needed in any other ou so it should be ok) per printer, but what do actually do with the ou to make the machines in it select a particular printer as default I haven't figured out yet. Maybe I'll end up doing the long longon script instead as you said, 1 line per machine.

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Leozack

MakeUniverse($infinity,1,42);

 

[bazzert]

Its not necessary for a line per machine.

I work in a school and use a kix script. I labelled each machine in a suite like ICT2-PC01, ICT2-PC02, etc and ICT3-PC01, etc.

In the script have line that checks for first 4 characters of machine name and then assigns printer(s) in that suite based on this check.

 

[bcastner]

Several ways:

1. Existing script resources:
prnmngr.vbs -- native script for XP installed already.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/prnmngr.mspx

2. As discussed earlier above. Note the duplication is deliberate.

rem /y makes printer default

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\server\printername
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\server\nextprintername /y

3. Since these worksations will rarely move around, force a default printer assignment for all users. This only needs to be done once per workstation (unless you physicly move the workstation or printer).

Here is an example, (including doing this remotely) in a managed fashion for all workstations:

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterAllUsers.htm

 

[Leozack]

Thanks for the resources and stuff I guess I'll figure out a system that suits it. But it does surprise me there is no enterprise tool for such things. I always starting planning such things up and if I'm really unlucky coding them. Somebody stop me ><; Stars for you 2 for input!

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Leozack

MakeUniverse($infinity,1,42);

 

[bcastner]

Reconsider this link from above:

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterAllUsers.htm

 

[Leozack]

Yeah that's what I'm gonna start using I think, though making a gui for it is what I'm now thinking xD

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Leozack

MakeUniverse($infinity,1,42);