Setting Up Printers for All Users 2

[ryhackl]

Good day!

I've been frustrated in what seems to be a "simple" problem that I can do in Windows 2000, but have trouble with in Windows NT 4 (which our school has inherited).

When I install a network printer as Administrator (in NT 4 Workstation), why doesn't the printer show up to the log on users of that computer?

When I set up the printer as an individual user (i.e. Jack), it works fine, but I'd like to have the computer automatically allow any additional student user (Jane, Jill, etc) to use the printer, without them having to install it themselves (since many of them can't). How can I do this?

Thanks again for the assistance rendered...

- Ryan

 

[lbrown13]

You have to set the network printer
up for each individual user.
The permissions should allow
the users to set network printers
themselves, provided that they
know how.

You could probably set the printer
for each new user with a one time
logon script.

Larry

 

[wolluf]

Do you use roaming profiles?

Or

If you set up a user with the printer installed (and other settings as you'd like users to have), and copy that user's profile to \winnt\profiles\default user using the copy to function in system properties, all users logging on without an existing profile will have the same settings (so you could remove all existing...)

Or could set up a single profile on same basis on the server which all users pick up.

 

[ryhackl]

Thanks for the additional information!

lbrown13 - Would you have suggestions for the coding of that logon script?

wolluf - We use roaming profiles, and different computers will access different printers. For example, computer lab workstations access those printers, while library computers will access the printer in the library. User's have roaming profiles so that they can log on to any workstation (and connect to a W2K Server).

If I copy the profile to the "default user", won't this override the roaming profile (or will the workstation recognize the amalgam of the two profiles (default user and roaming profile)?

Thanks again for the updates...

- Ryan

 

[wolluf]

No - if you use roaming profiles, my default profile idea won't work - it would only be picked up by new users without roaming profiles. My other idea was if you didn't have individual roaming profiles but perhaps several mandatory profiles, each for various groups of users (so also no good!).

I think the net use command (type net help use for help) may be what you need (site I worked at 5 years ago had this problem, and I think that's the approach they took - but am not sure - hopefully Larry can help you if not).

 

[tech84]

Ryan,

Try this MS Knowledge Base article -->

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q252388

It sounds like it may do the trick for you. The article discusses new users, but I haven't tried it for existing users, or users with roaming profiles. You may want to give it a try on one of the NT boxes and see what happens.

Good luck!

Mike

 

[wolluf]

tech84,

that's a useful link, but it won't help Ryan, because it only affects the local default user - so only new users WITHOUT roaming profiles will pick it up (similar effect to my post earlier).

 

[Freaek]

I've had this work with NT4, but not 2k (go figure)

What you do is thus;

Start -- settings -- printers
add printer
pick my computer
hit next
click add port
select local port
click new port
port name should be \\machinename\printershare
click ok
click close
in the add printer window, you should now see the port \\machinename\printershare with a description of 'local port' and it will be selected
hit next
find the correct driver for the printer (or add one from disk)
hit next
choose a name for the printer
choose if you want it to be default
hit next
make sure 'not shared' is selected
hit next
choose to print a test page
click finish

That printer will now be installed as a local printer on the machine (local printers are available across all user profiles) but use the print queue on the server.

You could also just add the printer via LPR (in the add port section above, choose lpr, not local port) but then each pc runs its own local queue/spool for the printer, and doesn't use the one on the server.

Sorry if my instructions are a bit simplistic, the're a copy of a rough draft of user documentation I'm writing

-PeteG

 

[SK78]

ok lets see if i can help, since you are using roaming profiles, scripts based on profiles are no good for you, you need scripts based on computer names here is and example script i made for you, all you will need to do is locate a exe called con2prt.exe "maybe microsoft have it"

ex: for a computername sk-test-01 and sk-test-02

if %computername:~3,4%==test goto check1
end
:check1
if %computername:~8,2%--01 goto prt1
if %computername:~8,2%--02 goto prt2
end

rt1
Con2prt /cd \\servername\printshare
end

rt2
con2prt /cd \\servername\printshare2

end

This type of scripting can work for any type of situation if you can read and edit it right and this way you dont have to touch every single pc to install a local printer and redirect its port

 

[Aslamvs]

HI Freaek,

That's really worked for me. Here's ur star. Aslam