Windows7 and Printing (network)

[zulander]

We have a windows 2008 R2 print server and are running a mix of Xp and Windows 7x64 clients. We are having problems with printers not installing on some Windows 7 Machines. Wonder if anyone has come across this issue before?

We use Group Policy to push the printers out - some PC's work OK, others just wont install the printer or they will install it for a time - but then randomly loose the printer at log off and wont reappear for love nor money.

On the Xp machines we use a printer scipt and that works fine - a simelar version for Windows 7 doesnt work at all.

Does anyone have a windows7 printer script that we could try? It needs to be one that installs the printer to the computer (not user) and set a default printer.

Thanks

[timread]

Are you using the vendor's device-specific Win7 x64 device driver, or one of the vendor's Universal Printer Drivers? We've had mixed success with either!

I suggest you use Group Policy Preferences to deploy printers via Group Policy. Two advantages of GPO Preferences:

1. It 'tattoos' the desired setting on the user machine, so that if the GPO goes out of scope, the setting remains.

2. GPO preference can be set to 'apply once and do not reapply'. This means users can change the setting (e.g. default printer) if they desire via applications.

You'd need to push out the Client Side Extensions update to support Group Policy Preferences on XP.

Are you seeing any relevant event log errors on the Win7 x64 machines which are failing to install the printer driver (or losing it)?

[DeludedGuy]

I had issues with Win7 x64 and the printers we have (Canon and Konica Minolta), but it was all driver related. We kept trying different versions of drivers until they were recognised, Printer drivers are a PITA.

[Splash]

What timread said, basically. I'm in the process of migrating all of our sites from logon script to deploying printers based on AD site (that way a user gets the drivers installed if they move from one site to another at startup - this is important to us as we have a lot of mobile users). 2008R2 also has a pretty nifty Print Management console if you installer the printserver role - you can use this to make the deployment easier.

The only other tips I can give you are to make sure that the version you install on the server also has a 32 bit version with the same version number - if not then the drivers won't install properly.

[appypaddy]

Go to Control Panel . Choose printer . Then choose Add Printer .

ChooseAdd a local printer. Click on Create a new port.

The default in the drop down box is Local Port . Do not change that. Click Next .

A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name.

Type in the \\computer name\printer name.

My computer's name is kidscomputer and the printer name is HPPrinter so I typed in \\kidscomputer\hpprinter



Yahoo! It worked. Go figure! Hope this helps someone else so they don't spend the hours or days like I did on it!