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Windows Client > Windows 7 IT Pro Forums > Windows 7 Hardware Compatibility > Add a Printer wizard doesn't show any printers

Answered Add a Printer wizard doesn't show any printers

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      Monday, January 18, 2010 3:16 PM
       
       
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      Just a short question:

      In windows 7 I click on "Devices and Printers", "Add a Printer", "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer". The wizard takes about 15seconds to search for printers and comes up with nothing.
      How do I populate this wizard?
      There are several file/print servers accross different branch offices, all printers are published in AD. For some reason the printers are not listed there. Do I need to create additional AD objects/DNS records for this to work?

      Cheers, Michiel

       

    Answers

    • Tuesday, January 19, 2010 6:11 AM
       
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      If you guys store your printers on certain main servers (we do that on for larger remote offices) then you could just go //fs1/ (example of one of our printer queues) and enter and it'll list all the printers we have on that server. We prefer that method as oppose to to doing the add printer, because once the print queues are listed, you just right click, connect and those network printers are added pronto - whole process takes maybe 3-4 seconds, much much quicker than adding a printer through the add printer wizard.
      MCSE, MCSA, MCDST [If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" or "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.]
      • Marked As Answer by MichB Tuesday, January 19, 2010 8:01 AM
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    • Monday, January 18, 2010 3:27 PM
       
       
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      Make sure thet network discovery is turned on - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Enable-or-disable-network-discovery

      Also, what happens when you select 'The printer that I want isn't listed' then selecting 'Browse' ? There's also a few other options there under 'The Printer that I want isn't listed' to get the printer mapped over.
       
    • Tuesday, January 19, 2010 1:49 AM
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      Hi,

       

      Regarding the issue, please also try the following:

       

      Troubleshoot network printer problems

       

      Hope this helps. Thanks.

      Nicholas Li - MSFT
       
    • Tuesday, January 19, 2010 6:11 AM
       
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      If you guys store your printers on certain main servers (we do that on for larger remote offices) then you could just go //fs1/ (example of one of our printer queues) and enter and it'll list all the printers we have on that server. We prefer that method as oppose to to doing the add printer, because once the print queues are listed, you just right click, connect and those network printers are added pronto - whole process takes maybe 3-4 seconds, much much quicker than adding a printer through the add printer wizard.
      MCSE, MCSA, MCDST [If this post helps to resolve your issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" or "Helpful" button at the top of this message. By marking a post as Answered, or Helpful you help others find the answer faster.]
      • Marked As Answer by MichB Tuesday, January 19, 2010 8:01 AM
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    • Thursday, October 07, 2010 12:25 PM
       
       
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      I know this is an old post but I recently ran into this kind of issue. On Win7, the intial add printer screen only shows 20 of the 36 total printer shares. If I do the "the printer I want isn't listed" then yes they all show up so it's not a big deal. Just one of those thngs that bothers me. Our printers are on two subnets 192.168.1.x and 192.168.2.x and I thought that initial screen might just be showing printers on the same subnet as the computer but this is not the case. All I've found searching for the cause of this is 'just click the printer I want isn't listed". I want to know WHY the printers aren't found on the initial screen. I think, therefore I am :). All printers are checked "List in Directory" and yes Network Discovery is on.
       
    • Monday, November 01, 2010 8:14 PM
       
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      By default only 20 printers are listed in Add printer >> Add bluetooth or network printer,however the same can ge changed by applying the group policy " computer configuration\admin templates\printers\add printer wizard-network scan page" this allows us to see more than 20 printers in the list of add printers and we are able to find the missing priter which were earlier missing from the list.
      • Proposed As Answer by sshoaib Wednesday, February 09, 2011 10:49 PM
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    • Tuesday, January 25, 2011 1:49 AM
       
       
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      Awesome, thanks rku034. I was only seeing 20 printers.
       
    • Wednesday, February 09, 2011 10:50 PM
       
       
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      Had same issue - changing the group policy fixed it for me