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Printers deployed via GPO - users' default printers switch back...

Answered Printers deployed via GPO - users' default printers switch back...

  • Tuesday, January 29, 2013 4:34 PM
     
     
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    Windows 2008 R2 Server (remote office server acting as a DC, GC and print server); clients run Windows 7 Enterprise x64 (users have roaming profiles with folder redirection)

    I deployed 5 network printers using Group Policy (per machine): Printer1, Printer2...Printer5

    Printer1 was the very first printer queue created on the server and deployed to users via Group Policy.

    Users login for the first time and get all five network printers, and Printer1 becomes their default printer automatically (which is fine for their first login). However, when users change their default printer, in this case Printer1, to some other printer - eventually their default printer goes back to Printer1. Is there a way to make sure the new default printer stays and it doesn't go back to Printer1?


    • Edited by Edgonz Tuesday, January 29, 2013 4:46 PM
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  • Tuesday, January 29, 2013 4:57 PM
     
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    If you are using GPP then you can do following


    Set this printer as default printer  True
    Only if a local printer is not present  True
     
    Apply once and do not reapply   Yes

    • Marked As Answer by Edgonz Wednesday, January 30, 2013 6:49 PM
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  • Tuesday, January 29, 2013 5:26 PM
     
     
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    Looks like I'm going to have to deploy these printers using GPP as opposed to what I was doing.

    Basically, I was going to the Printt Management Console, right clicking on the printer queue and selecting Deploy wiht Group Policy... option to deploy the printer to my users.

    I need to do a research on pros and cons on using GPP as opposed to what I was doing - not to mention that I'm going to have to run multiple tests to make sure all our internal apps still print properly. During my deployment tests I failed to change default printers; I kept using whatever default printer the group policy setting was assigning my test user.

    Thanks for the reply Brano Lukic.

     
  • Tuesday, January 29, 2013 8:07 PM
     
     
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    Okay, this doesn't seem to be working for me.

    So, I'm still deploying 5 network printers to all users - the office has 5 printers and all users need to have access to all 5 printers.

    The first network printer queue I created on the server (e.g. Printer1) is assigned as the default printer queue for all users - that's fine for the users' first login attempt. Eventually the users at this location select their own default printer queue, let's say Printer3. At the end of the day, users log out of the network, when they log back in their computers, the next day, the default printer queue is set back to Printer1 instead of Printer3 - which is what the user needs to have.

    Originially, I wasn't using GPP to deploy these printers. I was using Printer Management Console and Deploy with Group Policy... and I assigned this to an AD Site Group Policy.

    Based on Brano's suggestion, I just fail to see how those settings will allow the policy to remember the user's new default printer queues (e.g. Printer3).

     
  • Tuesday, January 29, 2013 8:24 PM
     
     
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    > Based on Brano's suggestion, I just fail to see how those settings
    > will allow the policy to remember the user's new default printer
    > queues (e.g. Printer3).
    >
     
    It will not remember - it will just set the default printer only once
    and never again, so the user can decide on his own.
     
    NO THEY ARE NOT EVIL, if you know what you are doing: Good or bad GPOs?
    Wenn meine Antwort hilfreich war, freue ich mich über eine Bewertung! If my answer was helpful, I'm glad about a rating!
     
  • Wednesday, January 30, 2013 5:47 AM
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    Hi,

    Try to clear related registry keys to remove the old default printers, details please refer to the answer of below discussion:

    Default printer keeps changing
    http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprogeneral/thread/316fd408-4957-43b1-92e3-8dda96dcdded

    Regards,
    Cicely

     
  • Wednesday, January 30, 2013 5:59 AM
     
     
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    Like Martin said it will not remember it will give the ability to the user to set their own default printer.<o:p></o:p>

    This is what i had to do for my environment when i facing the same challenge.<o:p></o:p>

    There is probably different way to do it with scripting but I chose to do it this way as it seem to be fastest and it fits my business requirements.<o:p></o:p>


     
  • Wednesday, January 30, 2013 4:03 PM
     
     
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    Thanks everyone! It seems to have worked in my lab. I'm now doing more extensive testing and involving some live test subjects, err real users!
    I'll post my findings soon.