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Setting a 'one-time' default print for first login

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    We have a Windows 2008 R2 Server domain. We would like to create a GPO which sets a one-time default print for the first login. If the user then chooses to change their default printer, this should not be overridden the next time they logon to that Client (Windows 7 Pro). However, if they logon to a new client, then the default printer should be set. The default printer for exisiting users, who are using their existing clients, should not be changed.

    Any ideas?




    Monday, March 30, 2015 8:08 AM
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    > We only want this to run for users who logon to a PC for the first time.
    > Users which have already logged onto a client, have already setup their
    > default printer and they should not be changed.
     
    Honestly - rethink your requirement. If one or more printers exist, one
    of these actually is the default printer. But there's no (NO) way to
    determine whether it is default by user choice or default by accident :)
     
    And since user profiles are already existing, you simply cannot
    introduce a new GP setting to circumvent that. To be honest: I'm unaware
    of anything that can easily fulfill this request.
     
    The only practical solution I can imagine are a combination of computer
    startup script and user logon script.
     
    More easy to educate your users to change the default printer once again
    after implementing your GPP, isn't it?
     
    Greetings/Grüße, Martin

    Mal ein gutes Buch über GPOs lesen?
    Good or bad GPOs? - my blog…
    And if IT bothers me - coke bottle design refreshment (-:
    Monday, March 30, 2015 10:51 AM
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    > We have already tried the education route  - "on a new PC please check
    > your default printer" - did not work. Hence, the request.
     
    I'd still recommend GPP Printers and "Apply only once". Tell your users
    something like "starting with April, 6, adjust your default printer once
    after logging on", and on April, 4, enable a GPP that sets the default
    printer once.
     
    Greetings/Grüße, Martin

    Mal ein gutes Buch über GPOs lesen?
    Good or bad GPOs? - my blog…
    And if IT bothers me - coke bottle design refreshment (-:
    Monday, March 30, 2015 11:28 AM
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    > be set. The default printer for exisiting users, who are using their
    > existing clients, should not be changed.
     
    Group Policy Preferences "Printers". On the "Common" tab, check "apply
    only once".
     
    Greetings/Grüße, Martin

    Mal ein gutes Buch über GPOs lesen?
    Good or bad GPOs? - my blog…
    And if IT bothers me - coke bottle design refreshment (-:
    Monday, March 30, 2015 9:30 AM
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    Thanks for your feedback Martin.

    For clarification, if I set "apply only one" on the "comman" tab - surely ALL USERS will run this at next login, which means that their current default printer will be changed to the one I specify?

    We only want this to run for users who logon to a PC for the first time. Users which have already logged onto a client, have already setup their default printer and they should not be changed.

    Thanks for your continued help.

    Monday, March 30, 2015 10:37 AM
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    > We only want this to run for users who logon to a PC for the first time.
    > Users which have already logged onto a client, have already setup their
    > default printer and they should not be changed.
     
    Honestly - rethink your requirement. If one or more printers exist, one
    of these actually is the default printer. But there's no (NO) way to
    determine whether it is default by user choice or default by accident :)
     
    And since user profiles are already existing, you simply cannot
    introduce a new GP setting to circumvent that. To be honest: I'm unaware
    of anything that can easily fulfill this request.
     
    The only practical solution I can imagine are a combination of computer
    startup script and user logon script.
     
    More easy to educate your users to change the default printer once again
    after implementing your GPP, isn't it?
     
    Greetings/Grüße, Martin

    Mal ein gutes Buch über GPOs lesen?
    Good or bad GPOs? - my blog…
    And if IT bothers me - coke bottle design refreshment (-:
    Monday, March 30, 2015 10:51 AM
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    Unfortunately, in this environment we have over 250 users spread across different rooms with around 30 printers. Through GPOs we have already split the printers into "teams" so that users don't see all printers. However, there are several MFPs which are general and mapped for all users. The wish has now been raised to have one of the general printers set as a default printer for first login to a PC, because what often happens is that users move to new PCs, login and think that their original default printer is still the same as before and start printing... this blocks the wrong print queues and leads to confusion. We have already tried the education route  - "on a new PC please check your default printer" - did not work. Hence, the request.

    Perhaps using a user logon script running "rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry..."? What do you think?

    Monday, March 30, 2015 11:07 AM
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    > We have already tried the education route  - "on a new PC please check
    > your default printer" - did not work. Hence, the request.
     
    I'd still recommend GPP Printers and "Apply only once". Tell your users
    something like "starting with April, 6, adjust your default printer once
    after logging on", and on April, 4, enable a GPP that sets the default
    printer once.
     
    Greetings/Grüße, Martin

    Mal ein gutes Buch über GPOs lesen?
    Good or bad GPOs? - my blog…
    And if IT bothers me - coke bottle design refreshment (-:
    Monday, March 30, 2015 11:28 AM
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    Hi Martin,

    Sorry for my late response, I was away on Holiday.

    I can't find out where to setup your recommendation of GPP Printers and "Apply only once". We currently distribute printers using Print Management, Printers and Deploy with Group Policy (as a per-user setting). In GPO Management, where do I setup a default printer for everyone? Secondly, will this policy run just once per user per computer they logon to?

    Thanks for your help.


    Tuesday, April 14, 2015 8:34 AM
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    > "Apply only once". We currently distribute printers using Print
    > Management,
     
    Ok, missed that. You can set a default printer with
    and you can configure this to apply only once.
     
    Greetings/Grüße, Martin

    Mal ein gutes Buch über GPOs lesen?
    Good or bad GPOs? - my blog…
    And if IT bothers me - coke bottle design refreshment (-:
    Friday, April 17, 2015 8:24 AM
    |