roaming profiles and printing

[Tom Barnes_2]

i have users configured using roaming profiles. Having problems with printing. I thought that if i had exluded the printhood folder from roaming profiles, that a user could log on to a computer and print from the default printer from that computer. not so, I must load the printer onto the same computer again and again for each user who logs onto it.
these are networked printers by the way.
Any way of getting a roaming user profile to use the printers all ready loaded on the computer?

[Randy C.]

Tom,

I had the same question when we upgraded hardware recently. My research (not the last word by any means) indicated that printers are by default part of the roaming profile and isn't able to be redirected. I got that bit of info from a book called "Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit Documentation."

I made a .pdf with screen captures and distributed instructions (via email) to the 20 users in my organization on how to add the networked printers they needed. That cut down on the number of support calls I got.

I suppose you could also use a logon script to map to a default printer. I wasn't comfortable enough with writing scripts to try that on a hardware rollout... Hope this helps. -Randy C.

[Melissa Schaefer]

I am using roaming profiles with Server 2003 and my users receive the printers that are installed on that pc when they log on. I am not sure why you would have to create these printers for each user.. now I think in Citrix or terminal services this is different. If you need software to fix your issue you might want to check out Desktop Authority. http:\\www.scriptlogic.com

I highly recommend it!! It works with Terminal Server/Citrix as well.

[Tom Barnes_2]

thanks for the replies,
perhaps part of the problem lies in that these are not printers local to the computer. I am hoping for some group policy setting to show up.
I am not very comfortable with scripts either, thanks for the link, i am sure it will come in handy.
I will do a little more experimenting then succumb to defeat if i find no solution.

[Thomas Bianco]

your last message hit the nail on the head.

local printers are defined in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers

network printers are defined in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Printers\Connections

which means printers will follow the user regardless of the presence of the printhood folder

[Melissa Schaefer]

Now that I think of it our users are also in the administrators group. might be another thing to try.

[Nick Walton]

Hi,

This is fairly easy to accomplish. The trick is to install "local" printers on your client computers. Any user, including those with roaming profiles, logging on to a client computer will have access to the local printers installed on that computer.

So, to install a printer that is not really local but usually a network printer out there with its queue on a server, proceed as follows:

1. Log on to the client as an administrator.
2. Use the Add Printer Wizard, choosing Local Printer attached to this computer but with Automatically detect and install Plug and Play printers deselected.
3. At the select a printer port page choose Create a New Port and leave type of port set to Local Port. In the port name dialogue box enter the UNC path to your shared printer

eg. \\servername\shared_printer_name

4. Supply drivers as your normal method.

This method has served me well for the last 5 years! One little thing I have noticed is that the last installed printer (to the client) becomes the default printer when a new roaming profile is first logged on to that computer. Anyone know how to change that?

Regards,

Nick.

[Tom Barnes_2]

thanks for all of the above. so, i will either install some of those $40 printer servers onto our printers and add them on locally with tcp/ip ports, or as nick suggests add the printers on with urc's which is cheaper and probably a better fix.
I then will have to make sure i remove all the networked printers from the user profiles so they automatically default to the local printer.
I guess the only downside is the printer traffic will be in the heavier raw format, but we don't huge amount anyways.
thanks to everyone, its nice to get this problem out of the way.

[Thomas Bianco]

consider that you may not need to do this for your users at all.

if you set up one server will all of the printers in the building, then share them with descriptions and location information, the users can browse that server and connect to whatever printer they like without having to mess with the printer setup wizard or remember addresses.

for instance, if you install all the printers onto servername, you could send your users a link via email to \\servername and tell them to double click the printer they wanted.

additionally, microsoft IPP has a nice webpage that allows users to connect to printers very easily.