[TheWalrus]

Is this even possible?

We have a situation here: one general image for all the machines running W7 at our customer. The catch is that there are a few diffrent printers that are being used, and they are being installed manually. The customer wants the employees to print in B&W by default, but of course colour printers have it otherwise when you install them. Is there a way to somehow change the default user profile so that people who log on the the machine print in B&W?




I have to point out there is no print server, obviously, so it's a bit awkward. Personally I don't think this is possible at all.

[Tripredacus]

I hate printers, I really do, but the first thing that comes to mind is modifying the INF they use. I'm sure there must be a better answer.

I'll get the big questions out of the way now:
- Is there a domain in place here, and if so what OS is on the server (or the domain functional level)?
- What are the models of these printers?
- Are they all USB or do some connect some other way?
- Are the printers only connected to workstations, servers, or are some network printers?

[TheWalrus]

Oh yes, all the computers are in a domain (win server 2008). The printers are connected to the network, just installed locally. Awkward and stupid, yea, but I can't do anything about it, and gave up proposing any changes

[TheWalrus]

Why was this moved? It has nothing to do with Windows server!

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Quote

Oh yes, all the computers are in a domain (win server 2008)

???????????????????????????????????????

[TheWalrus]

More question marks please.

I only answered Tripredacuses question, but the original post is about something completely different.

[Tripredacus]

Perhaps I mistook the use of the term "installation." Did you mean it as installation of the operating system or installation of the printer?
Also maybe you wanted to know how to locally manage printers rather than using Active Directory? Most times when people need help with how to get a bunch of computers inside a domain to have some shared policy or setting, it is done with AD or something being pushed from the server in one way or another.

If all are being manually done, then all will have to have their printer properties changed to B&W each time, if the printer driver supports it that is. Of the 3 color printers I have installed, only 1 has the option to use B&W and not color.

While this could be an option, the only way to stop individual users from changing it back to color would be to revoke their printer management abilities.

[TheWalrus]

Maybe I should have given more detailed description




I would love to use printserver. Then I could add two versions of each printer, share it, create a group in AD and wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Sadly, the connection to the stores (that's what the customer is, network of cell phone stores) is totally crappy, there's 2mbit line shared by 2-4 computers AND other devices (plus of course all the traffic travels across half the country to the servers, and the housing has roughly 25mbit line for the whole domain /19 stores, about 100 computers, and lots of other stuff/). No way in hell I can make print jobs (several MBs per job typically) add to the already worse than bad situation.

That's why I asked whether there is a way to make a change to printer settings for all users - or let's say local accounts. The users themselves totally ignore half the mails we (IT) send them, and the other 50% are excuses how they are unable to do it. I'd sooner go mad if I was to change printer options on four computers times seven people working in that particular store

[TheWalrus]

Any tips then?

[Tripredacus]

Unless you can find otherwise, it seems to me that printer settings (much like monitor settings) are based on the particular device installation or INF used, and not something that is controlled by the user profile. You can take a look at the multiple models' registry entries and see if the setting is kept there.

[IcemanND]

What make/model of printer? Some manufacturers provide tools to create/modify and deploy printer profiles. You can also look at the print32.dll and backing up a printer configuration and restoring. it may not get all the settings you want but then again it might, I have had mixed results with it.

[TheWalrus]

Tripredacus, on 18 January 2012 - 12:45 PM, said:

Unless you can find otherwise, it seems to me that printer settings (much like monitor settings) are based on the particular device installation or INF used, and not something that is controlled by the user profile. You can take a look at the multiple models' registry entries and see if the setting is kept there.

That is possible, but too late now - printers are already installed in multiple local profiles


I will definitely take a look at this for future use - if I can make it work, it would be tremendous help.




It's mostly HP LJ CM2320 printers lately, at least that's what our customer is migrating to. We install that thing with HP Universal printing drivers.

[IcemanND]

Store all printer settings into a file:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Ss /n "printer" /a "file.dat"

Restore all printer settings from a file:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Sr /n "printer" /a "file.dat"

Store printer information on level 2 into a file :
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Ss /n "printer" /a "file.dat" 2

Restore from a file printer security descriptor:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Sr /n "printer" /a "file.dat" s

Restore from a file printer global devmode and printer data:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Sr /n "printer" /a "file.dat" g d

Restore from a file minimum settings and resolve port name:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Sr /n "printer" /a "file.dat" m p

Store and restore settings option flags:

Store or restore printer settings option flags that must be placed at the end of command:
2 PRINTER_INFO_2
7 PRINTER_INFO_7
c Color Profile
d PrinterData
s Security descriptor
g Global DevMode
m Minimal settings
u User DevMode
r Resolve name conflicts
f Force name
p Resolve port

[TheWalrus]

I don't quite understand what does this mean. Is there any documentation?

[IcemanND]

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry is the command line for printer configuration tasks, the command lines I have listed are primarily for storing a printer config and then restoring that to another or the same system.

http://technet.micro...057(WS.10).aspx