Setting Default Printers with Group Policy Preferences
Had an interesting question from a reader in response to setting a default printer with Group Policy Preferences that I thought I would share.
Question was:
If you set a user general default printer like the main office copier but also set a location printer preference like the library copier using the loop back policy will it over ride the general default printer preference?
Do I merge or replace?
I decided to test this out as I have not come across this. Here is what I found, if you have a User Policy that is creating a printer connection and setting it as the default and you also have, using Loopback Policy Processing in Merge Mode, another User Policy being applied, this will override the first User Policy Settings. Both printers will be installed, but the default printer will be set to the one specified in the policy that has the loopback.
Note: I tested this on a client that has no printers installed
If Loopback Processing is in Replace Mode then the User Settings in that policy will “Replace” the settings in the other policy. Therefore only one printer will be installed and it will be set as default.
Hope that helps.
I just found this site and its amazing! Keep it up.
Anthony
25 Feb 09 at 7:48 pm
I too having a problem using GPP to push a shared printer to a test computer. I created the policy using the user settings not computer setting. The test user has full control on the printer. The drivers are installed on the test machine via GPP. I get an error message
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Group Policy Printers
Event Category: Disk
Event ID: 4098
Date: 5/7/2009
Time: 10:53:19 AM
User: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
The user ’shared printer name’ preference item in the ‘GPP’ {some random GUID}’ Group Policy object did not apply because it failed with error code ‘0×80070005 Access is denied.’ This error was suppressed
Mitch
25 Jun 09 at 5:07 am
In my case prefernces are applying the correct printers and assigning the correct default printer. The problem is that none of the other printers are being removed. Every time a user logs on to another computer where a printer preference is applied, they get the new printer and it remains as part of their roaming domain profile. I am using loop back processing so I can assign printers based on computer OU. I am using item-level targeting, to a computer OU so I can define a printer (or two) that users will get when they log on. I thought that using the common option “remove this item when it is no longer applied” would remove the printers that do not apply but this is not happening. Anyone have this experiece and what did you do to fix it.
Scott
6 Aug 09 at 10:09 am
I had the same problem with regards to printers not being removed.
I solved it by creating a new printer in my printers GPP, setting it to delete, then checking the ‘remove all shared printers’ box. Note that this has to be first (ie order = 1) in the gpp printer list.
Liz
4 Sep 09 at 5:28 am