How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

[Hart]

A customer wants me to install printers on the server and then deploy them, except that their IT support refuses to help me and refuses to use GPO to deploy them.
They just created a user for me to access the server.

What's the best method, or at least the recommended one, to install, name them and deploy without GPO (or with GPO but I've never handled it) ?

[ihatefinishers13]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

A customer wants me to install printers on the server and then deploy them, except that their IT support refuses to help me and refuses to use GPO to deploy them.
They just created a user for me to access the server.

What's the best method, or at least the recommended one, to install, name them and deploy without GPO (or with GPO but I've never handled it) ?

You install it on the server (either in Print management or in Control Panel), and then set all of the defaults you want, BW, single sided, maybe a certain tray. Make sure it is configured with all of the correct accessories, and then share it out. Most of the time you'll only need to deal with 64bit, but if you have the 32bit driver as well, you can add that one under the same share. After that you just have to go to each computer and pull down the driver by navigating to file explorer, to \\SERVER-NAME and then double click the driver you want.

If you want multiple drivers, better to do them all at once on the server, especially if they want one for envelopes, or heavy stock, etc.

The other thing that could be useful, is if there is already drivers on the server, you can change the printer that the print driver is using, so that all they have to do is log out and back in, and it should change to the new driver.

We did an install recently where we made it easier by labeling the printer by the department they're in. "Admin" "Mailroom" etc. so that you can just go to the print driver, switch the machine you're using, and it won't break printing. (if you change the share name, printing will break)

[Ezequiel1717]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

Hello! Is the client willing to pay any price? There are methods that are very effective but very slow...

[dalewb74]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

i would tell said customer, when you see my bill you will wish IT had done it for you. though i wouldn't exactly word it like that... lol

[Hart]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

You install it on the server (either in Print management or in Control Panel), and then set all of the defaults you want, BW, single sided, maybe a certain tray. Make sure it is configured with all of the correct accessories, and then share it out. Most of the time you'll only need to deal with 64bit, but if you have the 32bit driver as well, you can add that one under the same share. After that you just have to go to each computer and pull down the driver by navigating to file explorer, to \\SERVER-NAME and then double click the driver you want.

If you want multiple drivers, better to do them all at once on the server, especially if they want one for envelopes, or heavy stock, etc.

The other thing that could be useful, is if there is already drivers on the server, you can change the printer that the print driver is using, so that all they have to do is log out and back in, and it should change to the new driver.

We did an install recently where we made it easier by labeling the printer by the department they're in. "Admin" "Mailroom" etc. so that you can just go to the print driver, switch the machine you're using, and it won't break printing. (if you change the share name, printing will break)

Ok so sadly I'll have to spend the morning to deploy them one by one.
I wanted to "update" the printers by changing the driver but my boss did not care last time to do a clean install, I've redone everything and put generic name.


"Hello! Is the client willing to pay any price? There are methods that are very effective but very slow..."
"i would tell said customer, when you see my bill you will wish IT had done it for you. though i wouldn't exactly word it like that... lol"
He already paid the copiers and salesman was ofc ok with us installing the printers etc.

[tsbservice]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

Ok so sadly I'll have to spend the morning to deploy them one by one.
I wanted to "update" the printers by changing the driver but my boss did not care last time to do a clean install, I've redone everything and put generic name.


"Hello! Is the client willing to pay any price? There are methods that are very effective but very slow..."
"i would tell said customer, when you see my bill you will wish IT had done it for you. though i wouldn't exactly word it like that... lol"
He already paid the copiers and salesman was ofc ok with us installing the printers etc.

Your sales force are incredible morons and you're not going to stay there for long. Good techs are rare get advantage of this 😉

[rthonpm]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

Deploying without GPO is a manual process on every machine that needs them, as well as having an admin account if the driver isn't already on the client machine. For naming, check if the customer has a naming convention for their printers instead of trying to come up with something on your own. Any business of a decent size will have a naming convention for their devices, or should, so that there's a consistent scheme across the entire business. As for the printers themselves, keep it as simple as possible and add in all of the appropriate accessories.

If this were my company, I'd have already fired IT for giving an external vendor access to any server instead of doing it themselves. That just leads to bad practises overall...

You really seem to have some bad customers and support staff at your employer. I'd be looking to find a tighter run shop that actually has some standards beyond whatever the sales guy says.

[Hart]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

For naming, check if the customer has a naming convention for their printers instead of trying to come up with something on your own. Any business of a decent size will have a naming convention for their devices, or should, so that there's a consistent scheme across the entire business.

I've poked around in the server but I've found nothing, so I'm the one to decide for the naming convention.
Maybe something like IMP-1ST for the model on 1st floor etc. (IMP for imprimante = printer)

[Hart]

Re: How to install printers on a server and deploy them without GPO

In the end I was able to send the links (\\name_of_the_server\IMP-1ST etc.) to the receptionist, who then forwarded them to everyone else.
On Outlook, simply click and "Open" to install the printer. But it didn't work on my Thunderbird.
Unfortunately for the old guys, I had to go over to their workstations to do it for them and remove the old printers...