deploying printers.

For windows 7, I just install the printer on one computer and then use the built in printer manager to export the printer along with all of its drivers and settings to a single file. I can then just deploy that printer file to the computer.

Keep in mind, when exporting printers to a single file it will export all of the currently install printers for that computer to the single export file.

So, you get your .printerexport file then can push that out with PDQ Deploy, correct?

i think the way that mmuni can be done with Group Policy....

i cant seem to make his way work to export to deploy in pdq.

 

my way is listed above and can be edited for any printer or copier.

little more work but gets in done every time.

Thank you. I just feel so dumb doing it as you said above. Is it a batch file that you're making?

yes

Yes, I save my .printerexport files to a network share and then use PDQ execute the import/install of them.

 

PRINTBRM.EXE in C:\Windows\system32\spool\tools\.
To export from a remote server to a file named printers.printerExport, simply run:
PrintBrm.exe -B -S \\OLDSERVER -F printers.printerExport
If you want to check what's in the exported file afterwards:
PrintBrm.exe -Q -F PRINTERS.printerExport
And to restore the printers to the local server:
PrintBrm.exe -R -F PRINTERS.printerExport

Thanks everyone! Still not sure I fully understand but am going to mess with it.

Mmuni. Nice way of doing it...

how would you isolate a printer?

what if you just wanted one printer and not other 5 printers on the 1st machine?

seems great to backup printers after installing.

our ways are different slightly, same outcome.

i would like to explore your print export method more...

thank you for your input.

When I'm going to export a printer, I clear out all existing printers/drivers on the computer. Install the new one I want to extract and then just export that one.

The export will export all printers installed on the computer. The import will import the printer leaving existing printers installed. So I can import multiple printers if I need more than one installed on a computer.

i thought it was like that. cool...

Mmuni, so you're saying you still have to make a batch file with what you put above for the .printerexport file? Or, you'd just making the .printerexport file and then double clicking on it and it installs it? And thus using PDQ Deploy to push it out? Just want to be sure I understand right. I appreciate all of your guys input.  

If you are on the machine and want to manually install the printer, simply double clicking the .printerexport file will install the printer on the machine.

 

For PDQ to push it out you just create a package with a command step the pushes out the command to install the correct .printerexport file.

So you could make a package for each .printerexport file and use PDQ to push them out to the correct machines.

You could also make some sort of custom script that can be pushed out to all computers and it determines the correct printers to install at the time it runs. But that's not what I'm doing.

 

The way I like to do things is try to make it automated, where I set it once and don't need to touch it again. In active directory I have setup security groups for any software that is not going to be pushed to every single machine. I also have security groups for things like Printer Models. So when I get a new machine or If a machine is being moved/installed to a new room all I do is go into active directory and make sure that the computer account is assigned to the correct software and printer security groups. PDQ inventory then has collections setup like this...

Software 1 (needs install) - computers in security group but dont have software installed.
Software 1 (needs uninstall) - computers with software 1 but not members of Software 1 security group.

 

Basicly I just assign the software and printers via Group Policy Groups and PDQ does everything behind the scenes with its collections and automatic schedules. The great thing is that if a machine is acting up and there is not a quick simple fix, I can just start the process of reimaging the machine and walk away. Once the computer is reimaged and comes back online, all of the previous software and printers and everything will get reinstalled onto the machine according to the security groups that the machine is still a member of.

How do you know which of the inf files to use in this line of your batch file: rundll32 printui.dll PrintUIEntry /if /f C:\hp-64\hpbuio35l.INF /b "HP Universal Printing PCL 6" /m "HP Universal Printing PCL 6" /u /r "IP_*.*.*.*"

Does it change based on the printer model?

 

yes it does change. when you have your diver. look inside the inf for correct model name.

change the name, the inf, and also the ip address as you need to.

i opened a printer INF in notepad, and didn't see any model numbers in it.  Where am i supposed to be looking in the inf?

aha, i found it.  There were multiple inf files when i extracted the test driver i was using.  The second file clearly shows what printer it is for.

Ok, I'm not getting these instruction. Can someone talk to me like I'm not into scripting?

@ Phil, I am about to run through this process from start to finish.  I will post the steps, and scripts, etc.  when I am done.  Give me a week.

I look forward to that.

This page was referenced during a live webcast about deploying printers and one of the questions was about setting a default printer for the end user.  There is a way to do it.  It would use a mix of powershell and wmi, then use a built in method to set the default printer.

$printer = Get-WmiObject -Class win32_printer | where {$_.name -match "name of the printer you want to set as default"}

$printer.SetDefaultPrinter()

 

You would have to run this as the logged in user.

 

thank you

Does really do much PDQ wise if the user needs to be logged in. When I deploy printers to a machine it will be used by several people (15-100). This would be more for a logon script so that it hits each user when they logon.

Thanks Ltrevino2 for this topic suggestion, and thank you everyone for your input on this thread. Here is a link to the recording of this webcast filmed live March 24, 2016. http://support.adminarsenal.com/hc/en-us/articles/220538987-Webcast-Deploying-Printers-with-PDQ-Deploy

Has anyone experienced any long delays with the CMD install step?  If I run this (see below) from a command step in PDQ it will just hang, but if I run the command on the PC it installs in seconds. 

rundll32 printui.dll PrintUIEntry /if /b "Printer_Name" /f ".\Konica Drivers\bizhub -C554\drivers\KOAYTJ__.INF"  /m "KONICA MINOLTA C554SeriesPCL" /u /r "IP_xxxxxxxxxxxx"

Hello  this is my first post  and i really didn't want to comment on a old post but my issue applies to printers.

 

I have 85+ HP Officejet mobile printers that have spent the last 3 days trying to get everything working.

My issues are these printers are in police cars and will not be talking to my print server. The officers don't have local admin rights to install local printers but they can instal network printers. If they try to install the printer using the HP software disk sophos blocks the install. On top of this we are migrating from HP 100 printers to HP 200 printers that some officers what to use the bluetooth rather than USB.

My Goal is to install the printers locally with a local port, install the drivers for HP 100 and 200 with bluetooth options. any ideas on how I should go about this?  Any help is appreciated.