Quickest way to install a printer on a network?

[Voltage]

Hi.

Just a question from a lazy and average IT oak.

Is there any way to create a file that you can, say run from your flash drive, to install a network printer? Like a batch file or something. Just a quicker way than having to install driver on 20 PC, creating a port (the IP add), doing have disk, point to the driver, and all that jazz?

[D_L_P]

I don't know of any batch file for adding a printer. I've seen one for printing from a DOS prompt, but batch files are limited.
The fastest way to push a printer to 20 workstations I know of is to set it up on a server, add appropriate drivers, any group policies, and share it. Then send an e-mail to everyone with the link eg: \\Printserver\MFPcopier. They click the link and it's added.
If copiers started putting drivers on their HDD like Fiery does, that would be nice. The older Fiery's all you had to do was give it a SMB name and go start run and type: \\workgroup\Fiery. Hope that helps.

[mrwho]

You can do it from the command line.

After googling it:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry [options]

For example to add a HP DeskJet 970Cxi on LPT1: on Windows 2000 use the following:

D:\>rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "HP DeskJet 970Cxi" /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r "lpt1:" /m "HP DeskJet 970Cxi"

Other options are:
/a[file] binary file name
/b[name] base printer name
/c[name] unc machine name if the action is on a remote machine
/dl delete local printer
/dn delete network printer connection
/dd delete printer driver
/e display printing preferences
/f[file] either inf file or output file
/ga add per machine printer connections
/ge enum per machine printer connections
/gd delete per machine printer connections
/h[arch] driver architecture one of the following, Alpha | Intel | Mips | PowerPC
/ia install printer driver using inf file
/id install printer driver using add printer driver wizard
/if install printer using inf file
/ii install printer using add printer wizard with an inf file
/il install printer using add printer wizard
/in add network printer connection
/j[provider] print provider name
/k print test page to specified printer, cannot be combined with command when installing a printer
/l[path] printer driver source path
/m[model] printer driver model name
/n[name] printer name
/o display printer queue view
/p display printer properties
/q quiet mode, do not display error messages
/r[port] port name
/s display server properties
/Ss Store printer settings into a file
/Sr Restore printer settings from a file
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
/u use the existing printer driver if it's already installed
/t[#] zero based index page to start on
/v[version] driver version one of the following, Windows 95 or 98 | Windows NT 3.1 | Windows NT 3.5 or 3.51 | Windows NT 3.51 | Windows NT 4.0 | Windows NT 4.0 or 2000 | Windows 2000
/w prompt the user for a driver if specified driver is not found in the inf
/y set printer as the default
/Xg get printer settings
/Xs set printer settings
/z do not auto share this printer
/Z share this printer, can only be used with the /if option
/? help this message
@[file] command line argument file

Examples:
Run server properties:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /s /t1 /n\\machine
Run printer properties:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /n\\machine\printer
Run add printer wizard localy:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /il
Run add printer wizard on \\machine:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /il /c\\machine
Run queue view:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /o /n\\machine\printer
Run inf install:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Test Printer" /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r "lpt1:" /m "AGFA-AccuSet v52.3"
Run add printer wizard using inf:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ii /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf
Add per machine printer connection:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ga /c\\machine /n\\machine\printer /j"LanMan Print Services"
Delete per machine printer connection:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /gd /c\\machine /n\\machine\printer
Enumerate per machine printer connections:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ge /c\\machine
Add printer driver using inf:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ia /c\\machine /m "AGFA-AccuSet v52.3" /h "Intel" /v "Windows 2000" /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf
Remove printer driver:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /dd /c\\machine /m "AGFA-AccuSet v52.3" /h "Intel" /v "Windows 2000"
Set printer as default:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n "printer"
Set printer comment:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Xs /n "printer" comment "My Cool Printer"
Get printer settings:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Xg /n "printer"
Get printer settings saving results in a file:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /f "results.txt" /Xg /n "printer"
Set printer settings command usage:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Xs /n "printer" ?
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,PrintUI /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

Another option is to use the START command:
start \\print_server\print_name

The first time the system asks if you want to install the new printer to your system. No wizards and no questions to answer. The driver is directly downloaded from the printer server.


Copied from http://www.windowsitpro.com

[mrwho]

You can also check this Microsoft article.

With all this, I suppose you can craft a batch file that you can carry with you on a pen drive and run it in every computer.

[Sashko]

You can use Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools for create scripts.
You can download it from Download details: Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

[Guest]

I'm with DLP on this one.
Install it ,share it.

[apache_cat]

I agree with install on the server and share but every so often there is a customer who for what ever reason wants the printers installed as local printers on each pc.

Voltage idea would be good in that case.

[ApeosMan]

Most printer manufacturers have application you can either download for free off their web sites or get off their drivers CD which captures the settings of a print queue/driver already loaded on a PC. The application creates an executable install file that can then be run on any computer that has an OS that supports application. These types of applications usually only support print drivers for the manufacturer that made it, but I'm sure there are some freeware applications out there that would do something similar. Fuji Xerox has an application like this on their drivers CD's for about 5 years now, I think Ricoh has something similar.

These kinds of applications are very useful in peer to peer workgroup environments. Also I understand peoples concerns about having a print driver loaded onto a server, because if the server goes down for an extended period nobody can print. Though in some circumstances a print server is the only way to share a printer in a workplace.

[richtoft]

Network Printers

Use a login script or VB Script... there are tools available...

here is a sample script... you can add and remove printers very easy...

Tools needed...
con20prt.ext - used to make the printer connection
ifmemeber.exe - used to control script based on group membership

@Echo off
xcopy /y "\\myserver\clientapps\ifmember.exe" %systemroot%
xcopy /y "\\myserver\clientapps\con2prt.exe" %systemroot%

REM -- Printer Maintenance:
REM This is the printer script
con2prt /c \\printserver\Copier_Printer

REM netsh firewall set service remoteadmin enable subnet
REM -- Group based Drive Mappings
:Begin
net use H: \\myserver\D-Drive
net use y: \\myserver\users\%username%


:Quit

exit

you can use the /? for each of the tools for the exact use...


for peer to peer this won't work...

[apache_cat]

The easyest way is to use the Microsoft Print Migrator Tool Print Migrator 3.1

You have to install all drivers, settings etc. on one PC. After that you use the Print Migrator to make a backup (on a USB or Network destination) of the whole printer environment of this PC. Now you start the Print Migrator Tool on a other PC to restore the drivers, settings etc. It is realy easy to use and works fine with W2k, W2k3 and XP.

Thanks terramobil,
This is a great answer for all us lazy I.T. oaks. Noticed your reply a little while ago but haven't had time to try it out.

Works a treat and very handy if you have a client who wants there printers installed as locals.