The Printers preference extension allows you to create, configure, and delete local printers by using the Local Printer preference item. Before you create a Local Printer preference item, you should review the behavior of each type of action possible with the extension.

Creating a Local Printer item

To create a new Local Printer preference item

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console. Right-click the Group Policy object (GPO) that should contain the new preference item, and then click Edit.

  2. In the console tree under Computer Configuration or User Configuration, expand the Preferences folder, and then expand the Control Panel Settings folder.

  3. Right-click the Printers node, point to New, and select Local Printer.

  4. In the New Local Printer Properties dialog box, select an Action for Group Policy to perform. (For more information, see "Actions" in this topic.)

  5. Enter local printer settings for Group Policy to configure or remove. (For more information, see "Local printer settings" in this topic.)

  6. Click the Common tab, configure any options, and then type your comments in the Description box. (For more information, see Configure Common Options.)

  7. Click OK. The new preference item appears in the details pane.

Actions

This type of preference item provides a choice of four actions: Create, Replace, Update, and Delete. The behavior of the preference item varies with the action selected and whether the printer connection already exists.

Create

Create a new local printer. If a local printer with the same name exists, then it does not modify it.

Delete

Remove a local printer with the same name. The extension performs no action if the local printer does not exist.

Important

This action does not remove the printer driver. It only removes the local printer.

Replace

Delete and recreate the local printer. The net result of the Replace action overwrites all existing settings associated with the local printer. If the local printer does not exist, then the Replace action creates a new local printer.

Update

Rename or modify a local printer. The action differs from Replace in that it updates the settings defined within the preference item. All other settings remain as they were previously configured. If the local printer does not exist, then the Update action creates a new local printer.

Local Printer settings

Connection Name

Type the name of the targeted local printer. The preference extension creates a new local printer with this name if the local printer does not exist. If the printer exists, the preference extension uses the local printer with this name as the target of the requested action. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.

Port

Choose a local port from the supplied list or type the name of the local port.

Printer path

Type or click Browse (…) to choose a fully qualified UNC path of a shared printer connection. The preference extension uses this shared connection as an installation source for the printer driver. The actual printer should be physically connected to the workstation.

Set this printer as the default printer

Select this check box to make the local printer the default Windows printer for the current user.

Location

Type text to describe where the printer is located. This information appears in the printer's Location box. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.

Comment

Type text that provides additional comments about the printer. This information appears in the printer's Comments box. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.

Additional considerations

  • You can use item-level targeting to change the scope of preference items.

  • Preference items are available only in domain-based GPOs.

Additional references

  • Printers Extension
  • Configure a Shared Printer Item