Print issues

[mnardone]

I just installed an new print server. Everytime when someone logs on they have to add an printer, how do I fix that so they don't have to.

[Archibald]

Disable add new printer:

This option once enabled disables the addition of new printers to the computer. Open your registry and find or create the key below. Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value, called "NoAddPrinter" and set it according to the value data below. Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

(Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
NoAddPrinter REG_DWORD 0x00000001 (1)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Registry Settings
System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Value Name: NoAddPrinter
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)

[Shen]

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then
   click Active Directory Users and Computers.
2. Click the Active Directory container of the domain you want to manage
   (an Organizational Unit or a domain). Right-click that container, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Group Policy tab, and then click New to create a "New" Group Policy.
4. In Group Policy Editor, expand the following folders: Computer
   Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Printers.

• Allow Printers to be published to the Directory:
  Enables or disables publishing of printers in the directory.
  
• Automatically publish new printers in the Active Directory:
  On by default, this setting can be turned off so that only shared printers specifically selected are placed in the directory.

[Milton.J]

Hey try to print by using your DOS prompt.Press F8 (F8 or hold the Ctrl Key for Win 98) just as Windows starts to boot, select the DOS prompt from the resulting menu, find a non-zero length text file (one that is 1-2K would be a good choice) (e.g., autoexec.bat or something ending in .txt), and print from DOS with:

C:\>type autoexec.bat>lpt1:

or

C:\>type filename.txt>LPT1:

Click Cancel, turn the printer off, unplug the printer cable, wait a few seconds, reconnect the cable, make sure the printer is on with no error lights, restart Windows, and try again.’ Try the various printer modes in your computer's CMOS Setup. ECP+EPP usually works with bi-directional printers, but others may fix the problem. Then try the above steps again, if that works consistently, the problem is probably in Windows.

[Spyrus]

When a computer connects to the print server for the first time. It must load the drivers to its own computer and connect the printer. This is done only the first time, but by all computers. As the printer is on a network and not on the local machine [the same machine]. Once all the computers connect the network printer and load drivers to their computer, then this process won't continue. Its a normal routine. Just sit back and relax! All the best!