Move print queues to new server

[dbouton@fuse.net]

I have a windows 2003 server set up strictly as a print server (not in
AD) with about 200 printers. I have a newer computer that I will
install Win Server 2003 on and want to move all my printer information
from one to the other so I do not have to recreate every queue. Is
there some kind of export feature I can use. The old server with low
end hardware will be removed from our network and the new on renamed to
the correct name. Thanks in advance for any help. Also I do not know
vbs scripting so was hoping there was some kind of tool to do this.
Thanks for any help on this
Dawn

[OscarSotoCL]

Yes, you can use Print Migrator Utility

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServ...grator3.1.mspx

It's really cool.

Oscar Soto Casali
MVP Directory Services

<dbouton@fuse.net> escribió en el mensaje de
noticias:1161632542.361213.180450@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>I have a windows 2003 server set up strictly as a print server (not in
> AD) with about 200 printers. I have a newer computer that I will
> install Win Server 2003 on and want to move all my printer information
> from one to the other so I do not have to recreate every queue. Is
> there some kind of export feature I can use. The old server with low
> end hardware will be removed from our network and the new on renamed to
> the correct name. Thanks in advance for any help. Also I do not know
> vbs scripting so was hoping there was some kind of tool to do this.
> Thanks for any help on this
> Dawn
>

[dbouton@fuse.net]

Worked perfectly! Thank you! It saved me a lot of time.

Dawn

OscarSotoCL wrote:
> Yes, you can use Print Migrator Utility
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServ...grator3.1.mspx
>
> It's really cool.
>
> Oscar Soto Casali
> MVP Directory Services
>
> <dbouton@fuse.net> escribió en el mensaje de
> noticias:1161632542.361213.180450@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> >I have a windows 2003 server set up strictly as a print server (not in
> > AD) with about 200 printers. I have a newer computer that I will
> > install Win Server 2003 on and want to move all my printer information
> > from one to the other so I do not have to recreate every queue. Is
> > there some kind of export feature I can use. The old server with low
> > end hardware will be removed from our network and the new on renamed to
> > the correct name. Thanks in advance for any help. Also I do not know
> > vbs scripting so was hoping there was some kind of tool to do this.
> > Thanks for any help on this
> > Dawn
> >

[wahajuddin]

Hi,

Thanks for Print Migrator. OK the print queues have been moved to the new server successfully. Now i want the 300 users to redirect to the new print server automatically. I don't want to go to each user PC and manually reconnect them to their queues on the new print server. I want this process to be transparent to all users. How can i do this? Is there any automatic script to do this? Also, i want that the users after changing their direction to the queues on the new print server to retain their existing default print queue. Pls recommend me how this can be done. Your help is very much appreciated. Thanks so much.


-Wahaj.

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

Thank you for posting here.

According to your description, my understanding is that:

The print queue have been migrated to a new server. Your wonder whether the
users can change their direction to the queues on the new print server to
retain their existing default print queue and how it can be done by script.

If anything is misunderstood, please let me know.

Analysis and Suggestion:
======================

In Windows Server 2003 R2, there is a new Microsoft Management Console
(MMC) Print Management that enables you to install, view, and manage all of
the printers in your organization. It can be used with Group Policy to
automatically add printer connections to a computer's Printers and Faxes
folder.

Scenario A (Windows Server 2003)

1. Create a new group policy object with user logon script for deploying
printers.

2. Create a Visual Basic Script for installing the printer, save it to
SYSVOL script folder and configure it as the user logon script.

Script Template:

Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection "\\Server\printer"
WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\Server\printer "


Scenario B (Windows Server 2003 R2)

1. In the Print Management Console, right click the shared printer listed
in the printers folder and choose to "Deploy with Group PolicyÂ*"

2. In the dialog box, choose a group policy object you want to deploy with
and decide the connection type. For your issue, it should be Per User.

3. Copy pushprintconnections.vbs from "%systemroot%\PMCSnap\" to SYSVOL
script folder, and configure it as the user logon script in that group
policy.

Note:

PushPrinterConnections.vbs runs in the client side is to connect and
disconnect the printer. If you remove the printer connection settings from
the GPO, the PushPrinterConnections.vbs will remove the corresponding
printers from the client computer on the next restart or user logon.

For more reference
=================

How to Add a Default Printer Using a Visual Basic Script
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263226

How to assign scripts in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322241

Step-by-Step Guide for Print Management
http://technet2.microsoft.com/window...b-73ec-40c7-a4
df-63dd7248d93d1033.mspx?mfr=true

Microsoft TechNet Script Center
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

I hope all the information will be helpful.

Thanks for your time.


David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support
Microsoft GTSC

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

I'd like to check how things are going. Did you have the chance to try the
troubleshooting steps? If you have any other questions, please do not
hesitate to let me know. I look forward to your further updates.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

[Felix]

"David Shen [MSFT]" wrote:

> Dear Customer,
>
> Thank you for posting here.
>
> According to your description, my understanding is that:
>
> The print queue have been migrated to a new server. Your wonder whether the
> users can change their direction to the queues on the new print server to
> retain their existing default print queue and how it can be done by script.
>
> If anything is misunderstood, please let me know.
>
> Analysis and Suggestion:
> ======================
>
> In Windows Server 2003 R2, there is a new Microsoft Management Console
> (MMC) Print Management that enables you to install, view, and manage all of
> the printers in your organization. It can be used with Group Policy to
> automatically add printer connections to a computer's Printers and Faxes
> folder.
>
> Scenario A (Windows Server 2003)
>
> 1. Create a new group policy object with user logon script for deploying
> printers.
>
> 2. Create a Visual Basic Script for installing the printer, save it to
> SYSVOL script folder and configure it as the user logon script.
>
> Script Template:
>
> Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
> WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection "\\Server\printer"
> WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\Server\printer "
>
>
> Scenario B (Windows Server 2003 R2)
>
> 1. In the Print Management Console, right click the shared printer listed
> in the printers folder and choose to "Deploy with Group PolicyÂÂ*"
>
> 2. In the dialog box, choose a group policy object you want to deploy with
> and decide the connection type. For your issue, it should be Per User.
>
> 3. Copy pushprintconnections.vbs from "%systemroot%\PMCSnap\" to SYSVOL
> script folder, and configure it as the user logon script in that group
> policy.
>
> Note:
>
> PushPrinterConnections.vbs runs in the client side is to connect and
> disconnect the printer. If you remove the printer connection settings from
> the GPO, the PushPrinterConnections.vbs will remove the corresponding
> printers from the client computer on the next restart or user logon.
>
> For more reference
> =================
>
> How to Add a Default Printer Using a Visual Basic Script
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263226
>
> How to assign scripts in Windows 2000
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322241
>
> Step-by-Step Guide for Print Management
> http://technet2.microsoft.com/window...b-73ec-40c7-a4
> df-63dd7248d93d1033.mspx?mfr=true
>
> Microsoft TechNet Script Center
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx
>
> I hope all the information will be helpful.
>
> Thanks for your time.
>
>
> David Shen
> Microsoft Online Partner Support
> Microsoft GTSC
>
>
David,

Thanks for your help!

I am having a similar issue. We have an old print server that was recently
migrated and in the process we also changed the queue names to meet a new
naming standard. So right now, both print servers are active and provide
connections to the same printers under different queue names.

What I would like to know is if there's a script that could take the old
printer queue connections and replace them with the new ones from the new
server so that we can eventually decommission the old server. We do not
automatically assign printers to our users by group memberships.

Is this possible?

Thanks!

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Hello Felix,

Thanks for posting here.

This newsgroup is focus on the windows Server migration issue, and this
issue seems to be an development/coding. I would like to suggest you that
initial a new request in our TechNet Script Center.

Microsoft TechNet Script Center
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

Print Servers, Queues, and Print Jobs
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr.../default.mspx?
mfr=true

Hope it helps. Thanks.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

[RavinderSingh]

I found the scipt from this website and it works perfectly to change the printer mapping on client PC's if you have changed the Print server name to something else.
Please follow the instructions in the following link.

http://www.ss64.com/ntsyntax/qchange.html

[David Shen [MSFT]]

Dear Customer,

Thanks for your knowledge sharing.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

[paulatb]

Hi All,

Just found this forum and you all seem very knowledgable so I thought I would ask for some help...

I am trying to test the Ms print migrator 3.1 and having some issues...

Let me explain.

I have successfully backed up the required files into the "printerxbackup.cab" file however when I try and restore remotely or locally i.e.

printmig -r \\hostname\printerxbackup.cab \\newprintserver
or
printmig -r c:\printerxbackup.cab \\newprintserver

The printmig app comes up then goes away very quickly, I beleive that the error I am getting is "Remote Tree View Failed"

The print spooler is started and seems to be ok..

Any help out there...?

Cheers,

Paul