Deploy Printers via Group Policy Preferences

Deploying printers efficiently across an organization is a common challenge for IT administrators. While traditional scripts and login-based deployments…

Deploying printers efficiently across an organization is a common challenge for IT administrators. While traditional scripts and login-based deployments have been used, Group Policy Preferences (GPP) offer a robust and flexible method for managing printer installations. This article details the process of deploying shared printers via GPP in an Active Directory environment, focusing on practical implementation, common configurations, and advanced targeting options.

Understanding Group Policy Preferences for Printer Deployment

Group Policy Preferences, introduced with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, significantly expanded the capabilities of Group Policy by allowing administrators to configure a wide range of settings that were previously only manageable via scripts or registry edits. For printers, GPP provides granular control over how shared printers are mapped to user devices.

Unlike traditional Group Policy settings which enforce configurations, GPP settings apply configurations. This distinction means that if a GPP item is removed from a GPO, the setting it applied is not necessarily reverted on the client unless explicitly configured to do so (e.g., "Remove this item when it is no longer applied").

GPP Item Types for Printers

Within the GPO Editor, navigating to User Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings > Printers reveals several item types:

• Shared Printer: This is the most common type for deploying network printers hosted on a Windows print server. It maps a shared printer to a user's session.
• TCP/IP Printer: Less frequently used for general deployment, this allows direct creation of a standard TCP/IP port and printer queue without a print server. Useful for very small environments or specialized devices.
• Local Printer: For installing a printer directly connected to the client machine (e.g., USB), primarily for specific scenarios or non-networked devices.

For the scope of network printer deployment, the "Shared Printer" item type will be the primary focus.

Prerequisites and Print Server Setup

Before deploying printers via GPP, ensure your print server infrastructure is correctly configured:

• Print Server: A Windows Server (e.g., Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022) with the Print Services role installed.
• Printer Shares: All printers intended for deployment must be installed on the print server and shared. Ensure share names are descriptive and easily identifiable. For example, \\YourPrintServer\HR_Printer_Color.
• Drivers: Install 64-bit and 32-bit drivers (if 32-bit clients exist) on the print server. It's highly recommended to use Type 3 User Mode drivers for better stability and compatibility. Package-Aware drivers are preferred as they can be automatically deployed to clients without driver signing issues.
• Permissions: Users must have at least "Print" permissions on the shared printer. The "Everyone" group typically has this by default. Ensure client machines can resolve the print server's hostname and communicate over SMB (ports 139, 445).

Creating and Configuring the Group Policy Object (GPO)

Follow these steps to create a GPO and configure a shared printer item:

1. Create a New GPO:

   Open Group Policy Management (gpmc.msc). Navigate to your domain or a specific Organizational Unit (OU) where you want to link the GPO. Right-click and select "Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here...". Give it a descriptive name, e.g., GPO_User_Printers_HR_Floor3.

2. Edit the GPO:

   Right-click the newly created GPO and select "Edit". This opens the Group Policy Management Editor.

3. Navigate to Printers Preferences:

   In the editor, expand User Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings > Printers.

4. Create a New Shared Printer Item:

   Right-click in the right pane, select "New > Shared Printer".

5. Configure the Shared Printer Item:

   In the "New Shared Printer Properties" dialog:

   • Action:
     • Create: Adds the printer if it doesn't exist.
     • Update: Modifies existing printer settings.
     • Replace: Deletes and re-creates the printer. Use with caution as it can interrupt active print jobs.
     • Delete: Removes the printer mapping.

     For initial deployment, "Create" is common. For ongoing management and driver updates, "Update" or "Replace" might be used.

   • Share Path: Enter the UNC path to the shared printer (e.g., \\YourPrintServer\Sales_BW_Printer).
   • Set this printer as the default printer: Check this if it should be the default for the targeted users.
   • General Tab (Optional): You can specify a local name for the printer on the client, which can be different from the share name.

   Click "OK" to save the item.

An example of the configuration:

Action: Create
Share Path: \\PRINTSERV01\ACCT_LASER_PCL6
Set this printer as the default printer: [ ]

Item-Level Targeting for Granular Control

One of the most powerful features of GPP is Item-Level Targeting (ILT). This allows administrators to apply GPP settings only to specific users or computers based on various criteria. This is crucial for deploying different printers to different departments, locations, or user roles without creating numerous OUs or GPOs.

To configure ILT for a printer item:

1. Right-click the shared printer item you just created and select "Properties".
2. Go to the "Common" tab.
3. Check "Run in logged-on user's security context (user policy option)". This is essential for user-based printer deployments.
4. Check "Item-level targeting".
5. Click the "Targeting..." button.
6. In the Targeting Editor, click "New Item" and choose your desired targeting criteria.

Common Targeting Criteria:

• Security Group: Target users who are members of a specific Active Directory security group (e.g., DL_IT_Staff, SG_Sales_Department).

  Type: Security Group
  Group: YourDomain\SG_Sales_Department
  

• Organizational Unit: Target users or computers within a specific OU.

  Type: Organizational Unit
  Organizational Unit: OU=Sales,OU=Users,DC=yourdomain,DC=com
  

• IP Address Range: Target users based on the IP address of their client machine. Useful for location-based printer deployments.

  Type: IP Address Range
  IP Address in range: 192.168.10.1-192.168.10.254
  

• Operating System: Target based on the client's OS version.
• Computer Name: Target specific workstations.

You can combine multiple targeting items using "And" / "Or" logical operators. For example, "User is a member of 'SG_Sales_Department' AND IP Address is in range '192.168.10.0/24'".

Targeting Editor:
  Collection: AND
    Item: Security Group
      Group: CONTOSO\SG_Sales_Users
    Item: IP Address Range
      IP Address in range: 10.10.20.1-10.10.20.254

Managing Printer Drivers with GPP

A common pain point is driver management. GPP simplifies this:

• When a user logs in, the GPP item attempts to install the printer.
• If the driver for the shared printer is not present on the client, it will attempt to download it from the print server.
• For this to work seamlessly, ensure the print server has both 64-bit and 32-bit drivers (if needed) for the printer.
• Client machines must trust the print server for driver installation. This is typically handled by default in a domain environment. If you encounter driver installation issues, check the "Point and Print Restrictions" policy under Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Printers. Setting "Users can only point and print to these servers" and adding your print server's FQDN can help. Setting "When installing drivers for a new connection" to "Do not show warning or elevation prompt" can also resolve prompts, but has security implications.

Considerations for Modern Deployments

While GPP remains highly effective for traditional print server environments, newer solutions offer alternatives, particularly for organizations moving towards cloud-centric models:

Common Pitfalls and Troubleshooting

• GPO Not Applying:
  • Check GPO link order and enforcement.
  • Verify security filtering on the GPO (Authenticated Users typically need Read permissions).
  • Run gpresult /r /scope user or gpresult /h output.html on the client to see if the GPO is applied.
  • Use gpupdate /force on the client to manually refresh GPO.
• Printer Not Installing:
  • Driver Issues: Check Event Viewer (Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService > Admin/Operational) for driver installation errors. Ensure correct 64-bit/32-bit drivers are on the print server.
  • Permissions: Verify user has "Print" permissions on the shared printer.
  • Connectivity: Ping the print server by hostname from the client. Check firewall rules (ports 139, 445, 9100 if direct IP).
  • Point and Print Restrictions: If users get prompts for driver installation, check the "Point and Print Restrictions" GPO settings mentioned above.
• Item-Level Targeting Mismatch:
  • Double-check the targeting criteria. Ensure the user or computer falls within the specified group, OU, or IP range.
  • Remember "And" vs. "Or" logic in complex targeting.
• Printer Doesn't Become Default:
  • Ensure the "Set this printer as the default printer" box is checked in the GPP item.
  • If multiple GPP items are setting a default, the last one processed alphabetically (or by GPO link order) might win.
• Performance Issues:
  • Deploying a large number of printers (e.g., 50+) via a single GPO can slow down user login. Consider splitting deployments across multiple GPOs or using more specific targeting.