Installing printers on Windows XP Pro versus Windows 2000 Pro

[Bruce Lautenschlager]

I have a problem with automatically pushing printers out - I hate posting
more than once, but I tried the microsoft.public.windows.group_policy
newsgroup and I'm not getting much response, so I thought I'd try here.

I have a Group Policy Object with a script/batch file launched under
Computer configuration\Windows Settings\Scripts (Startup/Shutdown). The GPO
is applied based on group membership. The batch file is simply "rundll32
printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ga /in /n\\dc1\is_laser8", and it successfully
pushes a printer to my Windows 2000 Pro PCs. I have the printers, the
computers, and users in the correct OU, and like I said, works great (albeit
a little slow on startup) to automatically push printers out (When will this
be built in to the OS, Bill?!) to my users...that is until we started trying
it under XP Pro.

On Windows XP Pro workstations, even though it appears to work (you can see
the delay and the printer being added on startup), the printer doesn't show
up when you finish logging in. In fact, you can't add the printer manually.
You can browse to it in AD with the Add Printer Wizard, and when you try and
connect you'll get the error message "Connect to Printer - You do not have
sufficient access to your computer to connect to the selected printer." It
won't even install if I bypass the Win2k print server and go straight for
the Intel Netport - same error message.

The GP is being applied (I can see that via GPRESULT)...same user, machines
have same membership and OU, tried it on various PCs, same results - Windows
2000 Pro works, Windows XP Pro doesn't.

And yes, point and print restrictions are disabled via local policy and
domain policy. I allow unsigned drivers, and anything else that might get in
the way.

I even replaced my Windows 2000 conf.adm, inetres.adm, system.adm, and
wmplayer.adm with Windows XP versions per a Microsoft Knoweldgebase article
on all 19 of my Group Policy Objects.

Are there permissions that I am missing (or that are different) under
Windows XP Pro? I'm relatively new to XP, and this is my first exposure to
real XP deployment into our production domain.

I've seen only about 4 or 5 other posts in the past year with similar
problems, but only one had an answer (disable point and print restrictions)
and that doesn't work for me, unfortunately.



Thanks in advance,

Bruce Lautenschlager, MCSE
Boynton Beach, FL

[Daniel Kohler]

Dear Bruce

I have the same problem within a NT 4 Domain without AD. But you will
have the same issue in your current situation. I found the problme, I
am able to solve it manualy but because I am not running an AD on
Win2000 I am not able to apply the fix or the necessary policy key to
all at once.

Here the solution you might use:

Open GPO Editor you are using Browse to the following:

Group Policy - Tree
-------------------
User Configuration / Administrative Templates / Control Panel /
Printers

Within this Category you will find the following Key:

[Point and Print Restrictions]

That key is new and has been implemented within XP SP1. That key
doesn't
exist on W2K Clients. That key is set to "Not configured" what means
it
works as default.

Change the value of that key to "Disabled" and you will be able to do
what
you have expected.

Hope this helps.

Regards
D. Kohler

[Bruce Lautenschlager]

Daniel -

While I appreciate the reply - you'll notice that in this part of my
original post:

>>And yes, point and print restrictions are disabled via local policy and
>>domain policy. I allow unsigned drivers, and anything else that might get
in
>>the way.

I stated I already tried that without success. But the reply is appreciated,
nonetheless.

Thanks,
Bruce

"Daniel Kohler" > wrote in message
...
> Dear Bruce
>
> I have the same problem within a NT 4 Domain without AD. But you will
> have the same issue in your current situation. I found the problme, I
> am able to solve it manualy but because I am not running an AD on
> Win2000 I am not able to apply the fix or the necessary policy key to
> all at once.
>
> Here the solution you might use:
>
> Open GPO Editor you are using Browse to the following:
>
> Group Policy - Tree
> -------------------
> User Configuration / Administrative Templates / Control Panel /
> Printers
>
> Within this Category you will find the following Key:
>
> [Point and Print Restrictions]
>
> That key is new and has been implemented within XP SP1. That key
> doesn't
> exist on W2K Clients. That key is set to "Not configured" what means
> it
> works as default.
>
> Change the value of that key to "Disabled" and you will be able to do
> what
> you have expected.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Regards
> D. Kohler