Duplex Printing script: VBScripting

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This might be a solution for you it will do what you described in your question. It will use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to look for default printer and evaluate if its duplex capable, then it will use a external tool from Microsoft Windows Resource kit for 2003 server (works on XP) to set the duplex default on that printer.

What will it require....download the resource kit from the link below, install it on a computer and look for the file SetPrinter in the installation folder for the ResKit, decide where you want this file on to be executed on the clients and then you only need to change the path in the script below.

I have been looking for really long time for a way to change to duplex, media size etc without success until I ran into the SetPrinter utility from MS. I would of course want a "built-in" way to do it without executing an external .exe file.

Windows Resource kit
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9d467a69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&displaylang=en

You find info about how to change SetPrinter by running the utility in a command shell, this utility is based on different PRINTER_INFO levels and the script I describe belowe is using level 9 which means that it will only change the settings for current user i.e. in the printer properties pages it will only change under General tab | Printing preferences and that is most likely what you want to do, if changing under Advanced tab | Printing Defaults it will be changed on the server if its a network printer and then all connecting users to that printer will be using those settings.

I hope this sample gave you a pointer in the correct direction, and I am fully aware that the script can be optimized or changed to be better.

Good luck!

/ Mikael

strComputer = "."
 
Set objWMIService = GetObject ("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colPrinters = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * From Win32_Printer Where Default = TRUE")
Set objShell = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
 
blDuplex = false
For Each objPrinter in colPrinters
  For Each i in objPrinter.Capabilities
    if i = 3 Then 
      blDuplex = true 
      objShell.Run "SetPrinter """ & objPrinter.Name & """ 9 ""pdevmode=dmduplex=2,dmCollate=1,dmFields=|duplex collate""",0,True
      exit for
    end if
  Next
  Exit For
Next

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Duplex Printing script

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VBScripting

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