How to create a GPO to set a default printer for a lab?
OK, here is my situation: I have created two OU's for two labs here im our School District, primarily for the purpose of setting up printers using group policies (essentially the only difference between the labs are the printers they use) I have successfully created the printer policy, but need a way to set the printer that I have assigned as the default printer. We are using Windows XP SP3 workstations with a server 2003 print server and Server 2008 domain controllers. I am also using the new "preferences" section of Group Policy to create the printer. These are prand new images that contain no previous printers, and DO have the updated Client Side Group Policy Extensions.
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When setting up your printer policy (GPO, not deployed printer) just check the box under "set this printer as the default printer"
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I ended up solving this by using multiple techniques. Firstly. the GPO solution (thank you Mkline) requires a seperate GPO to turn on GPO loopback processing in the same OU as the GPO that you are using to add the printer (by user with the "common" settings). THis is my preferred method for PC's that have never had printers installed locally. For existing machines, I have placed a login script (thank you dstewartjr) in the startup group that sets a currently installed printer as the default.
http://blogs.technet.com/grouppolicy/archive/2009/06/24/gp-preferences-set-a-default-printer.aspx