Share USB Printer via Windows Server 2008 R2 GPO

Hope I understand correctly what you try to accomplish. If you have the printer installed on the print server just follow this guide: http://mshiyas.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/deploying-printers-using-group-policy/

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately what I am looking for is the usb printer is installed and attached to the local client computer. I want to share this printer via goo and publish it to the other users on the network. Because we have 20 machines I don't want to go manually install the printer.

Hope it makes sense.

In that case you can treat that computer as a print server. It needs that computer to be member of the same domain you want to publish the gpo.

The issue that that system has to always be up.
You then need to get windows 2008 x64 drivers for the printer.
You would then have to add the printer to the windows 2008 server and then you can share it and use GPO printer management to push the printer (pushing it back to the system where it is attached should occur).

Thanks for the feedback. Yep no problem that the computer needs to be always up. The problem is how to add the printer in the printer server. It is easy for ip based printer but for this type of usb printer, don't know. already this printer is on a windows 7 64 bit platform. If I know the first step I.e should I add new printer based on what..local port or create a new port or share it before creating a port or create a lpt1 port...so confused. Once the first step is dine then it is easy for me to push the printer by simply right clicking on the printer and choosing the option "deploy via gpo" hope it makes sense.

No, on the win2k8 you should add the printer by locating it in the network/ad (if the sharing on the win7 you checked the option to publish the printer in the AD
This will get the printer to the win2k8 system, you can the share the shared printer and push via GPO.

Thanks for the comments. I did share in the windows 7 system but went to search in the server option "add new" printer, i couldn't find the printer. Again this is not the case with IP printer. If you search IP based printer, it would appear. Should I manually add the printer in the server by navigating to \\computername and right click on the printer and press connect. If I have dine this step, what would be the next step. Thanks guys ;-)

Yes. You would search the windows network for the computer from which the printer is shared.
Once you have the printer on the server, you can use print management to share and push/publish the printer via GPO.

Thanks arnold. Let me recap the steps then.

1) First share the USB printer on the local computer and ensure 'List in the directory' is selected.

2) Next search for the Printer by adding using 'Add a Printer' on the Printer Server. Is this correct

3)After this, I have add and push through GPO how? It doesn't shown on my list of Added Printers. I have to Add a new printer to show this. Is this correct?

What I am doing wrong or where I need to follow the correct step?

cheers

Joseph

In GPO if it doesn't show when you click browse you can add it manually. For example if the computer name is PC1 and the printer share name is HP2 add it by typing \\pc1\hp2. However to make sure it is properly shared do a "net view \\pc1" from a dos prompt to make sure it is properly shared.

Yes, you need to add the printer to the windows 2008 server first even though it is a passthrough to the PC.  The benefit since the server will be up, those print jobs will queue up on the win2k8 server in the event the PC is off.

Hi all, thanks for your comments. I am not still getting how to add the printer. The only way I know how to Add a printer is to go to Devices and Printers > Use the top button 'Add Printer' and search for the Printer. This way I can get the Printer installed on the Printer Server. My query is how to Add the Printer using the Print management and Deploy via gpo. This is possible when I use a IP based printer. I simply open the Print management diagloue box, next I click Add Printer. A window pops-up asking whether it is a network (TCP/IP or Hostname) or a Local Port etc. I enter the IP and viola, I get connected and the Printer appears in the Print Management box. From here it is very easy to deploy the Printers using built-in GPO. But this is not the case with this USB client Printer.

Hope it makes sense. thanks guys for your patience.

Cheers
Joseph

First, add the printer using the add printer in the device and printers.


You can also use the print management interface in the same way to add the printer.  Locate it on the network. Once the printer is listed as an Installed printer on this server, you can publish it from \\server\printername via GPO.
make sure to add all the various printer drivers (x86/x64 windows 2008, windows 7, windows 2003/xp  if any) by adding drivers

The difference is that the IP printer is on the network; the shared printer is connected to the PC and shared; so choose the option that ask you to "Select a shared printer by name" and type it in \\pc-name\printer-share-name (example: \\pc1\hp2)

Look at this picture
Printer.gif

Second image is the Printer Management Interface

The First image is the place where I would right click on Printers in the Printer Management Window and I would get the option.


Using the option to search for Network Printers proves futile as it cannot find the Printer.


Thanks all for your input and comments. I am sure there is something wrong somewhere as it might be with Windows Server 2008 R2. just guessing !!

My interface is different from yours but mine is just Windows 2008 standard--that's why. So when you are on Windows Server 2008 R2 and you go to control panel and then printers and then add printers this is what you are getting?

Hi lionelmn, thanks for the post. Funny still, I added the printer via control panel 'Add Printer' option and it installed the printer by searching the network. BUT, when I go to the Printer Management interface i am not able to see the installed printer. This is the place where I am getting confused. It should appear but it is not. Once it appears, I can easily perform the action to deploy via gpo and etc..etc. Hope you got my point.

Cheers

Joseph

Please try this from DOS prompt.
net stop spooler
net start spooler
See if it shows up then.
If not, maybe it will after a reboot but on my server it showed up right away.

Hi, I did all this and still not working. Any other ideas. Regards joseph

Can you show me a picture of the shared settings on the printer you created on the PC and then also of the one you created on the server please using Control Panel\Printers--thanks.
Shared-Printer.jpg

Hi lionelmn

Sorry for the late reply. Will do that shortly.

Thanks

Wow, its been a couple weeks--thought we may have solved it--no? If not, frustrating for you. Let me know.