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DWStovallFlag for United States of America

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Citrix Printing Configuration...

I need to the best Citrix Policy configuration settings to achieve the following:

1)  Whichever is fastest for launching:

     - Auto-Creating User's Default Printer; or
     - Using Citrix Universal Printer to direct print jobs back to the user's default printer?

2) I want users to be able to Add a Network Printer that will be retained and that will use Citrix Universal Print Drivers - if that will speed launch.

Please provide Citrix Policy settings to achieve both items.

Citrix printing makes my head want to explode.

Thank you...

David
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Casey Herman
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Great article to read for citrix printing..

http://www.thomaskoetzing.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=307

Auto create the default.
Set client printers to build after log on. This way the app launches / login is faster. Then printers build in the background.


Use GPO version of Citrix Policies instead of Appcenter version if you have a lot of printers. You have to have the ADMX installed.

MS gpo seems to process faster.

-Casey
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I disagree with at least half of the items presented in the article mentioned.  As related to your question, EMF + PDF = monster print jobs.  Use PCL5c if you're using UPD.

I agree to auto-create the default.  

So far as how to add additional printers, I disagree with configuring Citrix policies via AD GPO.  You should keep all of your policies in one place, either AD or Citrix Data Store.  The latter is better.  Don't mix and match.

There was an issue with XenApp 6 and lots of session printers policies.  It choked and still does.  That was never fixed as XA6.5 was out soon after.  

I do like using AD GPOs for configuring network printers--until you have to change or delete them.  Then it becomes somewhat painful, but I still like that over using session printers.

If your users will need to add printers, it's easiest just to autocreate all printers, not just the default.  I know that there's a Citrix document out there that says to just configure the default, but only default = your phone ringing.  Make your life easier and just autocreate all.

Set your Citrix policy such that only UPD is used.  If your users have only basic printing requirements, UPD will suffice and elimnates the need for lots of drivers.
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ASKER

@joharder,

I'm sorry, but I'm simply not as smart as you on these issues.  I hold your clarification in the above post as "expert" - but I think I get confused with so many choices - I desparately need simple configuration steps to achieve what you might consider the best implementation of my quest.  

The article listed supra covers ten items and you said you disagreed with half - any clarification or should I just ignore the article?

I followed your guidance from a previous posting and unenabled the Citrix Universal Print Server.  I have since published the Add Printer Tool as a means for user's to add a printer.

My goal (as a default for all users) is to 1) Auto-Create their default local (attached or networked) printer (if one is installed).  Then, 2) if a person wants to add a printer (specifically a network printer on the same network as the XenApp server), they can do so (with as little increase to launch times as possible).

Step 1: ?

Thank you, as alsways, for your wisdom and valuable clarification.

David
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joharder
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If you are configuring sessions printers and have a lot of sites the Citrix datastore will come to a halt. Thats why you use AD/GPO version of the citrix policies for that.  I only have printers in AD for my situation.