snyderkv
asked on
VMware printing via thinprint
EE, thanks again
My question is in regards to printing via thinprint dll which registers that extra group policy setting. It's like an xml file almost and allows you to specify printers. One problem is that the client requires drivers. So if you have 300+ printers, the client will need every printers driver on the network imaginable at least when doing linked clones with thousands of machines. This is a horrible solution in my opinion.
How does everyone else deploy printers on floating linked clones who float to a new desktop every login? Do you do group policy preferences based on user configuration?
Thanks in advance.
My question is in regards to printing via thinprint dll which registers that extra group policy setting. It's like an xml file almost and allows you to specify printers. One problem is that the client requires drivers. So if you have 300+ printers, the client will need every printers driver on the network imaginable at least when doing linked clones with thousands of machines. This is a horrible solution in my opinion.
How does everyone else deploy printers on floating linked clones who float to a new desktop every login? Do you do group policy preferences based on user configuration?
Thanks in advance.
joharder
Unless you have specifically disabled the installation of ThinPrint driver on your VM, it is installed by default. If you look under the printer drivers (command line: printui /s), you should see the ThinPrint driver there.
ASKER
I'm not sure you're following. I'm not concerned about the thinprint dll. I'm asking for a better way to deploy printers than using that spreadsheet via gpolicy.
ASKER
And by thinprint dll I meant TPVMGPoACmap.dll.
Sorry, misunderstood your question.
While you can deploy printers via the Printers Group Policy Preference and use the second tab, Item-Level targeting (e.g., choose groups and map those printers in close proximity), the Printers GPP can be problematic. It will map just fine, but when you need to change or delete printers, sometimes it just doesn't want to let go of them but sometimes it works just fine. I've spent many hours trying to figure out why, but have finally just accepted that's the way it is.
So, if you are going to use the Printers GPP, test it with a few VMs first, including changes and deletions.
If it doesn't work for you, the next best option is to use the Registry GPP. That gets more complex because you have to find and map the specific reg keys to inject the printers. Let's hope you don't have to go there.
While you can deploy printers via the Printers Group Policy Preference and use the second tab, Item-Level targeting (e.g., choose groups and map those printers in close proximity), the Printers GPP can be problematic. It will map just fine, but when you need to change or delete printers, sometimes it just doesn't want to let go of them but sometimes it works just fine. I've spent many hours trying to figure out why, but have finally just accepted that's the way it is.
So, if you are going to use the Printers GPP, test it with a few VMs first, including changes and deletions.
If it doesn't work for you, the next best option is to use the Registry GPP. That gets more complex because you have to find and map the specific reg keys to inject the printers. Let's hope you don't have to go there.
ASKER
So what are you using? Most of the locations I've been in simply used a vbs/batch logon script that mapps printers i.e. \\printserver\share or vbs to a group policy (non preference) Why should this change when deploying desktop? After all, vmware requires that every driver be installed on the machine. If you have 300 printers, each machine will require 300 drivers locally if the network is built from a single linked clone template.
ASKER
Not only that, every time a new printer comes online (like every day) and it requires a new printer driver on the client, you'll have to install it on the base image and recompose all workstations that will use that printer. Unless I'm mistaken.
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