Adding a TCP/IP Printer via script

[Popsea]

Our company has a number of different locations, each with a number of printers. Normally we would just add these printers to a print server, however these locations don't have a print server. I would like to develop a script to do the following:

1. Remove all installed printers (except for locally attached printers).

2. Determine the IP of the computer.

3. Add all printers at that location based on the IP of the computer & copy the driver down to the computer if needed.

We want to setup it this way because a lot of our users travel from site to site and place a resource drain on the Service Desk to manually add printers when they are at these different locations. In addition, we want to keep the print spooling local and keep it off the WAN. Any direction or help you can provide would be appricated. All of our computers are either W2K or XP.

 

[dm4ever]

something like this might remove them for you:

Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
Set colPrinters = objNetwork.EnumPrinterConnections

For i = 0 to colPrinters.Count - 1 Step 2
	If InStr(colPrinters.Item(i), "IP_") Then
		objNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection colPrinters.Item(i+1), True, True
	End If
Next

To determine the computers IP, there are several ways you can do it. One way could be

WScript.Echo IPAddr

Function IPAddr
'     On Error Resume Next

    Dim wmiQuery, objWMIService, objPing, objStatus, objNetwork
    
    Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
    wmiQuery = "Select * From Win32_PingStatus Where " & _
    "Address = '" & objNetwork.ComputerName & "'"
    
    Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2")
    Set objPing = objWMIService.ExecQuery(wmiQuery)
    
    For Each objStatus in objPing
        IPAddr = objStatus.ProtocolAddress
    Next
End Function

As for the adding printer. Run this command at the cmd prompt see all the available options for installing/condfiguring a printer.

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dm4ever
My philosophy: K.I.S.S - Keep It Simple Stupid

 

[markdmac]

Scripting for multiple physical locations: faq329-5908
Implementing powerful and flexible login scripts:faq329-5798

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

 

[Popsea]

This is excellent advice. Thank you both. I will review your code and let you know if I have any questions.