managing local printers

[bookouri]

In our environment local printers have been allowed to get out of control. We used to have shared network printers for workgroups of people, but now everybody who doesnt want to walk across the room is being allowed to get any little cheapo Ink Jet they want. I dont have the option of stopping it, but we're now spending a good part of our time running from desktop to desktop installing individual printers because the users can't install local printers. Does anybody have any suggestions about managing local printer installation? We've got a couple hundred client machines (XP Pro on a Win2k domain) and about twice that many individual users to deal with.

any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[itsp1965]

- First off if they are going to be buying their own printers, try standardizing on a particular make/model. Have mgmt sign off on it that you will not support models that are not on the "approved" list of printers
- Create a driver path on the file server for these particular printers
- If you need to install you can just remote to a user's workstation and install the drivers for them.. Otherwise you can setup a "dummy" shared printer where users could attach to and automatically download the appropriate driver

Hope this helps.

 

[bookouri]

i thought about doing the dummy shared printer thing, but i cant even get minimal limits on printer makes/models. We ghost all our clients so I could even set up a base client image with any number of printer drivers installed, but there's just too many and in a few weeks there will be a whole new generation of cheap printers popping up. So far the dummy network printer option is about the best I've seen.

 

[markdmac]

I would inform management of the added costs of cartriges for those printers. Aside from your time which management may not appreciate, the hard costs of these printers over a laser printer will probably be an eye opener.

Also, you can install the drivers without visiting the PC.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q189105/

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[itsp1965]

Markdmac makes a very good point. The inherent cost of these "cheap" printers over the long run do not make them very attractive especially to mgmt

 

[bookouri]

problem is this is a govt project, they're spending other people's money. Cost is irrelevant to them.

 

[Davetoo]

You're spending my money then, and I insist that you inform them of their wasteful ways.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[markdmac]

Government agencies have budgets too. Procurement should work with you to prevent unauthorized purchases. If they MUST have personal printers then specify a model that you will support.

I've done a lot of work with the government over time and this kind of thing drives me crazy. Where things are not brought to a halt because of beuracracy, they run rampant with no oversight.

Start telling the supervisors that you will only support 1 black and white and 1 color model personal printer.

You can get a brother laser for under $150. Most of the ink jets will cost you about $75-100 and you will make up the difference in the $25 ink cartridges within 1 year. For personal use, you would probably get 2-3 years out of a toner cartridge.

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=741926

Sell the users on the laser, it is faster, more reliable and less money to maintain.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[bookouri]

oh, i keep informing.. its MY money too, but nobody listens... beaurocracy is like a big lump of concrete...you can keep kicking on it, but your foot's gonna give out before the concrete does..

 

[Davetoo]

Give them Mark's argument...it's your best option. Ink jets are not a good solution for normal users.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.