I have a server. The server has some printers connected. It all drivers for x32 & x64 OS plus all defaults set. The server also manages the print queue.
I have many workstations, all need to use the printers. All need to have drivers print queue and defaults propagated from server.
When I add the printers on the workstations, I get: ABC Printer on SERVER123. I need something shorter – just ABC Printer.
How can I do that?
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Please don't show me how to change the name of your locally installed printer. I know how to do this. I am particularly interested in shared printers that look like
ABC Printer on SERVER123. -
Installing the driver with a local port wont cut it because then I lose the server propagated defaults, the driver updates and I need to run around with driver disks/confuse trembling users with hard things like choosing drivers.
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I am happy for a hack if there is no official way to do this in the group policy. I tried looking in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
on the workstation machines but those are only local printers. -
I can see the network printer details on the workstations here:
HKEY_USERS\[Some GUID]\Printers\Connections– but there is nothing obvious like a description string.
Best Answer
Like Gregory MOUSSAT says...
And I've been an MCSE since 1997 for a LARGE corporation (8,000 users). The "on [server name]" is hard coded into the Windows Operating system to identify that the printer is NOT local. Printers without this suffix MUST BE LOCAL (not network) printers.
SOLUTION: The only way to "get around" this is to create a LOCAL printer, and connect to the printer DIRECTLY OVER ETHERNET, instead of through a server's print queue.
Yes, this means that each workstation will talk directly to the printer, and manage it's own queue... it works fine, unless someone sends a huge job to the printer - you can't see it to kill it, 'cause it's on their LOCAL printer queue, instead of the server queue.
I've done this a few times (while KEEPING the server print queue available for everyone else), for some very "special" user cases. But frankly, you could do it for everyone... until you need to figure out who's sending the 500 page junk jobs to the printer!