Windows 7 / Getting Started

Deploying a Printer Connection

After you complete the preceding preparatory steps, you can deploy a printer connection by following these steps:

  1. Create a new GPO for deploying the connections, or use an existing GPO linked to the OU, domain, or site where the users or computers being targeted reside.
  2. Open Print Management, right-click the printer you want to deploy, and select Deploy With Group Policy.
  3. In the Deploy With Group Policy dialog box, click Browse, find and select the GPO you will use to deploy the printer, and then click OK.
  4. Choose whether to deploy the printer as a per-computer connection, a per-user connection, or both.
  5. Click Add to add the printer connection settings to the GPO.
  6. If needed, repeat steps 3 through 5 to deploy the same printer to additional GPOs.
  7. Click OK when finished. The printer connection to be deployed using Group Policy will be displayed under the Deployed Printers node in Print Management.

Per-user printer connections can be deployed immediately using Group Policy if the user next logs off and then logs on again to a targeted client computer. Per-computer printer connections can also be deployed immediately if the user's computer is restarted. Neither type of connection will be deployed on earlier versions of Windows during normal background refresh of Group Policy. On Windows Vista and later clients, however, background policy refresh can also deploy both per-user and per-computer printer connections.

Note On Windows Vista and later versions, users can also force printer connections to be deployed immediately by typing gpupdate /force at an elevated command prompt.

The deployed printer connection is also displayed in the GPO used to deploy the connection. To view this, open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC), right-click the GPO you used to deploy the connection, and then click Edit to open the GPO using the Group Policy Object Editor. To remove the deployed printer connection from the targeted users or computers during the next background refresh of Group Policy, right-click the connection and then click Remove. Unlinking the GPO from the OU, domain, or site where the targeted users or computers reside also removes the deployed connections.

Note You can also use the Group Policy Results Wizard in the GPMC to collect RSoP information to verify the success or failure of deploying printers using Group Policy.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Printing
  2. Enhancements to Printing in Windows 7
  3. Printing Enhancements Previously Introduced in Windows Vista
  4. Additional Printing Enhancements in Windows 7
  5. How Printing Works in Windows 7
  6. Understanding XPS
  7. Understanding the Windows Printing Subsystem
  8. Understanding Printer Driver Isolation
  9. Understanding the Print Management Console
  10. Enhancements to the Print Management Console in Windows 7
  11. The Print Management Console
  12. Adding and Removing Print Servers
  13. Configuring Default Security for Print Servers
  14. Adding Printers Using the Network Printer Installation Wizard
  15. Creating and Using Printer Filters
  16. Creating and Using Driver Filters
  17. Managing Printers Using Print Management
  18. Configuring Properties of Printers
  19. Publishing Printers in AD DS
  20. Managing Printer Drivers
  21. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode
  22. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode Using the Print Management Console
  23. Configuring Printer Driver Isolation Mode Using Group Policy
  24. Troubleshooting Driver Isolation
  25. Exporting and Importing Print Server Configurations
  26. Printer Export Files
  27. Performing Bulk Actions Using Print Management
  28. Client-Side Management of Printers
  29. Installing Printers Using the Add Printers Wizard
  30. Searching for Printers
  31. Installing Printers Using Point and Print
  32. Using Devices And Printers
  33. Using the Color Management CPL
  34. Managing Client-Side Printer Experience Using Group Policy
  35. Configuring the Add Printer Wizard
  36. Disable Client-Side Printer Rendering
  37. Configuring Package Point and Print Restrictions
  38. Extending Point and Print Using Windows Update
  39. Deploying Printers Using Group Policy
  40. Preparing to Deploy Printers
  41. Deploying a Printer Connection
  42. Limitations of Deploying Printers Using Group Policy
  43. Migrating Print Servers
  44. Migrate Print Servers Using Print Management
  45. Migrating Print Servers Using PrintBRM
  46. Monitoring and Troubleshooting Printers
  47. Configuring E-Mail Notifications
  48. Configuring Print Server Notifications
  49. Configuring Script Actions
  50. Configuring Detailed Event Logging