How can i change the name of the autocreated printers???

[Guest r46792]

We are using a program that crashes when you print if the printer names are

to long. I think its 30 characters. How can we have the redirected printer

names created with a shorter name. I read you can remove the session ID but I

don't know how. the normal format is "printer name" (from %computer_name%)

on session XX

I'd like to have it just as "printer name"

[Guest TP]

Re: How can i change the name of the autocreated printers???

 

Hi,

 

Automatic renaming of the autocreated printers is not a native

feature of 2003 terminal services. Here are some options:

 

1. Rename each workstation's name and installed printers so

that they are shorter. This will make the autocreated printer

names on your TS shorter.

 

2. Purchase and install a third-party universal printer driver

solution. Many of these packages allow you to specify the

naming convention for autocreated printers.

 

3. Write a script that will rename printers after the user has

logged on to the TS. For this you need to impersonate a

user with enough rights to rename printers. Also you need

to decide how you want to rename the printers and then

parse and rename based on that, taking into account the

different scenarios (such as autocreated network printers).

 

You can get something working quicker if you restrict your

focus to the user's default printer only. That way you are

only renaming one printer each time a user logs on. The

Remote Desktop Client can be configured to only map the

default printer so that users will not be tempted to use one

of the others.

 

4. If the user's local printers are available on the LAN or via a

VPN you could install them directly on your TS and give

them a short name.

 

-TP

 

r46792 wrote:

> We are using a program that crashes when you print if the printer

> names are to long. I think its 30 characters. How can we have the

> redirected printer names created with a shorter name. I read you can

> remove the session ID but I don't know how. the normal format is

> "printer name" (from %computer_name%) on session XX

> I'd like to have it just as "printer name"

[Guest r46792]

Re: How can i change the name of the autocreated printers???

 

Thanks for your inputs TP

However:

> 1. Rename each workstation's name and installed printers so

> that they are shorter. This will make the autocreated printer

> names on your TS shorter.

NOt an option due everytime the user logs on to the server assigns a new ID

so the name will change again

> 2. Purchase and install a third-party universal printer driver

> solution. Many of these packages allow you to specify the

> naming convention for autocreated printers.

Do you know some?

 

> 3. Write a script that will rename printers after the user has

> logged on to the TS. For this you need to impersonate a

> user with enough rights to rename printers. Also you need

> to decide how you want to rename the printers and then

> parse and rename based on that, taking into account the

> different scenarios (such as autocreated network printers).

That is what i'm looking for...any ideas?

> You can get something working quicker if you restrict your

> focus to the user's default printer only. That way you are

> only renaming one printer each time a user logs on. The

> Remote Desktop Client can be configured to only map the

> default printer so that users will not be tempted to use one

> of the others.

Not an option..our users use more than one printer

> 4. If the user's local printers are available on the LAN or via a

> VPN you could install them directly on your TS and give

> them a short name.

This could work thanks

[Guest TP]

Re: How can i change the name of the autocreated printers???

 

Comments inline:

 

r46792 wrote:

> Thanks for your inputs TP

> However:

>> 1. Rename each workstation's name and installed printers so

>> that they are shorter. This will make the autocreated printer

>> names on your TS shorter.

>

> NOt an option due everytime the user logs on to the server assigns a

> new ID so the name will change again

 

I don't understand. You mentioned that the printer names are too

long. If the workstation PC's name is short, and the workstation's

printer name is short, then the autocreated printer name on your TS

will be much shorter than usual. The length would be shorter regardless

of the session id changing each time. For example:

 

Workstation computername: W01

Printer name: HP4

Autocreated printer name: HP4 (fromW01) in session 37

 

The above yields a printer name 28 characters long. Next time the

user logs on the session number will be different, however, the length

will be either the same or +-1 character.

>

>> 2. Purchase and install a third-party universal printer driver

>> solution. Many of these packages allow you to specify the

>> naming convention for autocreated printers.

>

> Do you know some?

 

Yes, here are two suggestions, google for more:

 

Print-IT

 

http://www.provisionnetworks.com/solutions/print-it/print-it.aspx

 

ScrewDrivers v4

 

http://www.tricerat.com/screwdrivers.php

>

>

>> 3. Write a script that will rename printers after the user has

>> logged on to the TS. For this you need to impersonate a

>> user with enough rights to rename printers. Also you need

>> to decide how you want to rename the printers and then

>> parse and rename based on that, taking into account the

>> different scenarios (such as autocreated network printers).

> That is what i'm looking for...any ideas?

 

Yes. The basic steps are:

 

1. Retrieve list of printers

2. Loop through the list

- If printer is an autocreated printer

- parse the name and strip off unwanted characters

- add username for uniqueness (make sure server is set to limit each user to one session)

- check if new name is unique and add an extra character if not

- impersonate a user that is member of Power Users and rename the printer

>

>> You can get something working quicker if you restrict your

>> focus to the user's default printer only. That way you are

>> only renaming one printer each time a user logs on. The

>> Remote Desktop Client can be configured to only map the

>> default printer so that users will not be tempted to use one

>> of the others.

> Not an option..our users use more than one printer

>

>> 4. If the user's local printers are available on the LAN or via a

>> VPN you could install them directly on your TS and give

>> them a short name.

> This could work thanks

 

-TP