Adding a Printer to be installed via Group Policy

The following steps will allow you to install a printer in your environment simply by adding a computer to an Active Directory group.

  1. Ensure the printer can be resolved via DNS

    1. Ensure the printer has a static IP address assigned (make sure to update your IPAM system)
    2. Label the printer with the new printer name
    3. Create an A record in DNS with the new printer name, pointing to the static IP address of the new printer
    4. From a workstation, ping the hostname of the printer and ensure it responds, and that it's resolving the static IP address you set on the printer earlier

  2. Create an Active Directory Group for the new printer

    1. In Active Directory Users and Computers, create a group named "PRINTER-<PRINTERNAME>", replacing "<PRINTERNAME>" with the hostname of the printer you created in step 1.

  3. Install the printer on your print server

    1. Remote into your print server
    2. From the Print Management snap-in, under your print server's node in the left pane, right click printers and select "add new printer"
    3. Select "Add a TCP/IP or Web Services Printer by IP address or hostname" option and click Next
    4. In the Type of Device dropdown, select "TCP/IP Device"
    5. In the Hostname or IP Address field, enter the name of the printer you added to DNS earlier
    6. Uncheck the "Autodetect print driver to use" and click Next
    7. On the Printer Driver screen, there will be a dropdown under the "Use and Existing printer driver on the computer" screen, select the Universal print driver appropriate for this brand of printer.
      1. HP's is called "HP Universal Printing PCL 6"
      2. Canon's is typically called "Canon Generic Plus UFR II"
    8. On the Printer Name and Sharing settings screen, Change the Printer Name field to the name of the printer you added in DNS earlier
    9. Check the box to "Share this Printer", and set the Share Name field to the name of the printer you added to DNS earlier
    10. for the Location field, type the physical location of the device (IE: "Townsville Clinic Nurses Station"), and click Next
    11. Click Next twice to finalize the installation and sharing of the printer.
    12. Locate the newly installed printer in the list, and ensure the "Driver Type" field displays "Type 3 - User Mode"
      1. Other types will never install via Group Policy

  4. Ensure the Device is added to your print server's Printers Group Policy Object (Typically Named "Printers - <ServerName>")

    1. Open the Group Policy Management Editor snap-in
    2. Open the appropriate printers GPO, and navigate to Preferences -> Control Panel Settings -> Printers
      GPO Printing 00
    3. Right Click "Printers" in the left pane and select "New" -> "TCP/IP Printer"
      GPO Printing 01
    4. In the New TCP/IP Printer Properties window:
      1. In the General Tab:
        1. Change the Action to "Create"
        2. Check the box to "Use DNS Name"
        3. In the DNS Name field, Enter the name of the printer we added to DNS earlier
        4. In the Local Name field, Enter the name of the printer we added to DNS earlier
        5. In the Printer Path field, Enter the following: \\<PRINTSERVERNAME>\<PRINTERNAME>
        6. In the comment field, enter the location of the device (IE: "Townsville Clinic Nurses Station")
          GPO Printing 02
      2. In the "Common" Tab:
        1.  Check the "Item-Level Targetting" checkbox, and then click the Targeting button
          GPO Printing 03
        2. In the Targeting Editor window, Click "New Item", and select "Security Group" from the list
          GPO Printing 04
        3. Select the "..." button
          GPO Printing 05
        4. type the name of the Printer Group you created earlier in the Select group window, then click the "Check Names" button.  The group name will become underlined, indicating the group was found.  Click OK
          1. If it was not, make sure you're using the "PRINTER-<PRINTERNAME>" format for your group name, and double check the name in its entirety.​​​​
        5. The Group and SID fields will fill in for you.  Leave the "Computer In Group" option selected, and click OK.
          GPO Printing 06
      3. Back in the "New TCP/IP Printer Properties" window, click "Apply", then OK to close the window.
        ​​GPO Printing 07
    5. Your printer should now show up in the list of printers in the Group Policy Object.  You can close the Group Policy Object Editor window.

  5. You can now install this printer on computers simply by adding them to active directory group you created earlier and rebooting them.

    1. Troubleshooting group policy printer installation (including why printers failed to install) can be done by reviewing Group Policy logs found in the Event Viewer.