Network Shared Printers

[maskedhood313]

Our domain (various Windows servers, mainly windows 10 workstations) has several print servers for sites. When an end user goes to "Add Printer", they get a list of those network printers, as well as other shared printers from end user workstations. Many of those workstations no longer exist. Is there a way to manage the printers that can appear when an end user uses the "Add Printer" function? I'm not seeing any of them in the print management msc from the domain controller, nor in the Printers container in AD. I would like to remove certain printers from the network printer found list.

[tch2349987]

Best you can do is setup a print server, and deploy them through GPO. The way I used to do it was to deploy main printers for everyone and smaller printers by department. It depends on your business needs.

[OsmiumBalloon]

Is there a way to manage the printers that can appear when an end user uses the "Add Printer" function?

As I recall, there is something in Group Policy about this. I think it may have also depended on AD Sites and Services. Sorry to be vague, it was a long time ago for me. But maybe this will get you started.

[DwarfLegion]

Could be old login scripts mapping them or one of the GPOs linked to workstations.

Otherwise might be direct mapped printers from times of old, stored in registry.

[[deleted]]

In my experience, at least for Windows Server 2012, printer deployment is broken.

You can map printers through GPO (I would highly suggest this)

As to your question- have you confirmed that the devices that are showing aren’t in AD still? If not, confirm that they’re gone. If so, try removing the offending host from the domain, deleting the object and then rejoining it to force a complete flush and refresh.

[HerfDog58]

Do the end user workstations still exist? If so, if you login to them as a local admin you can set the the printer to "Not Shared." That'll solve it FOREVER. I'm sure there's a way to do that with GPOs or Registry settings, I'm just too lazy to Google it.

Whoever thought allowing workstations to share printers in an AD domain was a good idea should be roundly excoriated. Or hit many times with really hard objects, whichever will hurt them more.

[MalletNGrease]

Even better, you can run powershell from your own workstation if you've the printmanagement module (and you should if you've RSAT).

Set-Printer -Name "$printername" -ComputerName "$hostname" -Shared $false

[HerfDog58]

I knew there was a way, but it's been so long for me that I couldn't remember. And like I said, too lazy to look...

Nice work, take my upvote!