Article ID: 189105
Article Last Modified on 10/26/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
This article was previously published under Q189105
For a Microsoft Windows XP version of this article, see
314486.
SUMMARY
Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 provide the ability to
install a printer using a command line. This is particularly useful when you
add or remove a printer from a group of users using a login script or a
scheduled event.
Although Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Zero
Administration Kit (ZAK) contains tools such as Con2prt.exe, the Con2prt.exe
tool provides the ability to add or delete only network printers. You can also
modify and delete local printers using Windows 2000. The result is that an
administrator can control all aspects of a user's ability to print by having
users run a batch file or logon script.
NOTE: Using this command in a login script or a client-launched batch
file requires the client computer to be running Windows 2000 or Windows Server
2003. Because the login script runs on the client computer, a Windows NT 4.0
client is unable to process the command.
In addition, these commands
can be run from an administrator's workstation or from a server so that the
printers are push-installed to the client computers without having to go to the
actual computer.
MORE INFORMATION
The following examples list the most typical uses for the
command.
NOTE: This command only runs on a Windows 2000-based or Windows Server
2003-based computer against a Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or a Windows
NT 4.0 server or workstation.
This example adds an Agfa printer
driver and creates a logical printer on a computer named SERVER.
NOTE: Both lines can be placed in a batch file or typed after each
other at a command prompt. These two lines are wrapped for readability.
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ia /c\\server /m "AGFA-AccuSet v52.3" /h "Intel" /v "Windows 2000" /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Test Printer" /c\\SERVER /f "%windir%\inf\ntprint.inf" /r "lpt1:" /m "AGFA-AccuSet v52.3"
This example deletes an AGFA printer on a computer named SERVER:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /dl /n "Test Printer" /c\\SERVER
For more information about the available switches, type
/? after the command.
In addition, at a
command prompt, type:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /?
The preceding command displays the entire list of usage switches
with extensive examples for using this method.
Additionally, at a command prompt, type
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Xs /n "printer" ?
The preceding command displays additional help for changing
printer properties. The following example switches the current print driver to the
specified new printer driver (already installed on the server):
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /Xs /n\\SERVER\PRINTERSHARENAME DriverName "Lexmark C752 PS3"
: The following syntax is an example that works correctly as long
as the Standard TCP/IP Ports are created.
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "NORTH-US-SRTEST-TEST24-BOGUS" /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r "IP_157.57.50.98" /m "HP Laserjet 4000 Series PCL" /Z
If Standard TCP/IP Ports are not created, the following error
dialog box may be experienced:
Printer User
Interface
Printer rundll command failed.
Command: /if /b
"NORTH-US-SRTEST-TEST24-BOGUS" /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r "IP_157.57.50.98"
/m "HP Laserjet 4000 Series PCL" /Z.
You either entered a printer
name that was incorrect or the specified printer is no longer connected to the
server. Click
Help for more information.
Additional query words: push install unattended user interaction 5.00 nt5howto print
ntprint scripts automated automatic automatically
Keywords: kbproductlink kbhowto kbprint KB189105