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Bourne
Asked: 2010-10-27 10:50:04 +0800 CST

Unable to remove network printer deployed via GPO

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I was wondering if anybody had any advice on this.

I had a network printer that was deployed via GPO to client machines running Windows 7 in a mixed 2003-2008 environment. There was also a local startup script that was making the printer be the default one for users. Just to provide more context, the client machines were imaged, so when the first user logged on, they got the "install printer driver prompt" and it was installed for everyone.

The printer died so I removed it from GPO and from the domain but individual users still see the printer as offline under Devices. How do I completely remove any trace of this printer for all users on a machine?

These are the things I have tried:

  1. Used psexec to run printui.dll to remove per machine connections. It fails saying it is unable to remove it and asks me to check the connection to the printer.

  2. I deployed a vbs script via GPO that looked like below:

      Option Explicit

      Dim objNetwork, objPrinters
      Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
      Set objPrinters = objNetwork.EnumPrinterConnections

      ' ### Delete selected network printer
      Dim sPrinterName
      sPrinterName = "\\PDC\HP LaserJet 8000 Series PCL 5"
      objNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection sPrinterName, True, True

No luck.

  1. I also tried deleting the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Printers\Connections with the value ,,PDC,HP LaserJet 8000 Series PCL 5 for all users. It still shows up under some users.

Is there a way to wipe every record for this printer from the local machines?

Thank you.alt text

networking printer

2 Answers

  1. If your functional level is at 2008, you have access to GPO Preferences. In the Users GPO, under Windows Preferences -> Control Panel -> Printers, you can specify a policy to remove specific printers. I've used this to clear out dead shared printers for lab stations.

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  2. you have to remove it from gpo first, i had same issue before. after remove it from gpo, it will be gone from client pc automatically.

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