Windows 10: Group Policy and the Default Printer

I work at a library and we have computers for our patrons. I have manually installed 2 local printers, "a" and "b", on these public computers. They both use LPT1 as their port and they are not shared.


I have created entries in Group Policy to delete unneeded printers, such as "Fax" and "Microsoft Print to PDF", on the public computers. I created these entries in Computer Configuration-Preferences-Control Panel Settings-Printers and these entries have deleted the unneeded printers.


I simply want to use Group Policy to designate printer "a" as the default printer. I suppose that I should create an entry for "a" in User Configuration-Preferences-Control Panel Settings-Printers and use the "Update" action but I want to be sure.


How do I use Group Policy to designate a default printer?

:)

 

Setting Default Printer via Startup Script

I do it with VB logon scripts


"Dim ps0 [<------ our printer server the printers are added/managed on]
Dim printer

ps0 = "\\ps0\"
printer = "S14 - Oki ES4140" [<------- the name of the printer as it is shown on the server]

Set wshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
on Error Resume Next

'Deletes all network printers
Set clPrinters = wshNetwork.EnumPrinterConnections
On Error Resume Next
For i = 0 to clPrinters.Count - 1 Step 2
wshNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection clPrinters.Item(i+1), true
Next

'Add Network printer
wshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection ps0 & printer

'Set Default Printer
wshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter ps0 & printer" [<------ this bit sets it as default (note: this must be applied as the first policy before any other printers policies, otherwise it deletes them)]

 

GROUP POLICIES IN WINDOWS 10

You can change Group Policies by opening Group Policy Editor first. You can open it by following these steps:

• Log in an administrator account. If you are already logged in as an administrator, proceed to step 2.
  
• Press Windows + R to open Run.
• Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
  

After opening Group Policy Editor, you can now make the necessary changes that you want.

Should you have more concerns, feel free to post.

Regards.

 

Setting Default Printer via Startup Script

If the Domain Function level is 2008 why not simply use User Group Policy Preferences? You could then setup Item Level Targeting or location based GPO's to set different defaults depending on location. You could also place all the machines into a specific OU, configure Group Policy Loop Back processing and assign the GPO to the machine OU. This is generally how you configure group policy for terminal servers...

Using GPP to deploy printers:
GP Preferences: Add a new printer, set as default

Group Policy Loopback Processing:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/231287

Item Level Targetting:
Preference Item-Level Targeting

Here's a nice spiceworks article that outlines the process in more granular detail. It's probably not exactly how I would do it, but it should work just as well as any deployment method:
Set the default printer via Group Policy