Article ID: 263226 - Last Review: March 27, 2007 - Revision: 5.4

How to Add a Default Printer Using a Visual Basic Script

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This article was previously published under Q263226

SUMMARY

This article shows you how to use a Visual Basic script to add a printer and make it the default printer.

The Windows Printer Mapping on Terminal Service cannot automatically map a printer if the printer is not locally attached to an LPT, COM, or USB port.

To map network printers for use in Windows 2000 Terminal Services and Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server, follow these steps:

In the following script, replace PrinterDriver with the name of the driver you are adding and \\Server\Printer with the name of the shared printer and server:

Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
PrinterPath = "\\Server\Printer"
PrinterDriver = "PrinterDriver"
WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection PrinterPath, PrinterDriver
WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\Server\Printer"

Save and execute the script in a Visual Basic (VBS) file.

NOTE: The parameter PrinterDriver must have the exact name of the driver as it appears in the left column of the Ntprint.inf file.

For example, if you want to install a Cannon Bubble-Jet BJ-230, then the line in the script should read PrinterDriver = "Canon Bubble-Jet BJ-230".

Excerpt from ntprint.inf:

++++++++++++++++++
"Canon Bubble-Jet BJ-230"  = CNBJ230.GPD, CanonCanon_Bubble-JeFF70,Canon_Bubble-Jet_BJ-230

NOTE: Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server does not have Windows Scripting Host by default. Windows Scripting Host must be installed first to execute the scripts.

To add a different printer for each user that logs on to Terminal Services, follow these steps:

In the following script, replace PrinterDriver with the names of the drivers you are adding. Replace UsernameX with the name of the user, and add more sections as needed:

Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")

Select Case WshNetWork.UserName 

    Case "Username1"
    
        PrinterPath = "\\Server\Printer1"
        PrinterDriver = "PrinterDriver"
        WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection PrinterPath, PrinterDriver

        WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\Server\Printer1"
    
    Case "Username2"
    
        PrinterPath = "\\Server\Printer2"
        PrinterDriver = "PrinterDriver"
        WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection PrinterPath, PrinterDriver

        WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter "\\Server\Printer1"
End Select