How to Alter Behavior of Printers That Roam with Roaming Profiles

This article describes how to alter a behavior of printers that roams with roaming profiles.

Applies to:   Windows 10 - all editions
Original KB number:   304767

Summary

By design, when a user is using a roaming profile, that user's default printer roams with the user profile. However, in some environments this may not be the desired behavior. This article provides methods you can use to alter this behavior.

More information

Printers are designed to roam with a user's roaming profile, and this is why the default printer is stored under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch of the registry. To alter this behavior, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

Export the default printer setting for an already-installed printer, and then merge the setting into the user's profile when the user logs on to the computer:

1. Use Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) to export the following registry key:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

2. Modify the registry (.reg) file you made in step 1 with a text editor so that the only registry value name below the key is:

   "Device"=...

   Note

   The registry file should contain a blank line at the bottom of the file.

3. Use Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) to add a new ResetPrinter string value under the following registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

4. The value of the ResetPrinter value should be something similar to the following value:

   REGEDIT.EXE -S path\File.reg
   where File.reg is the name you used to store the default printer.

Method 2

If computers in a specific area contain similar computer names, you can use a .vbs script file that matches a specific set of characters in the computer name, and installs a corresponding printer. The sample code that is included in this method only requires that you modify the IF lines. For example, the first IF statement in the code translates to "if the computer name contains the text "LAB1-", then set the default printer to "\\LAB1\LaserJet". To complete this method:

1. Copy the following sample VBS code into a. vbs file, for example, Defaultprinter.vbs:

   Option Explicit
   DIM RegEntry, ComputerName
   
   RegEntry="HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ComputerName\ComputerName" ComputerName = ReadRegValue(RegEntry)
   
   if InStr(1,ucase(ComputerName),"LAB1-",vbTextCompare) > 0 then call SetPrinter("\\LAB1\LaserJet")
   if InStr(1,ucase(ComputerName),"LAB2-",vbTextCompare) > 0 then call SetPrinter("\\LAB2\LaserJet")
   if InStr(1,ucase(ComputerName),"OFFICE-",vbTextCompare) > 0 then call SetPrinter("\\OFFICE\LaserJet")
   'so on and so forth.
   wscript.quit
   
   '*** This subroutine installs and sets the default printer
   Sub SetPrinter(ByVal PrinterPath)
       DIM WshNetwork
       Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
       WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection(PrinterPath)
       WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter Printerpath
   end sub
   
   '**** This function returns the data in the registry value
   Function ReadRegValue(ByVal RegValue)
       DIM WSHShell
       Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
       ReadRegValue=""
       On Error Resume Next
       ReadRegValue= WSHShell.RegRead(RegValue)
   End Function
   

2. Modify the IF lines as needed. The only portion of the IF lines that need to be modified is between double quotes. You may need to add additional IF lines.

3. Use Registry Editor to create a ResetPrinter string value under the following registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

4. The value of ResetPrinter should be something similar to the following value:

   WSCRIPT.EXE path\DefaultPrinter.vbs
   where path is the location where the Defaultprinter.vbs file is stored.