Dealing with Network Printers in Configuration Manager 2012

There are multiple ways how you can add a network printer to a PC and of course you can do that also with Compliance Settings in Configuration Manager. In PowerShell we can use Add-Printer cmdlet and if you don’t have the latest PowerShell version, then you can use Win32_Printer WMI class to add the Printer. If you don’t want to depend on a specific PowerShell version, then maybe the easiest way is to use Win32_Printer WMI Class.

Here are the scripts/cmdlets that you can use

Discovery Scripts

Option 1

Win32_Printer WMI Class query

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Printer -Filter "Name=’\\\\CTTERM\\CTColorPrint01’" | Measure-Object | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Count

Option 2

Get-Printer cmdlet

Get-printer -Name "\\ctterm\CTColorPrint01" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Count

Remediation Scripts

Option 1

AddPrinterConnection method in Win32_Printer WMI class

Invoke-WmiMethod -Namespace "root\cimv2" -Class Win32_Printer -Name AddPrinterConnection -ArgumentList \\CTTERM\CTColorPrint01

Option 2

Add-Printer cmdlet

Add-Printer -ConnectionName \\ctterm\CTColorPrint01

Create the Compliance rule in Configuration Manager

1. Launch the Configuration Manager console, navigate to the Assets and Compliance workspace, Compliance Settings, Configuration Items.

2. Create a new Configuration Item, Select Windows and click Next.

3. Select all Operating systems, and click Next.

4. On Settings, click New. In Setting type, select Script and in Data select Boolean

5. On Discovery Script, click Edit Script and set the Script Language to Windows PowerShell

6. On Create Remediation Script, click Edit Script and set the Script Language to Windows PowerShell

7. Enable “Run scripts by using the logged on user credentials” checkbox

8. Select the Compliance Rule tab, and click New. Configure the following values and click OK.

9. Finish the wizard.

10. Create a new Baseline, and add the Color Printer Configuration Item.

11. Deploy the baseline to a User collection

12. Log in to test computer with a standard user account and evaluate the rule

13. Check the Printers

As you see it´s really easy to add network printers with Compliance settings.