Cannot specify USB port for local printer in policy

  • Document ID:3119542
  • Creation Date:18-Feb-2008
  • Modified Date:27-Apr-2012
    • Micro Focus Products:
      ZENworks Configuration Management

Environment

Novell ZENworks 10 Configuration Management

Situation

In a local printer policy, you can only specify LPT ports or COM ports, you cannot specify USB, or any other ports.

Resolution

A Request for Enhancement has been raised.
As a workaround:
  1. Make sure the printer is offered as a share (even if it's a local printer)
  2. use a command like "net use LPT1:\\computername\printershare" to make the computer treat the share as if it was LPT1: (where computername is the computer on which the printer resides, %COMPUTERNAME% could be used for example for the local machine, and printershare is the share name for the printer). Any of the LPT ports can be used, it does not have to be LPT1
  3. Set the printer policy to use LPT1:

To make the setting permanent use the format:

net use LPT1:\\computer\sharename/persistent:yes
this maps the LPT port persistently for the current user.
For mapping under specific user use the format:
net use LPT1:\\computer\sharename/persistent:yes /user:DOMAIN\Username password

This can be put created in a script and can be used with a Windows Group Policy as Startup / Logon Script, or as a bundle which is run on user login.