School Information Technology Discussion <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>Thanks for the suggestion Dennis.  It suggests that users print to a
>W2k/2003 network printer.  While this offers some printer management,
>we've opted to have users print directly to the printer via an IP
>port setup on the workstation to avoid having to have XP do a printer
>install every time a new user prints from a particular machine. 


The problem with this solution is that if the printer runs out of paper,
and some bonehead sends his term paper 10 times in hopes it will print the
tenth time when it didn't the other nine, gives up and makes a mad dash to
get to his class on time, then I notice the printer's light blinking and
walk over and put paper in it, I have no way of deleting those 10 jobs, if
I don't know which workstation they're coming from.  Happens all the time
around here.  Much better to send the jobs to one server where all the
print queues reside, and only then to the printer.  Now you've got control
over the jobs, and can delete them.  Its even more imortant if this same
bonehead shuts off the printer in the middle of the job, then turns it
back on.  Now the laser starts spitting out reams of paper with HP printer
control language streams at the top of each page. 

You can install network printers as "local printers" in XP.  Create a
queue on the server, share the printer.  On the workstations, create a new
printer, uncheck the "automatically detect..." box, hit next, create a new
port, choose local port, hit next, use \\server\share name (fill in yours)
as the local port name, and continue as normal.  Only slight drawback is
it won't get the drivers from the server like it does if you're adding a
network printer, but then, the workstation only needs them once.

If you're ambitious, and have Active Directory, you can even script the
installation of local printers so you never have to walk to a workstation
to install a printer.  Microsoft has info on it on their support site, but
they don't tell you how to create the port automatically if it''s not
already there, which it never is, so you have to hunt around a bit on the
'net to find the answerr to that one.  It's possible, though.  You can
control which printers get set up on which computers using group policies.
 If anyone's interested in this, e-mail me directly and I'll send you a
sample script.

.


> I'm wondering if you've a way to work around this "feature" of XP, as it
>was presenting problems for our users given the fact that students use a
>lot different machines?
> 
>Thanks!
>John
> 
> 
> 
>_________________________________
>John Carolin
>Network Administrator
>Stowe School District
>413 Barrows Rd.
>Stowe, VT  05672
>(802)253-7218
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------From:
>School Information Technology Discussion on behalf of Dennis DeWeerdt
>Sent: Mon 7/17/2006 5:56 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Printing Quota Management w/ WinXP
>
>
>
>We have a centrally located Color Laser in the library for all to use.
>Our librarians have administrative rights to the print que and keep the
>printer on "pause" until someone comes to them to ask for the print job
>to be released. They can then look and see how big the job is. This can
>help prevent a student from printing 30 pages of a web site when they
>only intended to print a small selection. The print job can be deleted
>and the student can send it correctly. It can also prevent multiple
>copies of the same thing where the student keeps
>clicking print,print,print,print, you get the point. We have been doing
>this now for the past 3 or so years and have saved tons (possibly
>literally) of paper and toner.
> 
>Last year we put in a Richo CL4000DN Printer ($829 from CDWG)
>It runs around $650 to fill it with the larger size toners
>that output 15,000 pages. This calculates out to about .04 per page.
>Your mileage may vary...
> 
>Dennis
>  
>
>
>
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