While windows is loading, BEFORE SOMEONE HAS LOGGED ON?. I have tried some of the service utilities, they don't seem to work all that well. I am confident someone on here has succeeded in doing this, I am trying to set the default printer before someone has logged in.

Edited December 15, 200718 yr by clivebuckwheat

startup scripts, loaded by group policies, check out gpedit.msc for local policies. Or the group policy management tool for domain policies.

startup scripts, loaded by group policies, check out gpedit.msc for local policies. Or the group policy management tool for domain policies.

I am not on an AD network if that makes a difference?, I have never done this before could you tell me how?.

Launch the group policy editor:

Start -> Run -> gpedit.msc

Left Pane:

Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings ->Scripts (startup/shutdown)

Right Pane double click startup

Click add

click browse and select your startup script.

clcikc OK twice

Close Group policy editor

I dont think you can set a default printer before somebody logs on as its a current_user thing in the registry... I think... although I might be wrong

although a work around I use is when I install the printers on computer startup I make sure that the one I want as the default printer has a name that is alphabetically before the other printers. I seems to default to the printer that is first in the alphabet...

But if you have a script that sets the default at computer startup, please post that script as I would be very interested to know how to do this.

Sorry, missed this was for a printer. That you will have to do as a user logon script. Same procedure as startup scripts only under the user configuration not computer configuration.

Launch the group policy editor:

Start -> Run -> gpedit.msc

Left Pane:

Local Computer Policy -> User Configuration -> Windows Settings ->Scripts (Logon/logoff)

Right Pane double click logon

Click add

click browse and select your startup script.

clcikc OK twice

Close Group policy editor

there is a away via batch cmd it will install when the user logs in it will run all you do is specify a printer i have the script save here on my server i can help you with it if you get me names of printers and weather they are local or network i think it will work i haven't used it in awhile i did this for a compnay i worked for.