Network Printer installl

[bek]

I have run into a snag trying to automate installing printers. Usually I just call up \\server\printershare, how ever this server has long share names with spaces and quoting them doesn't work!.

start "\\fs1\Basement Plotter HP5500"

or

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n "\\fs1\Basement Plotter HP5500"

I also tried variable string substitution... all I get is

The system cannot find the path specified.

Any workarounds or am I outta luck?

[JPamplin]

Well, if this is something you have control over, can you rename it to one word?

[bek]

Unfortunatley, no. All the print queues are named this way. I wouldn't have done it that way but...

There would be the issue of getting all the client machines printers changed over etc. Not impossible, but some work, esp. in regards to whatever is their current default.

Thanks.

[jdoe]

There's a link to another way to connect printer.

I'm not very confident but it cost nothing to try...

VBScript by Interface

[mazin]

Old DOS solutions might work, but might not:

start "\\fs1\Basement Plotter HP5500

OR

SET fs1=\\fs1\Basement Plotter HP5500

start fs1

[visaversa]

or you could change the hostname to an ip address, maybe there is your problem..

start "\\192.168.1.1\Basement Plotter HP5500"

[bek]

I will try it using that vbs...

No, IP address doesn't work either... it just doesn't accept a share name with spaces, wether I quote it, or not, or set in a variable... which is also why I am skeptical that the vb script will work.

thanks for the input.

[bek]

OK... this worked!:

' CONPRINT.vbs
Set NetObj = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
PRINTER = WScript.Arguments(0)
NetObj.AddWindowsPrinterConnection PRINTER

and then running >

CONPRINT.vbs "\\server\long printer share name"