This page contains a VBScript that can be used to update a user's printer connections (Print Mappings)
In addition to switching to a different Print Queue (or Print Server ) the script will also also preserve the user's current default printer. i.e if their default printer is renamed then the new name will be set as their default.
Multiple queues can be moved at once. The changes required are listed in a simple text file, the script will ignore any other print connections not explicitly listed.
Execute the script like this:
cscript qchange.vbs changes.txt //NoLogo
[changes.txt]
\\Server\Printer1;\\NewServer\NewPrinter1 \\Server\Printer2;\\NewServer\NewPrinter2 \\Server\Printer3;\\NewServer\NewPrinter2
[end]
[Qchange.vbs]
On Error Resume Next
Const VERBOSE = "N" 'Display progress (Y or N)
Const Title = "Print Connection Migrator"
Const ForReading = 1
Dim strDefaultPrinter
Dim InstalledPrinters 'Array of printer names
Dim Textfile 'File with print Q names
Dim OldPrintQueues() 'Dynamic array to store old print queue names, from the text file
Dim NewPrintQueues() 'Dynamic array to store new print queue names, from the text file
Dim fso 'File System Object
Dim objTextFile 'Text file object
Dim strNextLine 'Line of the text file
Dim i
Dim WshNetwork
Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
' 1. - Get the command line args ###
SET Parameters = Wscript.arguments
'If no command line arguments provided, quit
If Parameters.Count = 0 Then
WScript.Quit(1)
Else
Textfile = Parameters.item(0)
End If
If Textfile = "" or Not Right(TextFile,4) = ".txt" or Not FileExist(Textfile) Then
Error=MsgBox("No valid input file provided. Stopping the script now.",vbokonly, Title)
WScript.Quit(1)
End If
If VERBOSE = "Y" Then Wscript.Echo "Reading input file"
' 2. Read the text file and import it in a Array ###
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objTextFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile (TextFile, ForReading)
i=-1
While not objTextFile.AtEndOfStream
i = i+1
Redim Preserve OldPrintQueues(i)
ReDim Preserve NewPrintQueues(i)
strLine = objTextFile.Readline
'Do not import the comment lines
If Left(strLine,2) = "\\" Then
OldPrintQueues(i) = Left(strLine,InStr(strline,";")-1)
If VERBOSE = "Y" Then Wscript.Echo " old Q is: " & OldPrintQueues(i)
NewPrintQueues(i) = Mid(strline,InStr(strline,";")+1,Len(strline))
If VERBOSE = "Y" Then Wscript.Echo " new Q is: " & NewPrintQueues(i)
End If
Wend
objTextFile.Close
' 3. Store the name of the default Printer ###
strDefaultPrinter = DefaultPrinter
If VERBOSE = "Y" Then Wscript.Echo " Default is: " & strDefaultPrinter
' 4. WMI query for current printer connections ###
strComputer = "."
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
& "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colInstalledPrinters = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
("Select * from Win32_Printer")
' 5. Main Loop through printer collection ###
For Each objPrinter in colInstalledPrinters
If VERBOSE = "Y" Then Wscript.Echo " Current connection: " & objPrinter.Name
If Left(objPrinter.Name, 2) = "\\" Then 'Work only On network printers
'Search the corresponding printer and create it
i = 0 'set the indice at the beginning of the array (prepare to loop)
Do Until i > UBound(OldPrintQueues)
If UCase(objPrinter.Name) = UCase(OldPrintQueues(i)) Then
'Create the connection to the new printer
If VERBOSE = "Y" Then Wscript.Echo " New connection: " & NewPrintQueues(i)
WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection NewPrintQueues(i)
If UCase(strDefaultPrinter) = UCase(objPrinter.Name) Then 'This is the default printer
'Set the default Printer
WshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter NewPrintQueues(i)
End If
'Delete the printer connection
WshNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection objPrinter.Name
If VERBOSE = "Y" Then Wscript.Echo " Removing : " & objPrinter.Name
End If
i = i + 1
Loop
End If 'End of check for network printers
Next 'End of the loop through the printers of this user
Set WshNetwork = Nothing
'-----------------
' Functions
'-----------------
'Return the default printer
Function DefaultPrinter
Dim strComputer
Dim Result
strComputer = "."
Result = ""
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" _
& "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colInstalledPrinters = objWMIService.ExecQuery _
("Select * from Win32_Printer")
For Each objPrinter in colInstalledPrinters
If objPrinter.Default = True Then
Result = objPrinter.Name
End If
Next
DefaultPrinter = Result
End Function
'-----------------
'Does File Exist (Boolean)
Function FileExist (FileFullPath)
Dim Fso
Set Fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If (Fso.FileExists(FileFullPath)) Then
FileExist = True
Else
FileExist = False
End If
End Function
' Based on a script by: Sebastien Pittet (pittet.org)
' discussed at http://cwashington.netreach.net/
' Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
' https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/
' Simon Sheppard Sept 2005
' https://ss64.com/vb/syntax-qchange.html
[end]
List all the print queues available on a server with:
C:\> net view \\MyServer
If you generate the list of printers via code - check the line endings are <CR> <LF>
“The large print giveth, the small print taketh away” ~ Tom Waits
Related:
Syntax - Printing
PrintSave - Save and Restore Windows Printer Connections
PRINTBRM - Print queue Backup/Recovery
PRNCNFG - Configure or rename a printer.
PRNMNGR - Add, delete, list printers and printer connections.
RUNDLL32 - Add/remove print connections
SHARE - List or edit a file share or print share
WMIC PRINTER - Set printing options through WMI.