Keep Windows XP from automatically installing network printers?

[S1nF1xx]

So what's the trick to keeping XP and Server 2K3 machines from installing "auto printer on computerxxx"?

Is it tuning off the UPNP service? I forget and a quick google didn't show me anything.

I knew this at one point and I totally forgot.


Thanks for the reminder.

 

[djnes]

I have never seen either OS automatically install a networked printer. Is this something in a user script, etc?

 

[S1nF1xx]

No script or anything, just by default they will pickup a shared printer off the network. Say the printer is called "HP officejet" and the computer sharing it is called "server', it will install a printer called "Auto HP Officejet on Server".

 

[|NOLAFF|-JD]

Windows XP x64 does it. I didn't even think about installing a networked printer once I had formated because I didn't know for sure if it would pull the correct drivers or not(considering that machine it was on was a 32bit OS). But without even thinking the other day I needed to print something, and I went straight to print and bam it found the only printer which was a networked printer and printed the document in a jiffy. Kind of convenient if you ask me, but why would you want to disable this?

 

[Phoenix86]

I have never seen this behavior...

 

[S1nF1xx]

Kind of convenient if you ask me, but why would you want to disable this?

Because I think a driver from one of the printers is crashing a machine.

I have never seen this behavior...

Really? I figured you or djnes would for surely tell me how to turn it off and then laugh at my lack of skillz to be able to do it myself. lol

 

[S1nF1xx]

Little more info.

We get our machines fron Equus with OEM XP and S3K preinstalled. Everything is default, there is no third party software whatsoever on any machines, they just do this by default, every one of them. To my knowledge the OS is just a standard OEM copy of XP.

It's been annoying, but I've never bothered to look into it before, until now that I think a driver is hosing a S2K3 box.

 

[pigster]

My Computer , Tools, Folder Options, View, Automatically Search for Network Folders and Printers

 

[S1nF1xx]

My Computer , Tools, Folder Options, View, Automatically Search for Network Folders and Printers

Thank you!

Damn it, just like I said earlier I knew I would remember doing this before. Doh.


Thanks again man!

 

[Phoenix86]

My Computer , Tools, Folder Options, View, Automatically Search for Network Folders and Printers

OK, so I have that enabled, and I have a eleventy billion network printers (I have counted them). My machines do not exhibit this behavior, why?

edit: quick search found this article with more info.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320138

 

[S1nF1xx]

From the artical you posted.

Note This functionality is disabled if more than 32 computers with shared resources are detected on your network, if you are joined to a domain, if you are using a dial-up or a VPN connection, or if an administrator has disabled the functionality by using Group Policy.

That would explain why it wasn't doing it on my home network.


I just took (and passed ) the 70-270 exam and I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned anywhere in the study material, practice exams, or the test itself. It would have made a pretty good question.

 

[djnes]

I was wondering this myself, as we have more LaserJets on our network than client machines (not really, but it seems like it). We are on a domain however, so that explains the mystery! Well that's my lesson for the day.

 

[Phoenix86]

Handy feature on small networks... I don't really know why you would disable it, fix your server's XP driver noob.

 

[S1nF1xx]

Handy feature on small networks... I don't really know why you would disable it, fix your server's XP driver noob.

LOL. There's the insult I was expecting.

Thing is, it's our server, connected to someone else's network, and they have the printer on one of their machines. So I don't care about their damned drivers, just covering my ass.

Ohh, and we do all our support from our home office, not on site. And I'm not going to South Carolina to fix a fscking printer.