No admin ever: Working with printers is the best thing in the world!
Working with printers is just something we need to deal with and moving from Hybrid Azure AD join to Azure AD join usually include a hard time for admins, in-regards to printers. #PrinterNightmare should still be considered and moving away from GPOs is key in a modern management approach.
Change log:
.Version 1.0.0.4
- Added a new textbox to set the AD domain name. This will simplify the printer mapping while using Azure AD-joined devices.
.Version 1.0.0.3
- Added Konica Minolta support and logo
.Version 1.0.0.2
- Fixed a case sensitive issue which would throw $driverPath error
- Added Lexmark and Ricoh logos
Rock my Printers: Why
Rock my Printers will save you a lot of time when it comes to moving away from those pesky GPO’s to a more modern approach. Use Intune to install both drivers and printers, remember that we can still use a print server for the queues.
High level view of what is going to happen:
- Export related printer drivers from the server.
- Create an installation package per printer, to be installed from Intune.
- Automatically upload the installation package to Intune (Win32 app).
- Logo, install/uninstallation commands, detection rule will be handled by the tool, so no need to spend time on repetitive activities.
- We will now be able to install the driver and map the printer in one go.
Prerequisites
We will use @NickolajA PowerShell module called: “IntuneWin32Apps” to upload the package to Intune. Check it out over at Github: GitHub – MSEndpointMgr/IntuneWin32App: Provides a set of functions to manage all aspects of Win32 apps in Microsoft Endpoint Manager (Intune).
- Open: PowerShell as an administrator
- Run:
Install-Module -Name IntuneWin32App -Confirm:$false -Force:$true
- Make sure you are able to manually run PowerShell commands against the printer server if you want to run the tool on a remote device. Example:
Get-Printer -ComputerName %PrinterServer% - You may need to change your PowerShell execution policy to allow the tool to run.
Read more: about Execution Policies – PowerShell | Microsoft Learn - Each device must have line of sight to AD during printer installation.
- If using Azure AD-joined devices and passwordless: Make sure you have hybrid cloud trust set up.
Rock my Printers: Contents
Rock my Printers use PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit (PSADT) for printer installation. We will configure a template which the tool will use to create each unique printer installation package.
After you have downloaded the tool you will find:
- RockMyPrinters.exe (this is the executable to run the tool)
- Tools (this folder contains exported drivers, logos logfile etc…)
The installation package will install the printer drivers in system context and run the printer mapping in user context. PSADT has this cool function called Execute-ProcessAsUser, that will create a temporary scheduled task which in-turn will be run as the currently logged on user.
⭐This is just one of the excellent stuff we get access to by using PSADT.
Rock my Printers: Preparation
- We will start off by downloading the tool from: NicklasAhlberg/RockMyPrinters (github.com)
- Extract the zip file and you will find a Tools folder and RockMyPrinters.exe
- Navigate to: Tools -> _Template
- Open: %Deploy-Application.ps1% with your favorite editor, I am using VSCode.
- Scroll down to line 25 and add your Organizational name as the $appVendor variable. In this demo I will use RockEnrollTech. The appVendor variable will be used for detection after the installation package has run.
- Optional: Scroll down to line: 108 to check the Execute-ProcessAsUser function in action.
Rock my Printers: Supported manufacturers
All manufacturers are supported by the tool. Below logos have been uploaded and will be used as logo by the Intune Win32 app. All other manufacturers will have a generic logo (see below).
❓Want to add more manufacturers to the list? Tweet at me and I will make it happen!
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Rock my Printers: Run the tool
Now that we have made sure that all prerequisites are fulfilled and taken the preparational steps, it is time to run the tool 🤩
- Run: RockMyPrinters.exe either directly on the print server or from a remote device.
It is recommended to run it from a remote device, such as Windows 11, as we usually do not want to add “unnecessary” PowerShell modules to our servers. - Click: Settings -> Add tenant ID or domain
- Enter either your tenant id or domain name such as YourDomainName.com
- Save and close the .txt file
- Click: Settings -> Connect to tenant
- Login with an account with sufficient Intune privileges
Note: The sign in prompt will only show if you are not already signed in/have a token. - Add your printer hostname to the textbox
- Click: Settings
- Click: Get printers
- Select printers based on your need and
- Click the Rock My Printers logo to have them exported to Intune.
Note: This will not impact the server itself.
This will take some time depending on a lot of parameters such as file copy speed between client and server, amount of selected printers and internet speed to upload the content to Intune. Count with about 2-3 minutes per printer, this is still much fast than doing it manually, right? - ❗Time-out after 15 minutes. Please note that the token will live for 15 minutes and you will need to re-authenticate. As demonstrated below, drivers will be exported and packages created but not uploaded to Intune, if we do not have a valid token.
💡Choose not to connect to the tenant when you do not want to upload the content to Intune. The .intunewin file is found in the Intune folder within each package.
Rock my Printers: Install from Intune (company portal)
✅Now that we have uploaded our printers to Intune all we need to do is create assignments.
I usually add the printers as available and let the users decide which printers to install. It is fully supported to create required assignments as well, this is totally up to each organization to decide upon.
User experience using available assignments.
Rock my Printers: Detection
We are using the registry to detect the printer installation.
💡Update the _template version variable (found at line 27) to create new package versions.
Rock my Printers: Theme
🤩I have heard your feedback on my sticky colors and have added the possibility to change theme, should you want to.
17 thoughts on “Rock my Printers”
This is awesome! We currently have two print servers that service two separate geographical locations. We typically don’t install both sites printers everywhere but rather if you work in Site A, you get Site A print server. For this scenario would you recommend two separate apps with different app names or should I just change the print server and get printers from both sites and package all together?
✅Hi, I have found the issue and the v1.0.0.1 release has been updated with the fix.
The issue was related to how different PowerShell versions read the $driverPath variable.
I am running PS7 which is not case sensitive but older versions are.
I also thought of something else, when you have multiple printers deployed that all use the same driver (eg HP Universal), does the app download the same package for each one? Or can it evaluate the driver used first and if it exists, just copy the driver?
✅Hi, I have found the issue and the v1.0.0.1 release has been updated with the fix.
The issue was related to how different PowerShell versions read the $driverPath variable.
I am running PS7 which is not case sensitive but older versions are.
So sorry, I just saw the animated gif showing duplicate drivers are already handled. But I did encounter an issue – no drivers were downloaded from the print servers when I ran this. The logs show it trying to download drivers from my own laptop, not the print server. It looks like $driverPath wasn’t properly set but all printers were discovered and packages created, but unfortunately no drivers. Any thoughts?
✅Hi, I have found the issue and the v1.0.0.1 release has been updated with the fix.
The issue was related to how different PowerShell versions read the $driverPath variable.
I am running PS7 which is not case sensitive but older versions are.
Hi.
Thank you for a great tool.
I have a issue when i try to deploy the printers to Intune with your tool.
When i start deployment, it’s says uploading to intune.
but nothing is happening in intune.
Am i doing anything wrong or is this an error?
Hi,
Thanks for reaching out!
I have updated the tool to a new version as I found a case sensitive issue that could throw the error you are experiencing.
You will find the new version (v1.0.0.2) over at github, directlink: https://github.com/NicklasAhlberg/RockMyPrinters/releases/tag/v1.0.0.2
Hi Nicklas!
Dont know if I am dooing something wrong but I am not able to extort the printer drivers from the printserver.
All I get is this error
Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Path’ because it is an empty string.
Is the RockMyPrinters,exe built from powershell , if so is it possible to get the sourcecode?
Hi Niklas,
Thanks for reaching out!
did you declare the $appVendor variable in the template?
Snipped from the post:
“Scroll down to line 25 and add your Organizational name as the $appVendor variable. In this demo I will use RockEnrollTech. The appVendor variable will be used for detection after the installation package has run.”
The upload towards Intune does not work for me:
PS>TerminatingError(Add-IntuneWin32App): “Cannot validate argument on parameter ‘Publisher’. The argument is null or empty. Provide an argument that is not null or empty, and then try the command again.”
Add-IntuneWin32App : Cannot validate argument on parameter ‘Publisher’. The argument is null or empty. Provide an argume
nt that is not null or empty, and then try the command again.
At line:17259 char:38
+ … $Win32App = Add-IntuneWin32App @addIntuneWin32AppParameters -Icon $ …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Add-IntuneWin32App], ParameterBindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Add-IntuneWin32App
Add-IntuneWin32App : Cannot validate argument on parameter ‘Publisher’. The arg
ument is null or empty. Provide an argument that is not null or empty, and then
try the command again.
At line:17259 char:38
+ … $Win32App = Add-IntuneWin32App @addIntuneWin32AppParameters -Icon $ …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (:) [Add-IntuneWin32App], Parameter
BindingValidationException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationError,Add-IntuneWin32
App
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Windows PowerShell transcript end
End time: 20230323115045
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Hi Mitch, it seems you have not declared the $appVendor variable in the template.
Snipped from the post:
“Scroll down to line 25 and add your Organizational name as the $appVendor variable. In this demo I will use RockEnrollTech. The appVendor variable will be used for detection after the installation package has run.”
Yup that was it! Thnx
I have the packages uploaded to Intune and the deployment works. But after deployment I cannot see the print queue on my test machine. Any idea?
Hi Mitch, thanks for reaching out.
As for now your device must have line of sight to the print server during the time the printer is mapped.
Also, if you are using passwordless (Window Hello for Business) you must make sure the device is able to authorize during printer mapping.
//Nicklas
Hi Nicklas,
Nice looking tool!
Maybe I am doing something wrong but when the Intune app is installed the printer won’t show up in Devices & Printers or Printmgmt. The driver is installed and the registry keys are made. Intune status says Installed. Tried installing on system with and without local admin rights. Also the repair file won’t fix the issue.
Hi Niels, thanks for reaching out!
As for now your device must have line of sight to the print server during the time the printer is mapped.
Also, if you are using passwordless (Window Hello for Business) you must make sure the device is able to authorize during printer mapping.
I have updated the blog post to clarify this.
//Nicklas