Install network printers that are not already installed

Very handy VBScript which I found at WinVistaTips.com thanks to user "markm75". It lets you set up a list of network printers that a PC needs to have installed on it, checks to see which (if any) are not currently installed, and installs only the missing printers.

I've previously used .bat scripts to install network printers, but the problem with those is that the way we had to connect to them (using a command like the following: explorer \\printserver\printername$), once installed the print queue window would always be opened for every printer that was connected to. So if we had 3 printers that had to go on each PC and that script would run on each login, those 3 printers would run through the install process & the 3 print queue windows will open up on each login as well. Even if the printers were already installed.

This script handily works around both issues: printers that are already installed are just skipped from further processing, and if missing, the installation is silent without any dialogs or windows popping up (unless if UAC is required to install a driver or some such).

So here it is for posterity (in case those forums are ever shut down – and to improve it’s discoverability – it’s quite useful). Hopefully it will help others. I've adjusted the script a little from the original here, but it's identical where it counts.

Option Explicit

On Error Resume next

Dim Printers(3), WshNetwork, objWMIService, colPrinters, bFound, InstalledPrinter, Printer

'array of network printers we need to have installed

Printers(0) = "\\printserver\HP2600"    

Printers(1) = "\\printserver\HP4200"

Printers(2) = "\\printserver\Lexmark360"

Set WshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network") 

Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2")

' "." = local PC, else put in PC name instead of the dot

Set colPrinters = objWMIService.ExecQuery _

                ("Select * From Win32_Printer Where Local = False")     

                'Populate Printers Collection on the PC specified above

If colPrinters.Count <> 0 Then

    'loop through array of Printers we need to have installed

    For each Printer In Printers  

        bFound = False

        'loop through printers currently installed on target machine, 

        'compare each to the printer we need installed:

        For Each InstalledPrinter In colPrinters

            '.ShareName is the share ' servername for server 

            If Ucase(InstalledPrinter.ServerName & "\" & InstalledPrinter.ShareName) = _

               Ucase(Printer) Then

                   bFound = True 'if Printer is already installed/found, skip to next printer

                   Exit For

            End If

        Next 

        If bFound = False Then    'if Printer is not installed, install it

            If Printer <> "" Then '(if Printer is named/not null string)

                WshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection Printer

            End If

        End If        

    Next

End If

Set WshNetwork = Nothing

Set objWMIService = Nothing

Set colPrinters = Nothing