Deploying Printers to All Users after Sysprep in Windows 7

In Windows XP it was possible to add a printer to all users who log into the machine by adding a printer to one account and then copying the profile for that account to the Default User profile.  Windows 7 removed the ability to copy profiles on the fly.  You can only copy an administrator account to the Default account during the Sysprep procedure and if you need to add a printer after the fact this is impossible.

To add a printer to all users after ‘Sysprepping’ a machine, do the following:

1. Login as the local Administrator.  Click Start>Run and type “gpedit.msc”

2. On the right hand navigation pane, go to Local Computer Policy>Computer Configuration>Windows Settings>Right-Click Deployed Printers>Select Deploy Printer

3. Type in the UNC path to the printer.  The name of the printer can be found if you go to Run, “\\printserver” and look through the printers.  Whatever is displayed in the “Name” column is the UNC Printer name.

4. Click the “Add>>” button to add it to the deployment.  Add any additional printers to the computer by repeating steps 3 and 4.  Once finished, press OK.

5. The selected printers will show up in the Deployed Printers pane.  These printers will be in the Devices and Printers folder for everyone who logs into this machine now.  Exit Group Policy.