Windows 7: cannot install network printers without administrator access

hi forum peeps,

quick question, we are piloting our windows 7 build at our company and we are trying to remove users having local administrator access to their machines.

however we have hit a snag, we cant install printers via the network as a normal user, we need to be logged in as an administrator.

any ideas?!

When it pops up with the UAC prompt, is there a password option? The whole point of UAC is User Account Control.

I will try to replicate this though, and see what I come up with.

~Lordbob

This link may be of some help:

how to allow all user install printer

I was not able to replicate the problem. Perhaps you have UAC turned up a level higher?

~Lordbob

hello thanks for your reply

we have on the image UAC set to never notify,

are you sure your logged on as a standard user?

I don't think there's any way around it. When you lock down the system, unfortunately it prevents a standard user from installing any printer.

Odd. I used standard settings (I created a standard user and tried to add a printer).

~Lordbob

Your trying to install a network printer shared from a print server? does it prompt for credentials when it tries to install the driver?

How exactly are you trying to install the printer?

My usual method is to go to \\printserver\ and double click on the printer. If you do not have the proper access windows will prompt for admin creditials when it tries to install the driver.

If this is the way you are doing your printer installs I dont believe there is a way around it, there may be a gpo you can push out for local computer policies. If your using win2k8 server, you may be able to push printers out using the new GPO's in win2k8.

thats exactly how I am trying to do it stpbby, and that is exactly what happens,

if i turn on 'notify' for UAC, it does prompt me to enter an account that has appropriate permissions to install the printer, and then if i enter my domain admin credentials of course it works,

however, we want to turn uac off 'set to not notify' and have a standard user be able to install the printer. but... when you have UAC set to 'not notify' you receive an access is denied error. and the install fails.

Try it this way then:

Open devices and printers
Add Printer
Networked Printer
Let it scan, or choose not listed (then type in the location, ie \\server\printer)
Let it install drivers

Does that work?

~Lordbob