Printer browsing

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Printers

Description

Announces the presence of shared printers to print browse master servers for the domain.

On Windows 2000 domains with Active Directory, shared printer resources are available in Active Directory and are not announced.

If you enable this policy, the print spooler announces shared printers to the print browse master servers. As a result, shared printers appear in the domain list in the Browse for Printer dialog box of the Add Printer wizard.

If you disable this policy, shared printers are not announced to print browse master servers, even if Active Directory is not available.

If you do not configure this policy, shared printers are announced to browse master servers only when Active Directory is not available.

Important

A client license is used each time a client computer announces a printer to a print browse master on the domain.

Note

Changes to this policy are not evident until the system receives an updated printer list from the browse master server. Extended delays are common. (The Explain tab in Group Policy fails to mention this delay.)