Hoping this is in the correct area of the forum...

Ok basically just looking for the best route to switch users (About 300-400)
who are using printers on a current print server (Windows Server 2003 box),
we'll call print-serv1. So all the printers they use are currently on that
server and they are printing through that server as well.

We have made a new server, we'll call print-serv2, and have installed and
tested all the printers that the users are currently using on the network
through print-serv1, still keeping the share names and drivers the exact same
(FYI: This is also a Windows Server 2003 box).

What is the quickest, easiest and least painful way to switch everyone over
to print-serv2 and set up with the same printers they are using now, except
for changing the server the printer goes through to print-serv2 instead of
the current print-serv1 they are using? (Ideally without going to 300-400
users desk, some out of state too).

Like I said, same printers, everything will be the same on their end, just
need to switch so the printers are now going through print-serv2 instead of
print-serv1.

I have checked Microsoft and Google and am now resorting to message boards
hoping for from someone who has knowledge in this area (Maybe even
someone who has performed the same task) or would be able to me figure
out a good way to do this.

Any at all is very much appreciated, so thank you all in advance!

I will be checking this regularly, as we would like to do this switch
immediately since everything else is in line for it to be completed and this
is a rather large company, (well we'll say small-medium business haha). I
wish you all a great day and once again, thanks in advance!

Mike.

DJone wrote:
> Hoping this is in the correct area of the forum...
>
> Ok basically just looking for the best route to switch users (About
> 300-400) who are using printers on a current print server (Windows
> Server 2003 box), we'll call print-serv1. So all the printers they
> use are currently on that server and they are printing through that
> server as well.
>
> We have made a new server, we'll call print-serv2, and have
> installed and tested all the printers that the users are currently
> using on the network through print-serv1, still keeping the share
> names and drivers the exact same (FYI: This is also a Windows
> Server 2003 box).
>
> What is the quickest, easiest and least painful way to switch
> everyone over to print-serv2 and set up with the same printers they
> are using now, except for changing the server the printer goes
> through to print-serv2 instead of the current print-serv1 they are
> using? (Ideally without going to 300-400 users desk, some out of
> state too).
>
> Like I said, same printers, everything will be the same on their
> end, just need to switch so the printers are now going through
> print-serv2 instead of print-serv1.
>
> I have checked Microsoft and Google and am now resorting to message
> boards hoping for from someone who has knowledge in this area
> (Maybe even someone who has performed the same task) or would be
> able to me figure out a good way to do this.
>
> Any at all is very much appreciated, so thank you all in
> advance!
>
> I will be checking this regularly, as we would like to do this
> switch immediately since everything else is in line for it to be
> completed and this is a rather large company, (well we'll say
> small-medium business haha). I wish you all a great day and once
> again, thanks in advance!

You did more than 'hope'... You multi-posted it all over.

If you feel you need to post your topic in multiple newsgroups
- cross-post. It will save you and those who might assist you time
and effort.

- http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/usenet/xpost.html
- http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm#xpost
- http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossposting

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

The easiest way to accomplish this is an after hours operation. Release the
IP from print-serv1, rename print-serv1 to print-serv1OLD, delete the DNS
entry for print-serv1, then rename print-serv2 to print-serv1. After the
reboot you will notice that all the clients get reconnected to the new
server.

If you publish printers to the AD you will want to unpublish the printers
from print-serv1 before renaming it.

Use setprinter from the Windows resource kit but post back if it's needed
and I send the syntax.



--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"Shenan Stanley" <newser@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23ky6n6m6HHA.4312@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> DJone wrote:
>> Hoping this is in the correct area of the forum...
>>
>> Ok basically just looking for the best route to switch users (About
>> 300-400) who are using printers on a current print server (Windows
>> Server 2003 box), we'll call print-serv1. So all the printers they
>> use are currently on that server and they are printing through that
>> server as well.
>>
>> We have made a new server, we'll call print-serv2, and have
>> installed and tested all the printers that the users are currently
>> using on the network through print-serv1, still keeping the share
>> names and drivers the exact same (FYI: This is also a Windows
>> Server 2003 box).
>>
>> What is the quickest, easiest and least painful way to switch
>> everyone over to print-serv2 and set up with the same printers they
>> are using now, except for changing the server the printer goes
>> through to print-serv2 instead of the current print-serv1 they are
>> using? (Ideally without going to 300-400 users desk, some out of
>> state too).
>>
>> Like I said, same printers, everything will be the same on their
>> end, just need to switch so the printers are now going through
>> print-serv2 instead of print-serv1.
>>
>> I have checked Microsoft and Google and am now resorting to message
>> boards hoping for from someone who has knowledge in this area
>> (Maybe even someone who has performed the same task) or would be
>> able to me figure out a good way to do this.
>>
>> Any at all is very much appreciated, so thank you all in
>> advance!
>>
>> I will be checking this regularly, as we would like to do this
>> switch immediately since everything else is in line for it to be
>> completed and this is a rather large company, (well we'll say
>> small-medium business haha). I wish you all a great day and once
>> again, thanks in advance!
>
> You did more than 'hope'... You multi-posted it all over.
>
> If you feel you need to post your topic in multiple newsgroups
> - cross-post. It will save you and those who might assist you time
> and effort.
>
> - http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/usenet/xpost.html
> - http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm#xpost
> - http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossposting
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>