How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

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John Gray
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How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by John Gray »

We have installed a new large networked scanner/photocopier/printer, 'defined' on a Windows 7 'file and print server'.

It is necessary to Add this networked printer on each account on each Windows 7 PC on the Workgroup in Devices and Printers, and the printer driver data is downloaded from the print server on the first Add.

However, the usual icon to appear in Devices and Printers is a (default?) small HP-DeskJet-looking one, rather than the expected tall multi-drawered icon which occasionally happens and is on the print server.

Is there any way to force the correct icon to appear in Devices and Printers for all accounts?
John Gray

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Rudi
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by Rudi »

No idea if this will help, but came across this tutorial...
Regards,
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John Gray
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by John Gray »

Thanks - but I don't think I'm going to live long enough to do that!
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by Rebel »

John Gray wrote:Thanks - but I don't think I'm going to live long enough to do that!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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Rudi
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by Rudi »

Without all the screenshots, it's only 9 lines long. :grin:
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by HansV »

Cats have nine lines, but perhaps John doesn't...
Best wishes,
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kdock
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by kdock »

Give John a break, guys. Step one was to "Create a multi-resolutioned icon, containing the appropriate sizes, using the tutorial mentioned in the Note pane above."

That tutorial was 10 steps long, requiring two programs, and a 256x256 icon (in John's case, of the printer he wants displayed), and ultimately resulting in a "13-layer icon."

I wouldn't go for it either, John. :nope:

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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by Rudi »

Come to think of it; those steps can be ignored if John already has am icon. So then its just 4.2345785 steps.
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DaveA
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by DaveA »

I would say that the wrong driver is being used, have you tried updating the driver on another machine?
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
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John Gray
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by John Gray »

The printer driver (32-bit) is installed on the Windows 7 Pro file server, and the printer is shared.
In each account on each Windows 7 Pro PC I do Add printer, and the printer driver data is copied across for the first account, and then found on the PC itself for the second and subsequent accounts.
Indubitably it is the correct printer driver!
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by kdock »

Rudi wrote:So then its just 4.2345785 steps.
Yes, but still 100% PITA. :laugh:

Kim
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by DaveA »

And all of the machines are of the 32 bit style?
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
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John Gray
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by John Gray »

Indeed they are! I would have had to install the 64-bit driver on the print server in addition if this was not the case...
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by John Gray »

The problem is down to Windows 7 Pro usually failing to pick up the 13-icon icon file from the snappily-named folder
C:\Users\<username>\Appdata\Local\Microsoft\Device Metadata\dmrcache\en-us\<long hex string>\DeviceInformation

This <long hex string> folder (of which there are several - you have to find the correct one, whose name is the same everywhere for that specific printer) seems to be present for each user account on each PC which has had the Add printer operation performed.

All* I need to do now is to find out how to associate the required printer icon file with the printer in Devices and Printers...

*All! :hairout: :flee:
John Gray

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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by forhp »

what is your devices model? do you want download printer driver from [link disabled] ? :cheers:
Last edited by Leif on 23 Jan 2018, 14:53, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: To remove/disable link to third-party website

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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by Leif »

forhp wrote:what is your devices model? do you want download printer driver from [link disabled] ? :cheers:
What is wrong with obtaining drivers from the original manufacturer's website? - please do not post unverified links to third-party providers.
Leif

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John Gray
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Re: How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by John Gray »

Thanks, Leif.

The driver is the correct one, obtained from the manufacturer's website, being the much more recent version of that which came on the CD(s) accompanying the new printer.

You certainly wouldn't want to get the driver for a complex scanner/photocopier/printer device from anywhere other than the manufacturer's website!
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[solved] How to get correct printer icon to be displayed?

Post by John Gray »

I have just, and at last, come across the answer to being able to display in "Devices and Printers" the correct 'enhanced' icon which more closely approximates the true shape of a printer! :joy:

There are three methods, one involving a Group Policy change, which I usually avoid unless there is no other option.

The simplest is to notice the line near the top of "Devices and Printers", which says:
"Windows can display enhanced device icons and information from the internet.
Click to change."

and then click on the top menu entry.
I had never noticed this line before!
This operation has to be done on each PC, of course.

The second is to make the following registry change:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Device Metadata
setting the valuename: PreventDeviceMetadataFromNetworkValue REG_DWRD 0

Since this is an HKLM key rather than an HKCR one the change will apply to all user accounts on that PC, and appears to work if you now close and open "Devices and Printers". The "enhanced icon" appears to be downloaded each time from "the internet", so takes a second or two to replace the generic icon. All other devices in "Devices and Printers" get their own 'enhanced icon', also.
This REG ADD operation can, of course, be scripted via a BATch file.
John Gray

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