Anyone who is an administrator knows that users often do more damage to a computer system than the actual error that prompted them to try to fix the problem themselves. Nowhere is this more frustrating for an administrator than in a networked environment where many users share certain resources such as printers.
The most prevalent peripheral in a networked environment is a printer. In fact, work in many home and small office settings can come to a screeching halt when the shared printer isn’t working. This is why it is best that only an administrator have access to troubleshooting and fixing printers connected to a network.
Why Limit Printer Driver Installation?
Printers can be finicky devices, working one minute and then refusing to work the next. Many users become impatient when a printer isn’t working and make wild assumptions about what is wrong with the printer and how to fix it.
One of the most common fixes amateurs attempt when troubleshooting a printer is to uninstall and reinstall the printer driver. They view this fix as a catchall akin to reinstalling a copy of Windows on a computer when the software starts to function unexpectedly.
By restricting the ability to install printer drivers to only administrators, you can save yourself the trouble of both having to fix the original error and undoing the damage some Mr./Ms. Fixit did when he/she tried to fix the networked printer error him/herself. The fact that Microsoft offers the option to restrict printer driver installations is testament to just how large a problem this is in many small and medium sized networked environments.
How to Prevent Printer Driver Installations
To restrict printer driver installations to administrators only, begin by logging into Windows 7 with an account that has administrative privileges. Click on Start>All Programs>Administrative Tools>Local Security Policy.
In the left hand pane, locate and click on the folder titled Local Security Policies. Then click on the folder titled Security Options.
The right hand pane lists all of the local security options you have available to you as an administrator of your Windows 7 computer. Locate a security option titled Devices: Prevent Users From Installing Printer Drivers.
Right click on this option and choose Properties from the menu. Click on the Local Security Setting tab and notice the current option that is active. By default, servers running Windows 7 set this option to Enabled while workstations running Windows 7 set this option to Disabled.
Click on the Enabled option and then click the OK button. Close the Local Security Policy window and you are almost done. Restart your computer and the new policy will take effect.
If you’ve ever been a Windows 7 administrator in a networked environment you know that users sometimes take it upon themselves to fix errors. When people want to print but can’t for some reason they get frustrated and want the quickest solution possible prompting them to attempt to fix the problem themselves.
By limiting printer driver installation to administrators only, you can help save the trouble of having to fix printer errors and undo the damage a well-intentioned user did while trying to do your job. This policy change is also good on home networks where kids may attempt the same fixes tried by those well-intentioned office workers.