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Adding a Printer with Windows XP's Active Directory Search Tool

  1. Problem

    How can I use Active Directory Search to add a Network Printer to Windows XP?

  2. Solution

    1. To reach the Active Directory Search in Windows XP, click the START Menu -> Search (magnifying glass icon).

    2. A window labeled "Search Results" should pop up with an animated "Search Companion". In the list of choices under "What do you want to search for?" Click the "Printers, computers, or people" option.

    3. The search option list should change its heading to "What are you looking for?" Click "A printer on the network".

    4. The Find Printers window should then pop up. At the top of the Find Printers window, there is a drop down box labeled "In". Make sure this box is set to the directory labeled "pa".

    5. Now you can begin to search for a printer. If you know the specific name of the printer you are looking for, you can type its name into the "Name" field and click the "Find Now" button. Otherwise, if you know the floor or room number, fill in the "Location" field and click the "Find Now" button. For example, I want to find a printer on the fourth floor, second hallway of the BPS building. I can enter "42" into the "Location" field. This will list all of the printers with locations that include the number "42" in the "pa" directory.

    6. The list of printers appears below the "Name," "Location," and "Model" fields. Use the horizontal scroll bar and find the "Comment" Column; this will give you a brief description of the printer. Public printers are labeled "Public" and open for use by anyone. Group printers (CMP, HEP, CSM, and AST) are for use by members of those groups alone. "Private" printers are to be used by faculty and staff only.

    7. To install a printer, Select a printer from the list and double click it. Windows will install this printer automatically, making it available for use the next time you try to print.

  3. Other Useful Information

    Installing Network Printers in Windows 9x
    Installing Network Printers in Windows NT
    Installing Network Printers in Windows 2000/XP
    Installing the PDF-NSF queue in Windows XP


Questions not covered in this FAQ? Make sure to send them in!

Last Updated: 2008.06.12 (Thursday) Eastern Daylight Time by GJP

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