Question : Windows 7 does not see all directory-listed printers when searching using Add a Printer

Hi

We just set up a new Windows Server 2008 R2 print server in our office with printers listed in AD. We have an Active Directory domain w/Windows Server 2003 domain controllers. We have 2 other Windows Server 2003 print servers whose printers are also listed in AD. We have XP and Windows 7 clients. Our server was finished last week, all printers are shared on the network and listed in the directory, they show up in AD just fine when searching printers so I know they got listed correctly.

Here's my problem: When our users of Windows 7 go to Devices and Printers, and click Add a Printer at the top, then choose Add a Network, Wireless, or Bluetooth printer, Windows 7 says "searching for available printers" and shows a list. However, only the printers shared on the 2003 print servers show up in the list, the ones shared from 2008 do not. However, if I go to "the printer that I want isn't listed" at the bottom and search the entire directory, they show up fine. It's very strange.

This problem is specific to all Windows 7 clients and also to other 2008 servers in our domain. I'm trying to figure out what dictates that initial search list and I'm trying to find out why my 2008 server printers are not showing up in this list. Windows XP seems to default to searching the entire directory for printers, so our XP users do not have a problem finding directory listed printers.

Any suggestions would be great, this is driving me insane. Thanks!

Answer : Windows 7 does not see all directory-listed printers when searching using Add a Printer

First, the easy question: the GPO Editor gets opened when you edit a GPO because...that's the tool that is used to edit GPOs.  :)

Now the rest.  You can see which policy takes precedence in the Group Policy Management Console.  In this case, both policies should be applied at the domain level (since that's the only place you can specify a password policy in 2003), so click on the domain name in the left pane of the console.  Then click on the Group Policy Inheritance tab in the right pane.  Policies higher in the list take precedence over those lower in the list.  (There are exceptions to this rule, such as when a policy is given the Enforced/No Override setting, but that's not likely true in your case.)