Hello!

I’m currently trying to process data in Excel, and looking at how I might optimise my distribution of resources.

Effectively, I have a number of students who have provided up to 3 preferences for a staff member to talk to for guidance, and I’m looking if there’s a way to optimise my spread for the most equal distribution of students per staff member. 

Some staff members have been requested more than others, which is unavoidably going to lead to them having larger loads, but trying to distribute as evenly as possible. Is there a solution I’m not thinking of right now? I have the ability to process this data in either 365 or the desktop app. 

​Hello!I’m currently trying to process data in Excel, and looking at how I might optimise my distribution of resources.Effectively, I have a number of students who have provided up to 3 preferences for a staff member to talk to for guidance, and I’m looking if there’s a way to optimise my spread for the most equal distribution of students per staff member.  Some staff members have been requested more than others, which is unavoidably going to lead to them having larger loads, but trying to distribute as evenly as possible. Is there a solution I’m not thinking of right now? I have the ability to process this data in either 365 or the desktop app.   Read More

​

I am having some issues with using the COUNTIFS function.  My spreadsheet has all the readers enrolled in my reading challenges for June, sorted by age.  I need to be able to quickly calculate how many readers in each of my age groups logged reading during the month, but the Ages are messing me up.  I used the following functions to successfully determine:

How many Avid readers aged 0-11 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,AVID!I2:$I$500,”>0″)

How many Avid readers aged 12-18 logged reading: 

=COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,AVID!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)

How many Casual readers aged 0 – 11 logged reading: 

=COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)

How many Casual readers aged 12-18 logged reading: 

=COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)

note: I have not imported RTM reader data yet . . .

What is messing me up are the ages of my Adult readers.  We collect readers ages up to age 20, but all other adult readers are listed as “21+”.  How do I amend the COUNTIFS formula to scrape “19,” “20,” and “21+” from my Age column?  A link to my sample is below.

Sample Reader Participation Report.xlsx

​I am having some issues with using the COUNTIFS function.  My spreadsheet has all the readers enrolled in my reading challenges for June, sorted by age.  I need to be able to quickly calculate how many readers in each of my age groups logged reading during the month, but the Ages are messing me up.  I used the following functions to successfully determine: How many Avid readers aged 0-11 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,AVID!I2:$I$500,”>0″)How many Avid readers aged 12-18 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,AVID!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,AVID!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)How many Casual readers aged 0 – 11 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<12″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)How many Casual readers aged 12-18 logged reading: =COUNTIFS(CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”>11.5″,CASUAL!$A$2:$A$500,”<19″,CASUAL!$I$2:$I$500,”>0″)note: I have not imported RTM reader data yet . . . What is messing me up are the ages of my Adult readers.  We collect readers ages up to age 20, but all other adult readers are listed as “21+”.  How do I amend the COUNTIFS formula to scrape “19,” “20,” and “21+” from my Age column?  A link to my sample is below. Sample Reader Participation Report.xlsx  Read More

​

Hello all.

I’m rather new to PowerShell. I hope I’m not causing any grief here. I whipped together a proof of concept because I need to protect certain computers’ printing abilities as they are crucial to our business. I know I can use Print Migration to export and import the set of printers. I don’t know how to start Printer Migration giving it a destination of the UNC to the server, the current computer’s name. It does not seem to restore all the printers either.

I really would appreciate the ability to clone an existing printer to a new name and new IP address.

I wanted to see how far Perplexity.AI could take this. It made a start but then started forgetting requirements, re-writing whole scripts, and losing functionality already obtained.

My premise is that copying is backup, change, and restore. So I made Backup-SinglePrinter, Restore-SinglePrinter, and Copy-ExistingPrinter. A settings file is included. I expect that once backup-singleprinter and restore-singleprinter work, I could make a BackupPrinters and RestorePrinters to handle all existing printers.

One final thing is I would like to have the scripts locate each other by using the single settings file or by knowing the starting location of the first script.

Mike

Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1

<#
.SYNOPSIS
Copies an existing printer to a new printer with a different name and a new IP address.

.DESCRIPTION
This script copies an existing printer by backing it up, modifying the backup,
and then restoring it with a new name and a new IP address.

.PARAMETER ExistingPrinterName
The name of the existing printer to copy from.

.PARAMETER NewPrinterName
The name of the new printer to create.

.EXAMPLE
.Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1 -ExistingPrinterName “Printer1” -NewPrinterName “Printer2”
#>

param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$ExistingPrinterName,

[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName
)

# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
exit 1
}

# Verify that $BaseFolder is set in settings.ps1
if (-not $BaseFolder) {
Write-Error “BaseFolder is not set in settings.ps1”
exit 1
}

# Manually import required modules
$modulesToImport = @(
“Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1”,
“Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
)

foreach ($module in $modulesToImport) {
$modulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder $module
if (Test-Path $modulePath) {
Import-Module $modulePath -Force
Write-Host “Imported module: $module” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
Write-Error “Module $module not found at $modulePath”
exit 1
}
}

# Verify that the functions are available
$requiredFunctions = @(“Backup-SinglePrinter”, “Restore-SinglePrinter”, “Find-AvailableIPPort”, “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig”)
foreach ($func in $requiredFunctions) {
if (-not (Get-Command -Name $func -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Write-Error “Required function $func is not available.”
exit 1
} else {
Write-Host “Function $func is available.” -ForegroundColor Green
}
}

try {
# Create backup folder structure
$backupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups”
$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $backupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”

if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}

# Backup the existing printer
Write-Host “Backing up existing printer: $ExistingPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$backupFileName = “$ExistingPrinterName.xml”
$backupFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder $backupFileName
$backupResult = Backup-SinglePrinter -PrinterName $ExistingPrinterName -BackupFile $backupFile

if (-not $backupResult) {
throw “Failed to backup the existing printer.”
}

# Get the IP address of the existing printer
$existingPrinter = Get-Printer -Name $ExistingPrinterName
$existingPort = Get-PrinterPort -Name $existingPrinter.PortName
$BaseIP = $existingPort.PrinterHostAddress

if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($BaseIP)) {
Write-Error “Unable to retrieve IP address for existing printer $ExistingPrinterName”
exit 1
}

Write-Host “Existing printer IP address: $BaseIP” -ForegroundColor Cyan

# Find an available IP port for the new printer
Write-Host “Finding an available IP port for the new printer” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$NewIPAddress = Find-AvailableIPPort -BaseIP $BaseIP

if ($NewIPAddress) {
Write-Host “Available IP port found: $NewIPAddress” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
throw “No available IP address found.”
}

# Create a new port with the new IP address
$NewPortName = $NewIPAddress
Add-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -PrinterHostAddress $NewIPAddress

# Restore the modified backup as a new printer
Write-Host “Restoring modified backup as new printer: $NewPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$restoreResult = Restore-SinglePrinter -BackupFile $backupFile -NewPrinterName $NewPrinterName -NewPortName $NewPortName

if ($restoreResult) {
Write-Host “Printer ‘$ExistingPrinterName’ successfully copied to ‘$NewPrinterName’ with IP $NewIPAddress.” -ForegroundColor Green

# Create a backup summary
$summaryFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “BackupSummary.txt”
$summaryContent = @”
Backup performed on: $(Get-Date)
Original Printer: $ExistingPrinterName
New Printer: $NewPrinterName
New IP Address: $NewIPAddress
“@
Add-Content -Path $summaryFile -Value $summaryContent
} else {
throw “Failed to restore the new printer.”
}
}
catch {
Write-Error “An error occurred during the printer copying process: $_”
# Clean up the new printer if it was created
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Remove-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
# Clean up the new port if it was created
if ($NewPortName -and (Get-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Remove-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}

# Script Version: 3.9

Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1

function Backup-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$PrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile
)

# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
return $false
}

# Import printer properties
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}

$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $BackupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”

if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}

try {
$printer = Get-Printer -Name $PrinterName -Full
$printerConfig = Get-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $PrinterName
$printerProperties = Get-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $PrinterName

$backupObject = @{
Printer = $printer
Configuration = $printerConfig
Properties = $printerProperties
IsShared = $printer.Shared
ShareName = $printer.ShareName
}

$backupObject | Export-Clixml -Path $BackupFile -Depth 10

# Backup driver files
$driverName = $printer.DriverName
$driverInfo = Get-PrinterDriver -Name $driverName
$driverPath = $driverInfo.InfPath
if ($driverPath) {
Copy-Item -Path $driverPath -Destination $driversFolder -Force
}

Write-Host “Printer ‘$PrinterName’ backed up successfully to $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer backup process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Backup-SinglePrinter

Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1

function Restore-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[string]$NewPortName
)

try {
$backupObject = Import-Clixml -Path $BackupFile
$printer = $backupObject.Printer
$printerConfig = $backupObject.Configuration
$printerProperties = $backupObject.Properties

# Import printer properties module
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}

$printerExtendedConfig = Get-PrinterExtendedConfig

# If NewPortName is not provided, use the original port
if (-not $NewPortName) {
$NewPortName = $printer.PortName
}

# Create or update the printer
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
} else {
Add-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
}

# Restore printer settings
$validPrinterParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterProperties
$printerParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validPrinterParams) {
if ($null -ne $printer.$param) {
$printerParams[$param] = $printer.$param
}
}
if ($printerParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName @printerParams
}

# Restore configuration
$validConfigParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterConfiguration
$configParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validConfigParams) {
if ($null -ne $printerConfig.$param -and $printerConfig.$param -isnot [System.Management.Automation.PSMethod]) {
$configParams[$param] = $printerConfig.$param
}
}
if ($configParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $NewPrinterName @configParams
}

# Restore properties
foreach ($prop in $printerProperties) {
if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($prop.Name) -and $null -ne $prop.Value) {
try {
Set-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $NewPrinterName -PropertyName $prop.Name -Value $prop.Value -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
Write-Warning “Unable to set printer property $($prop.Name): $_”
}
}
}

# Restore sharing settings
if ($printer.Shared) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -Shared $true -ShareName $NewPrinterName
}

Write-Host “Printer ‘$NewPrinterName’ restored successfully from $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer restoration process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Restore-SinglePrinter

Settings.ps1

# settings.ps1
$BaseFolder = “\testserverdeveloperprinterBackup”
$BackupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups”

Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1 I hoped would be a single place to list all settings to capture. Maybe that is not needed.

function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig {
return @{
PrinterProperties = @(
‘Comment’,
‘Location’,
‘Shared’,
‘Published’
)
PrinterConfiguration = @(
‘Collate’,
‘Color’,
‘DuplexingMode’,
‘PaperSize’,
‘Orientation’
)
}
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig

Find-AvailablePort.psm1

# Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1

function Find-AvailableIPPort {
param (
[string]$BaseIP
)

$existingPorts = Get-PrinterPort | Where-Object { $_.Name -like “$BaseIP*” } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name

# If the base IP is not in use, return it
if ($BaseIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $BaseIP
}

# Check for available ports with suffixes
for ($i = 1; $i -lt 100; $i++) {
$newIP = “${BaseIP}_$i”
if ($newIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $newIP
}
}

# If no available port found, create a new one with the next available suffix
$maxSuffix = $existingPorts |
Where-Object { $_ -match “${BaseIP}_(d+)” } |
ForEach-Object { [int]($Matches[1]) } |
Measure-Object -Maximum |
Select-Object -ExpandProperty Maximum

return “${BaseIP}_$($maxSuffix + 1)”
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Find-AvailableIPPort

​Hello all. I’m rather new to PowerShell. I hope I’m not causing any grief here. I whipped together a proof of concept because I need to protect certain computers’ printing abilities as they are crucial to our business. I know I can use Print Migration to export and import the set of printers. I don’t know how to start Printer Migration giving it a destination of the UNC to the server, the current computer’s name. It does not seem to restore all the printers either. I really would appreciate the ability to clone an existing printer to a new name and new IP address. I wanted to see how far Perplexity.AI could take this. It made a start but then started forgetting requirements, re-writing whole scripts, and losing functionality already obtained. My premise is that copying is backup, change, and restore. So I made Backup-SinglePrinter, Restore-SinglePrinter, and Copy-ExistingPrinter. A settings file is included. I expect that once backup-singleprinter and restore-singleprinter work, I could make a BackupPrinters and RestorePrinters to handle all existing printers. One final thing is I would like to have the scripts locate each other by using the single settings file or by knowing the starting location of the first script. Mike Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1 <#
.SYNOPSIS
Copies an existing printer to a new printer with a different name and a new IP address.

.DESCRIPTION
This script copies an existing printer by backing it up, modifying the backup,
and then restoring it with a new name and a new IP address.

.PARAMETER ExistingPrinterName
The name of the existing printer to copy from.

.PARAMETER NewPrinterName
The name of the new printer to create.

.EXAMPLE
.Copy-ExistingPrinter.ps1 -ExistingPrinterName “Printer1” -NewPrinterName “Printer2”
#>

param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$ExistingPrinterName,

[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName
)

# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
exit 1
}

# Verify that $BaseFolder is set in settings.ps1
if (-not $BaseFolder) {
Write-Error “BaseFolder is not set in settings.ps1”
exit 1
}

# Manually import required modules
$modulesToImport = @(
“Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1”,
“Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1”,
“Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
)

foreach ($module in $modulesToImport) {
$modulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder $module
if (Test-Path $modulePath) {
Import-Module $modulePath -Force
Write-Host “Imported module: $module” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
Write-Error “Module $module not found at $modulePath”
exit 1
}
}

# Verify that the functions are available
$requiredFunctions = @(“Backup-SinglePrinter”, “Restore-SinglePrinter”, “Find-AvailableIPPort”, “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig”)
foreach ($func in $requiredFunctions) {
if (-not (Get-Command -Name $func -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Write-Error “Required function $func is not available.”
exit 1
} else {
Write-Host “Function $func is available.” -ForegroundColor Green
}
}

try {
# Create backup folder structure
$backupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups”
$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $backupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”

if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}

# Backup the existing printer
Write-Host “Backing up existing printer: $ExistingPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$backupFileName = “$ExistingPrinterName.xml”
$backupFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder $backupFileName
$backupResult = Backup-SinglePrinter -PrinterName $ExistingPrinterName -BackupFile $backupFile

if (-not $backupResult) {
throw “Failed to backup the existing printer.”
}

# Get the IP address of the existing printer
$existingPrinter = Get-Printer -Name $ExistingPrinterName
$existingPort = Get-PrinterPort -Name $existingPrinter.PortName
$BaseIP = $existingPort.PrinterHostAddress

if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($BaseIP)) {
Write-Error “Unable to retrieve IP address for existing printer $ExistingPrinterName”
exit 1
}

Write-Host “Existing printer IP address: $BaseIP” -ForegroundColor Cyan

# Find an available IP port for the new printer
Write-Host “Finding an available IP port for the new printer” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$NewIPAddress = Find-AvailableIPPort -BaseIP $BaseIP

if ($NewIPAddress) {
Write-Host “Available IP port found: $NewIPAddress” -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
throw “No available IP address found.”
}

# Create a new port with the new IP address
$NewPortName = $NewIPAddress
Add-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -PrinterHostAddress $NewIPAddress

# Restore the modified backup as a new printer
Write-Host “Restoring modified backup as new printer: $NewPrinterName” -ForegroundColor Cyan
$restoreResult = Restore-SinglePrinter -BackupFile $backupFile -NewPrinterName $NewPrinterName -NewPortName $NewPortName

if ($restoreResult) {
Write-Host “Printer ‘$ExistingPrinterName’ successfully copied to ‘$NewPrinterName’ with IP $NewIPAddress.” -ForegroundColor Green

# Create a backup summary
$summaryFile = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “BackupSummary.txt”
$summaryContent = @”
Backup performed on: $(Get-Date)
Original Printer: $ExistingPrinterName
New Printer: $NewPrinterName
New IP Address: $NewIPAddress
“@
Add-Content -Path $summaryFile -Value $summaryContent
} else {
throw “Failed to restore the new printer.”
}
}
catch {
Write-Error “An error occurred during the printer copying process: $_”
# Clean up the new printer if it was created
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Remove-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
# Clean up the new port if it was created
if ($NewPortName -and (Get-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
Remove-PrinterPort -Name $NewPortName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}

# Script Version: 3.9  Backup-SinglePrinter.psm1 function Backup-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$PrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile
)

# Import settings
$settingsPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “settings.ps1”
if (Test-Path $settingsPath) {
. $settingsPath
} else {
Write-Error “Settings file not found at $settingsPath”
return $false
}

# Import printer properties
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}

$computerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
$computerBackupFolder = Join-Path $BackupsFolder $computerName
$driversFolder = Join-Path $computerBackupFolder “Drivers”

if (-not (Test-Path $computerBackupFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $computerBackupFolder -Force | Out-Null
}
if (-not (Test-Path $driversFolder)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $driversFolder -Force | Out-Null
}

try {
$printer = Get-Printer -Name $PrinterName -Full
$printerConfig = Get-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $PrinterName
$printerProperties = Get-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $PrinterName

$backupObject = @{
Printer = $printer
Configuration = $printerConfig
Properties = $printerProperties
IsShared = $printer.Shared
ShareName = $printer.ShareName
}

$backupObject | Export-Clixml -Path $BackupFile -Depth 10

# Backup driver files
$driverName = $printer.DriverName
$driverInfo = Get-PrinterDriver -Name $driverName
$driverPath = $driverInfo.InfPath
if ($driverPath) {
Copy-Item -Path $driverPath -Destination $driversFolder -Force
}

Write-Host “Printer ‘$PrinterName’ backed up successfully to $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer backup process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Backup-SinglePrinter Restore-SinglePrinter.psm1 function Restore-SinglePrinter {
param (
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$BackupFile,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
[string]$NewPrinterName,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
[string]$NewPortName
)

try {
$backupObject = Import-Clixml -Path $BackupFile
$printer = $backupObject.Printer
$printerConfig = $backupObject.Configuration
$printerProperties = $backupObject.Properties

# Import printer properties module
$propertiesModulePath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1”
if (Test-Path $propertiesModulePath) {
Import-Module $propertiesModulePath -Force
} else {
Write-Error “Get-PrinterExtendedConfig module not found at $propertiesModulePath”
return $false
}

$printerExtendedConfig = Get-PrinterExtendedConfig

# If NewPortName is not provided, use the original port
if (-not $NewPortName) {
$NewPortName = $printer.PortName
}

# Create or update the printer
if (Get-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
} else {
Add-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -DriverName $printer.DriverName -PortName $NewPortName
}

# Restore printer settings
$validPrinterParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterProperties
$printerParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validPrinterParams) {
if ($null -ne $printer.$param) {
$printerParams[$param] = $printer.$param
}
}
if ($printerParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName @printerParams
}

# Restore configuration
$validConfigParams = $printerExtendedConfig.PrinterConfiguration
$configParams = @{}
foreach ($param in $validConfigParams) {
if ($null -ne $printerConfig.$param -and $printerConfig.$param -isnot [System.Management.Automation.PSMethod]) {
$configParams[$param] = $printerConfig.$param
}
}
if ($configParams.Count -gt 0) {
Set-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName $NewPrinterName @configParams
}

# Restore properties
foreach ($prop in $printerProperties) {
if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($prop.Name) -and $null -ne $prop.Value) {
try {
Set-PrinterProperty -PrinterName $NewPrinterName -PropertyName $prop.Name -Value $prop.Value -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
Write-Warning “Unable to set printer property $($prop.Name): $_”
}
}
}

# Restore sharing settings
if ($printer.Shared) {
Set-Printer -Name $NewPrinterName -Shared $true -ShareName $NewPrinterName
}

Write-Host “Printer ‘$NewPrinterName’ restored successfully from $BackupFile”
return $true
}
catch {
Write-Error “Printer restoration process failed: $_”
return $false
}
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Restore-SinglePrinter  Settings.ps1 # settings.ps1
$BaseFolder = “\testserverdeveloperprinterBackup”
$BackupsFolder = Join-Path $BaseFolder “Backups”  Get-PrinterExtendedConfig.psm1 I hoped would be a single place to list all settings to capture. Maybe that is not needed. function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig {
return @{
PrinterProperties = @(
‘Comment’,
‘Location’,
‘Shared’,
‘Published’
)
PrinterConfiguration = @(
‘Collate’,
‘Color’,
‘DuplexingMode’,
‘PaperSize’,
‘Orientation’
)
}
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-PrinterExtendedConfig Find-AvailablePort.psm1 # Find-AvailableIPPort.psm1

function Find-AvailableIPPort {
param (
[string]$BaseIP
)

$existingPorts = Get-PrinterPort | Where-Object { $_.Name -like “$BaseIP*” } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name

# If the base IP is not in use, return it
if ($BaseIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $BaseIP
}

# Check for available ports with suffixes
for ($i = 1; $i -lt 100; $i++) {
$newIP = “${BaseIP}_$i”
if ($newIP -notin $existingPorts) {
return $newIP
}
}

# If no available port found, create a new one with the next available suffix
$maxSuffix = $existingPorts |
Where-Object { $_ -match “${BaseIP}_(d+)” } |
ForEach-Object { [int]($Matches[1]) } |
Measure-Object -Maximum |
Select-Object -ExpandProperty Maximum

return “${BaseIP}_$($maxSuffix + 1)”
}

Export-ModuleMember -Function Find-AvailableIPPort     Read More

​

Hello,

Would it be possible to get a change made to RDP that would allow more than 1 buffer from a GPU to be sent the remote desktop client?

Currently it is not possible to use Server with GPU (with quad-buffer ON) via RDP.  This would have broad commercial appeal for mapping, gnome research, chemical engineering, CAD, Automotive and other industries.

​Hello, Would it be possible to get a change made to RDP that would allow more than 1 buffer from a GPU to be sent the remote desktop client?Currently it is not possible to use Server with GPU (with quad-buffer ON) via RDP.  This would have broad commercial appeal for mapping, gnome research, chemical engineering, CAD, Automotive and other industries.  Read More

​

You’re invited to join us in-person or virtually on August 22!

IAMCP‘s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are! 

We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner! I know many of us are excited about the new additions to the partner benefits, including over 20 new SKUs that were teased in July. 

Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office – 
750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000
Houston, Texas 77024

11:30am-1:00pm CST 

Register Here >

Not a member of IAMCP? You can attend for $30 or, as a new member, join for $1 for your first 90 days! 

I myself have been a member of IAMCP for about 2+ years and I’m the Secretary of the Houston chapter. There are plenty of other virtual meetings every month covering all topics concerning partners. It’s a great way to understand the ecosystem, how to gain designations and credentials, and find partner to partner opportunities. 

​You’re invited to join us in-person or virtually on August 22! IAMCP’s TOLA Chapter (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) rotates monthly and hosts chapter meetings in Austin, Houston and Dallas. All meetings are hybrid and anyone is welcome to attend, no matter where you are!  We’ll be talking about the FY25 updates, announcements and partner program changes. Come ask your partner questions as you navigate FY25 as a Microsoft partner! I know many of us are excited about the new additions to the partner benefits, including over 20 new SKUs that were teased in July.  Join us online or in-person (lunch included) in Houston at the Microsoft office – 750 Town and Country Blvd., Ste. 1000Houston, Texas 7702411:30am-1:00pm CST  Register Here > Not a member of IAMCP? You can attend for $30 or, as a new member, join for $1 for your first 90 days!  I myself have been a member of IAMCP for about 2+ years and I’m the Secretary of the Houston chapter. There are plenty of other virtual meetings every month covering all topics concerning partners. It’s a great way to understand the ecosystem, how to gain designations and credentials, and find partner to partner opportunities.   Read More

​