Help with Powershell scripts to backup and restore printers

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 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”

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.