Deploying Printers Through Intune with Win32 Apps

When most IT professionals think about Microsoft Intune, the focus usually goes straight to device management, security policies, and application deployment. But one area that often gets overlooked is printers. Many cloud-based organizations have turned to third party services like Printix or other printing solutions to simplify this process. While those platforms certainly have their place, especially in larger or more complex environments, they are not always necessary for smaller organizations that only have a few printers to manage.

Recently, I found myself in a situation where I needed to deploy just a single printer for a client. Paying for a third-party service did not make sense in this case. Instead, I turned to a great solution outlined by Ben Whitmore on MSEndpointMgr. This approach uses Intune with Win32 apps and PowerShell. I want to call out Ben’s blog because it was extremely helpful and provided a clear path for getting this working. In this post, I will share my own experience applying that method, why it makes sense in certain scenarios, and some tips I discovered along the way.

Why This Approach Makes Sense

If your environment has dozens of printers spread across multiple offices, then a dedicated printing solution is probably the right choice. But for small businesses, branch offices, or scenarios where you only need to push out one or two printers, Intune’s Win32 app deployment model is more than enough.

The real advantage is that it eliminates the need for technicians or end users to manually install printer drivers on each new computer. Instead of repeating the same process of downloading drivers from the manufacturer’s site, adding the port, and configuring the printer, you can bundle everything up once and push it out with Intune. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency across all devices.

Step 1: Gathering the Drivers

The first step was downloading the printer driver package from the manufacturer’s website. Most vendors will provide an installer, but what you really need are the raw files, specifically the INF file and any associated driver files. The INF file describes what is required for the printer, and it can sometimes be a little tricky to parse through.

This is where I leaned on ChatGPT for some help. By pasting the INF file into ChatGPT, I was able to quickly identify which files were necessary without manually combing through the entire document. This was a big time saver and gave me confidence that I was not missing anything critical.

Step 2: Testing with PowerShell

Before packaging anything into Intune, I tested the deployment locally on a dedicated test PC. This involved using PowerShell to:

• Create the printer port with the correct IP address
• Add the printer driver from the manufacturer’s files
• Add the printer itself and map it to the port

Running these commands manually allowed me to confirm that the printer installed correctly and functioned as expected. This testing step is crucial because it is much easier to troubleshoot locally before wrapping everything into an Intune package.

Step 3: Packaging as a Win32 App

Once I was confident in the PowerShell scripts, I followed the same steps outlined in Ben Whitmore’s blog to package everything up:

1. Bundle the driver files and PowerShell scripts
2. Use the Win32 Content Prep Tool to create the .intunewin file
3. Upload the package into Intune as a Win32 app
4. Configure the install and detection logic

For detection, I relied on the registry key that gets created once the printer is installed, as the blog instructed. This gave Intune a reliable way to determine if the deployment succeeded.

Step 4: Testing and Deployment

I then assigned the app to my test group in Intune. After confirming it installed successfully on the test PC, the next step was a wider rollout. From there, it was simply a matter of assigning the app to all users who needed the printer.

One final step I recommend is documenting everything. I created internal documentation that outlined which files were used, the PowerShell commands, the detection method, and the packaging process. This ensures that if someone else needs to update the deployment later or add another printer, they have a clear starting point.

Final Thoughts

Deploying printers through Intune using Win32 apps is not the flashiest solution, but it is a practical one. For organizations that do not want the added cost or complexity of a third-party service, this method provides a reliable way to automate printer installation. It is especially valuable in smaller environments where only a few printers need to be deployed.

The key benefits are consistency, reduced manual effort, and the ability to manage everything from within Intune, the same tool already being used for application and device management. Compared to having staff manually install drivers each time a new computer is set up, this approach is a clear win.

I want to give full credit to Ben Whitmore for publishing his original blog on this topic. His article provided the foundation for my own implementation, and I can confirm from experience that this solution works well in the real world. If you have been hesitant about tackling printers in Intune, I encourage you to give this method a try. It is easier than it looks, and the payoff is worth it.