Converting the Windows Script Host EnumPrinterConnections Method

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Definition: Returns the current network printer mapping information.

EnumPrinterConnections

Windows Script Host’s EnumPrinterConnections method reports back the port name and printer name for each printer installed on a computer. (By the way, don’t let the official description throw you off; EnumPrinterConnections returns information about locally-installed printers as well as network printers). In other words, EnumPrinterConnections returns information similar to this:

USB001 = HP Photosmart C3100 series
LPT1: = HP Mobile Printing PS
IP_172.30.182.84 = \\atl-prn-corp1\b42-4032-a
XRX0000AA66FB35 = \\atl-prn-xrx\b42-4061-a
xrx0000aa6aa779 = \\atl-prn-xrx\b43-2927-a
XRX0000AA6AF4A4 = \\atl-prn-xrx.fabrikam.com\b43-2315-a

Can we get this same exact information using Windows PowerShell? You bet we can, provided we use the Get-WMIObject cmdlet to return the printer information, then use Select-Object to weed out everything except the PortName and Name properties:

Get-WMIObject Win32_Printer | Select-Object PortName, Name

Here’s the kind of output we get back when we run the preceding command:

USB001                           HP Photosmart C3100 series
LPT1:                            HP Mobile Printing PS
IP_172.30.182.84                 \\atl-prn-corp1\b42-4032-a
XRX0000AA66FB35                  \\atl-prn-xrx\b42-4061-a
xrx0000aa6aa779                  \\atl-prn-xrx\b43-2927-a
XRX0000AA6AF4A4                  \\atl-prn-xrx.fabrikam.com\b43-2315-a

See conversions of other Windows Script Host methods and properties.
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