I bring to your attention a solution for field inspectors interfacing with continually changing computer hardware. As these inspectors move from one office to another their PC’s must interface with different hardware such as contractor owed printers.
The administrative lock down on TxDOT PC’s prevents anyone without administrative privileges from installing the essential printer drivers to communicate with these printers. An IT professional with these privileges must perform the task. An extra burden for the field inspector is the fact that the hardware is in the field. Anyone assisting the inspector to install these drivers must travel to the field office.
If you have employees with a similar predicament please have them request a local group policy exemption and local user account. The local user account and the modified local group policy will allow a user of that account the option to install print drivers. The request should be submitted through TxDOTNow as a general request.
General Request ticket (not an incident)
· Subject - Need administrative right fix to add network printer
· Body - I need to have my local group policy set to allow non-administrators to add network printer. Include the PC’s computer name (ex. FTW-715414-L).
· Attention: CSD_Services were they should be able to process the request.
The server group may come up with a better method or distribution going forward, but for now this option offers an active solution. Please distribute this information among your field employees.
Thank you,
Stewart DeWitt
CST - Construction Division
(512) 416-2462
Don't mess with Texas® means don't litter.
