Set Default Paper Size via Group Policy, Regional Settings or Scri

[James Buist]

I know how to set the default paper size on a user profile. But I cannot find
any way to set the default paper size centrally, i.e via group policy - the
best solution, or Office Customisation Tool (not ideal as it the paper size
is part of the user profile and not the machine settings) or via Regional
Settings which can be managed via Group Policy.
We are using Server 2008 SP2 as Domain Controller and XP for all the
clients. Currently around 50. Office 2007 Std with all latest SPs and updates
I have the Office Group Policy Admin Templates but there is nothing there
for paper size as far as I can see and those are the same setting available
in the Office Customisation tool.
Someone suggested changing the regional Settings but they don't seem to
affect paper size. At least not in XP. I have tested all sorts of
combinations with Regional Settings. If anyone has had success with RS and
paper size, I'd love to hear from you.
Alternatives, any idea where I may get a script to do this. I can implement
a script at logon..
The ideal solution would be a Group Policy option.
Many thanks

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I know how to set the default paper size on a user profile. But I cannot find
any way to set the default paper size centrally, i.e via group policy - the
best solution, or Office Customisation Tool (not ideal as it the paper size
is part of the user profile and not the machine settings) or via Regional
Settings which can be managed via Group Policy.
We are using Server 2008 SP2 as Domain Controller and XP for all the
clients. Currently around 50. Office 2007 Std with all latest SPs and updates
I have the Office Group Policy Admin Templates but there is nothing there
for paper size as far as I can see and those are the same setting available
in the Office Customisation tool.
Someone suggested changing the regional Settings but they don't seem to
affect paper size. At least not in XP. I have tested all sorts of
combinations with Regional Settings. If anyone has had success with RS and
paper size, I'd love to hear from you.
Alternatives, any idea where I may get a script to do this. I can implement
a script at logon..
The ideal solution would be a Group Policy option.

It might be good to mention what default paper size you want to set.

The one for the printer or for one or more Office apps.

 

[James Buist]

If it had been the printers I would have posted under Printing. Printer paper
size affects all applications not just office and Printers can easily be
deployed through Group Policy or by using the Print Server Roles.

Also, Office Customisation tool is for Office Customisation and not for
Printer Deployment

So to be clear. Yes the Paper size for the Office Apps. Namely Word and Excel.

Anyway, it seems that in 2007 MS have changed Excel to follow the Printer
and Excel no longer has its own Paper size. Changing the Paper size on the
Printer in fact changes it in Excel. This has changed in 2007 as this was not
the behaviour in 2003

Word it seems still follows the normal.docx template or whatever other
template one chooses. It seems that you have still to manually set the normal
template to set a default paper size. I was hoping there may be a way to do
this through GP

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

So to be clear. Yes the Paper size for the Office Apps. Namely Word and Excel.

Anyway, it seems that in 2007 MS have changed Excel to follow the Printer
and Excel no longer has its own Paper size. Changing the Paper size on the
Printer in fact changes it in Excel. This has changed in 2007 as this was not
the behaviour in 2003

I don't think so.

If I set the default page size of the default printer to, say, 11x17 then start
Excel 2003, the Page Setup size in Excel is also 11x17. The same is true of
Excel 2007; it's just been moved to the Page Layout tab, Page Setup Group, Size
button.

If you change the page setup and save the document, the new page setup is
retained though; that may make it appear that the page size is independent of
the printer (as in fact it is, once it's been *set* differently).

PowerPoint is more or less independent of the printer. Its default page size is
hardwired.

Word it seems still follows the normal.docx template or whatever other
template one chooses. It seems that you have still to manually set the normal
template to set a default paper size. I was hoping there may be a way to do
this through GP

I don't know; it'd be a good idea to ask the question in one of the Word-
specific groups as well, though.

 

[James Buist]

I know that Powerpoint has alwasy been "hardwired"
I never really used Excel 2003. I sort of went directly from XP to 2007. In
XP you had to create a default template "book.xls" I have tested in 2007. I
set a Letter Size on the Printer Page (I use A4 usually). Created a new Excel
Document and sved it. Then closed Excel, changed the default Paper size on
the Printer back to A4 and tehen reopened the document I had previously
saved. It showed A4 again. It had not retained teh Letter size.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I know that Powerpoint has alwasy been "hardwired"
I never really used Excel 2003. I sort of went directly from XP to 2007. In
XP you had to create a default template "book.xls" I have tested in 2007. I
set a Letter Size on the Printer Page (I use A4 usually). Created a new Excel
Document and sved it. Then closed Excel, changed the default Paper size on
the Printer back to A4 and tehen reopened the document I had previously
saved. It showed A4 again. It had not retained teh Letter size.

Ah, ok. You're opening existing templates.

Again, it'd be a good idea to ask in an app-specific group here to see if you can get
more informed advice.