inno-installers/PrinterInstaller

WJDT Printer Installer

Universal printer installer for network printers and card printers from ShopDB database.

Overview

This Inno Setup installer queries the ShopDB database for HP, Xerox, Brother, and HID printers, allows users to select which printers to install, and automatically:

• Installs appropriate printer drivers (HP UPD, Xerox Universal, Brother MFC, HID FARGO DTC4500e)
• Creates TCP/IP Standard Printer Ports for network printers using FQDN or IP addresses
• Installs USB drivers for card printers (plug-and-play after driver installation)
• Adds selected printers to Windows

Features

• Database Integration: Queries ShopDB database via REST API at http://192.168.122.151:8080/api_printers.asp
• Multi-Printer Selection: Checkbox interface to select one or more printers (network or card printers)
• Smart Driver Installation:
  • HP Universal Print Driver PCL6 (x64 v7.9.0 and x32 v7.9.0)
  • Xerox Universal Print Driver PCL6 (x64 v5.1055.3.0 and x32 v5.1055.3.0)
  • Brother MFC-J5845DW GDI Driver (multi-arch, staged via DPInst)
  • HID FARGO DTC4500e Card Printer Driver (x64 v5.5.0.0)
  • Automatically selects correct driver based on Windows architecture
• Network Printer Support: Uses printer FQDN (preferred) or IP address for TCP/IP connectivity
• Card Printer Support: USB-connected badge/ID card printers (HID FARGO)
• Professional UI: Custom branding with GEA logo and Patrick artwork
• Admin Installation: Requires administrator privileges

Requirements

To Build

• Inno Setup 6.x installed on Windows
• Printer drivers in drivers/ subdirectories (already included)
• Access to build machine

To Run

• Windows 10/11 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Administrator privileges
• Network access to ShopDB server (192.168.122.151:8080)

Project Structure

PrinterInstaller/
├── PrinterInstaller.iss         # Main Inno Setup script
├── README.md                     # This file
├── gea-logo.ico                  # Application icon
├── patrick.bmp                   # Large wizard image (164x314px)
├── patrick-sm.bmp                # Small wizard image (55x58px)
└── drivers/
    ├── hp_x64/                   # HP Universal Print Driver x64
    │   ├── hpcu345u.inf          # Main driver INF file
    │   └── ...                   # Supporting files
    ├── hp_x32/                   # HP Universal Print Driver x32
    │   ├── hpcu345u.inf
    │   └── ...
    ├── xerox_x64/                # Xerox Universal Print Driver x64
    │   └── UNIV_5.1055.3.0_PCL6_x64_Driver.inf/
    │       ├── x3UNIVX.inf       # Main driver INF file
    │       └── ...
    ├── xerox_x32/                # Xerox Universal Print Driver x32
    │   ├── x3UNIVX.inf           # Main driver INF file
    │   └── ...
    ├── brother/                  # Brother MFC GDI Driver (multi-arch)
    │   ├── amd64/                # x64 compressed DLLs
    │   ├── i386/                 # x32 compressed DLLs
    │   ├── brpoi16a.inf          # Port driver INF
    │   ├── dpinstx64.exe         # DPInst installer (x64)
    │   ├── dpinstx86.exe         # DPInst installer (x32)
    │   ├── dpinst.xml            # DPInst quiet-install config
    │   └── ...                   # Model data (.da_), driver DLLs (.dl_)
    └── hid_dtc4500e_x64/         # HID FARGO DTC4500e Card Printer x64
        ├── DTC4500e.inf          # Main driver INF file
        ├── DTC4500e_x64.cat      # Digital signature catalog
        └── ...                   # Supporting DLLs and files

Building the Installer

On Windows

1. Open Inno Setup Compiler
2. File → Open → Select PrinterInstaller.iss
3. Build → Compile (or press F9)
4. Output file created at: C:\Users\570005354\Downloads\Output\PrinterInstaller.exe

Command Line

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Inno Setup 6\ISCC.exe" "C:\path\to\PrinterInstaller.iss"

Installation Process

When a user runs PrinterInstaller.exe:

1. Welcome Page: Explains what the installer does
2. Query Database: Fetches list of active HP/Xerox/Brother printers from ShopDB
3. Printer Selection: User selects which printers to install (checkboxes)
4. Ready Page: Confirms selections
5. Driver Installation:
   • Extracts drivers to temp folder
   • Uses pnputil to add driver packages
   • Adds print drivers with Add-PrinterDriver
6. Printer Installation:
   • Creates TCP/IP printer ports for each printer
   • Adds printers with appropriate drivers
7. Summary: Shows installation results

How It Works

Database Query

The installer queries the ShopDB API which returns JSON:

[
  {
    "printerid": 6,
    "printerwindowsname": "Coaching 112 LaserJet M254dw",
    "fqdn": "Printer-10-80-92-52.printer.geaerospace.net",
    "ipaddress": "10.80.92.52",
    "vendor": "HP",
    "modelnumber": "Color LaserJet M254dw",
    "isactive": 1
  },
  ...
]

Driver Mapping

Vendor	Driver Name	INF File (x64)	INF File (x32)
HP	HP Universal Printing PCL 6	hpcu345u.inf	hpcu345u.inf
Xerox	Xerox Global Print Driver PCL6	x3UNIVX.inf	x3UNIVX.inf
Brother	Brother MFC-J5845DW	brpoi16a.inf	brpoi16a.inf

Note: Brother uses DPInst (dpinstx64.exe/dpinstx86.exe) instead of pnputil for driver staging, as the MFC-J inkjet driver uses proprietary GDI rendering with no Printer class INF.

Printer Port Naming

Format: IP_<FQDN or IP Address>

Examples:

• IP_Printer-10-80-92-52.printer.geaerospace.net
• IP_10.80.92.52

Supported Printers

HP Models (23 printers)

• Color LaserJet M254dw
• Color LaserJet M255dw
• HP DesignJet T1700dr PS
• LaserJet 4250tn
• LaserJet M406
• LaserJet M454dn
• LaserJet M506
• LaserJet M602
• LaserJet P3015dn
• LaserJet Pro 4001n
• LaserJet Pro 4100dn
• And more...

Xerox Models (12 printers)

• Altalink C8135
• Versalink B405DN
• Versalink B7125
• Versalink C7125
• Xerox EC8036

Brother Models

• MFC-J5845DW

HID Card Printers (USB)

• HID FARGO DTC4500e - Dual-sided card printer for badge/ID printing
  • Connection: USB
  • Driver installed, device auto-configures on USB connection
  • Used for employee badges, access cards, ID cards

Command-Line Parameters

Auto-Select Specific Printer

Pre-select a specific printer by name using the /PRINTER parameter:

PrinterInstaller.exe /PRINTER="CSF04-WJWT05-ColorLaserJetM254dw"

This will:

• Launch the installer normally
• Automatically check the matching printer(s) in the selection list
• Allow user to proceed with installation or modify selection

Use cases:

• Create direct download links for specific printers on your website
• QR codes that install specific printers
• Department-specific installer shortcuts

Partial matching supported:

PrinterInstaller.exe /PRINTER="CSF04"      # Matches CSF04-WJWT05-ColorLaserJetM254dw
PrinterInstaller.exe /PRINTER="Coaching"   # Matches all Coaching printers
PrinterInstaller.exe /PRINTER="LaserJet"   # Matches all LaserJet printers

Silent Installation

Run installer silently (no UI):

PrinterInstaller.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART

Combine with auto-select for fully automated installation:

PrinterInstaller.exe /PRINTER="CSF04" /VERYSILENT /NORESTART

Troubleshooting

"Failed to query printers"

• Check network connectivity
• Verify ShopDB server is accessible at http://192.168.122.151:8080
• Test API manually: http://192.168.122.151:8080/api_printers.asp

"Driver installation failed"

• Ensure running as Administrator
• Check Windows version compatibility
• Verify driver files are present in drivers/ folder

"Printer already exists"

• Normal behavior - installer skips existing printers
• Delete printer from Windows first if you want to reinstall

Multiple Architecture Support

• HP and Xerox drivers have separate x86/x64 packages; Brother includes both in one package
• Installer automatically detects Windows architecture and uses appropriate drivers
• All printers (HP, Xerox, and Brother) work on both 32-bit and 64-bit systems

API Endpoint

The installer expects a REST API at:

GET http://192.168.122.151:8080/api_printers.asp

Returns JSON array of printer objects with fields:

• printerid (number)
• printerwindowsname (string)
• fqdn (string)
• ipaddress (string)
• vendor (string: "HP", "Xerox", or "Brother")
• modelnumber (string)
• isactive (number: 1 or 0)

Customization

Change Database Server

Edit PrinterInstaller.iss line 67:

'    $url = "http://YOUR-SERVER:PORT/api_printers.asp"' + #13#10 +

Add More Vendors

1. Add driver files to drivers/ folder
2. Update [Files] section to include new drivers
3. Modify Install-PrinterDriver function to support new vendor
4. Update Install-NetworkPrinter function for driver mapping

Change Branding

Replace these files:

• gea-logo.ico - Application icon (32x32 or 48x48)
• patrick.bmp - Large wizard image (164x314px)
• patrick-sm.bmp - Small wizard image (55x58px)

Version History

Version 1.0 (2025-10-15)

• Initial release
• Support for HP and Xerox printers
• Database integration with ShopDB
• TCP/IP installation via FQDN
• x64 and x32 architecture support
• HP Universal Print Driver v7.9.0
• Xerox Global Print Driver v5.1055.3.0

Credits

• Development: WJDT
• Template: Based on MappedDrive.iss
• Drivers: HP Inc., Xerox Corporation, Brother Industries
• Installer Framework: Inno Setup by Jordan Russell

License

Internal use only - WJDT / GE Aerospace