Yes, according to specific policy settings, Power Users can install printers.
Understanding Printer Installation Permissions
Whether a user can install a printer often depends on the operating system environment and configured security policies, particularly in network or server settings. Different user groups have varying levels of access and permissions assigned to them.
Permissions for Printer Installation
Based on common Windows security group structures and specific policy configurations:
- Administrators: Typically have full rights, including installing hardware like printers.
- Power Users: Have more privileges than standard users but fewer than administrators. Their ability to install devices can be restricted by policy.
- Standard Users: Generally cannot install devices or drivers unless specifically allowed by policy or prompted for administrator credentials.
- Server Operators: A group with specific permissions related to managing servers.
According to the provided reference regarding server environments:
Only members of the Administrator, Power Users, or Server Operator groups can install printers on the servers. If this policy setting is enabled but the driver for a network printer already exists on the local computer, users can still add the network printer.
This explicitly confirms that, within environments where this policy is enabled (such as on servers), Power Users are among the groups permitted to install printers.
Key Takeaways
- The ability for a Power User to install printers is directly tied to the specific security policies configured in the environment.
- In server environments with certain policy settings enabled, the Power Users group is listed as having the necessary permissions.
- Even if the policy is enabled, users (including potentially standard users depending on how "users" is interpreted in the second part of the sentence) might be able to add a network printer if the driver is already installed locally.
In summary, while permissions can vary, a Power User can install printers under specific policy configurations, as outlined in the reference provided.
