Meaningful name for network printers in Windows XP

Corporate environments often name network printers with labels that don't help much to identify the printer's location (names like IMPLOC134). Its properties may indicate the location, but this may involve looking through more submenus.

When Windows XP connects to such printers, the local name of the printer stays as IMPLOC134, and cannot be renamed. This can be a problem if your machine is configured with more than one printer, and you'd like to choose a printer from the list by simply looking at its name.

There's a workaround for installing the printer with a personalized name. When adding a printer, don't connect to a network printer. Instead, create a local one:

1. Add printer
2. Type "Local"
3. Create new port, type "Local Port"
4. The port name must be "\\printservloc\IMPLOC134" which is the network address of that printer
5. Then select the driver for the printer (most likely you can find it on the manufacturer's website)
6. Then assign a meaningful name for the printer, like "3rdFloorPrinter"

This will create a local printer that in reality connects to the network printer, but the local name will have a personalized label recognizable just by looking at the list of printers, without the need to look at the properties and details of the printer.