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It seems a user needs the 'install device' privilege which only Administrators and Power Users have..

How can I give domain users this privilege to install printers on their workstations? Or is there any other way to allow them install devices such as printers (non network ones)?

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Do your users need to install printer drivers on the server, as suggested by the tag you used, or on their workstations? – John Gardeniers Feb 11 '11 at 3:37
workstations, tag is because they are on windows server 2003 domain which is causing the restricion – user55029 Feb 11 '11 at 3:38

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This article shows you how to configure the Load and Unload Device Drivers setting to any user your want.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc782779%28WS.10%29.aspx

Keep in mind this can be dangerous which is why it is only initially setup for admins/power users.

I'd recommend you find a non kernel mode driver, which will install without admin rights. Unfortunately there may not be one.

Alternatively install a startup script on the machine that runs that installs the printer as a local printer(even if its a network printer).

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I would recommend against any granting of Load and Unload Device Drivers right to any regular user account. – Greg Askew Feb 12 '11 at 23:03
Thanks. I dont care if I granted them 'Install thermo nuclear device' right, so long as they dont have additional domain rights :) I figured out out an easier way to go about it is to give them local admin rights so they can do what they want with their workstation then log back on to the domain and see the devices.. – user55029 Feb 14 '11 at 3:51
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Please refere to the following link to find out information about why power users can not install printer and solution for the same problem.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888046

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You are giving me link to an issue with power users installing network printers as an answer to the question?! – user55029 Feb 11 '11 at 8:06
1  
@mrk mnl - it's a link with no explanation which we don't like here, sure, but its also an accurate and correct answer to your question. As this site is aimed at professional network administrators, its not entirely unreasonable to expect you to be able to also apply the settings in question to normal users. You might try being a little more graceful with people who are giving up their time to help you, even if their answers could have been done a little better. – RobM Feb 12 '11 at 18:35
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It isn't only printers. There are a lot of things that regular users cannot do.

If you want end users to be able to perform these types of activities, I would strongly recommend creating an alternate account for them that they can logon to. This account should also not have normal access to other things, such as their mailbox, home share, or network file shares, only administrator permission on their local machine.

Do not grant elevated permissions or rights to a regular user account.

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