May 2011 - AutoConnect Parameter -k on Windows 2008 / Vista
From Windows 2008 / Vista onwards, AutoConnect is by default run with the parameter –k, which instructs the AutoConnect process to keep running even after every printer has been created or mapped. It is necessary to keep AutoConnect running so mapped network printers can be deleted safely. The modification was made because Microsoft has changed the Windows logon/logoff procedure.
Nevertheless, administrators might wish to close down the AutoConnect process as soon as the printers are created, with the consequence that network printers cannot be deleted automatically at session logoff. In this case, they need to change AutoConnect’s registry value ListenToWTSCreateCommand from tpautoconnect –q –k to tpautoconnect –q.
As an alternative, AutoConnect’s auto mode can be switched off in the AutoConnect Configuration GUI. In this case, AutoConnect has to be run by logon/logoff scripts. When logon/logoff scripts are used, the parameter –k is not necessary, because the scripts have enough time to delete the printers. Hence, scripts only need to call –q for logon and –q –d for logoff.