File and Printer Sharing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I have been on the Microsoft Help E-Mail and asked how to share files and
printers between VISTA and XP. Their answer was "In addition, your XP PC and
Vista PC cannot share files or printers." Is this the truth? If so how can I
use one printer and move files.
 
I have been on the Microsoft Help E-Mail and asked how to share files and
printers between VISTA and XP. Their answer was "In addition, your XP PC and
Vista PC cannot share files or printers." Is this the truth? If so how can I
use one printer and move files.
Click to expand...



No, it's not the truth. I do it all the time. Just set up an ordinary
workgroup network.
 
I have a XP computer (wireless) connected to a printer directly via USB and
this printer shared out. The workgroup was done for all the networked
computer. The vista computer is wireless. The VISTA computer unable to
print! What could be the problem?
 
Charles said:
I have a XP computer (wireless) connected to a printer directly via USB
and
this printer shared out. The workgroup was done for all the networked
computer. The vista computer is wireless. The VISTA computer unable
to
print! What could be the problem?
Click to expand...


When you install a network printer on a remote computer, the remote
computer will require suitable drivers. I assume the installation disk
for this particular printer includes a set of Vista drivers. If not,
you must obtain the correct drivers.

I don't have the Vista OS on either of my computers, so I cannot advise
from personal experience. Furthermore, installation procedures for
Vista may be different from Windows XP.

However, when you try to install a network printer on a remote computer
in an all-XP network, the remote computer attempts to copy and install
the correct drivers from the host computer. The existing drivers on
your XP host computer will be XP drivers - which are likely to be
unsuitable for a Vista computer.

I suffered a similar problem several years ago with a wireless network,
that included an XP host computer and a Windows ME remote computer. As
a last resort, I connected the printer to a USB port on the remote Win
ME printer. Then, I ran the installation CD on the Windows ME remote
computer, which installed the Windows ME drivers.

Having installed the correct drivers on the remote computer, I
reconnected the printer to its original XP host. Then, I installed it
again on the Windows ME machine as a network printer. That resolved the
compatibility problem between the Win XP host and the Win ME remote
computer. I don't know whether this workaround would resolve the
problem with your XP/Vista system. However, it is worth a try.

Another thing to check is whether your printer requires any special
configuration settings for printing in a network. What is the make and
model of the printer?

For instance, my son had difficulty printing on his HP LJ1018 printer
from his Win XP laptop - via a wireless network. The printer is
connected to a Vista host computer. He resolved that problem by
disabling bi-directional printing in the printer settings on the host
computer.

My daughter had problems with a cheapie Epson printer on a Win XP / Win
XP network. Epson customer support diagnosed the problem immediately
and talked her through the necessary configuration changes (which had
been omitted from the help files).
 
Back
Top