Sharing printer(s) on home network

  • Thread starter Thread starter Meebers
  • Start date Start date
M

Meebers

I have an Xp machine (32 bit) that is connected to my home network. My
printers are all now on my Win7 machine (64 bit) and I am having no luck on
printing from the XP machine. Setting up the network printer(s) require a
driver on the xp machine, do I want 32 bit and 64 bit drivers on the Win7
machine?? The Xp machine shows the printer (s) as on line but messages just
sit in the que.
 
Meebers said:
I have an Xp machine (32 bit) that is connected to my home network. My
printers are all now on my Win7 machine (64 bit) and I am having no luck
on printing from the XP machine. Setting up the network printer(s)
require a driver on the xp machine, do I want 32 bit and 64 bit drivers on
the Win7 machine?? The Xp machine shows the printer (s) as on line but
messages just sit in the que.
Click to expand...

To share a network printer being hosted by a computer running a 32 bit
operating system with another computer running a 32 bit operating system,
Vista or XP, you would go to Control Panel > 'Printers' > 'Add Printer' >
'Add a network printer'.

Sharing a printer being hosted by a computer running 32 bit Vista or XP with
a computer running 64 bit Vista or vice versa is not obvious, because if you
use the above method, it will not work.

So how? First, you need to know the name of the computer which hosts the
printer, and the name of the printer to be shared.
Sitting at the host computer: The procedure is the same for Vista and XP

Start > My Computer > Properties > Computer Name tab > Change button. Write
down the name that you see here because this is the computer name.

Start > Settings > Printers and Faxes > Right click on the printer to be
shared > Properties > Sharing tab. Write down the name that you see here
because this is the printer name.

OK. Now sit in front of the XP 32 computer:
Start > Control Panel > Printers > Add printer > Add a local printer > Click
on 'Create a new port' > 'Local Port' > 'Next'.
The port name will look like this: \\Computer name\printer name
So enter the names already retrieved, ensuring that you use the same format,
then click 'OK'.
At this point, you will be presented with the 'Add New Hardware' process.
You can either select the make and model of your printer from the lists or
insert your printer installation disk if you can't find yours. The printer
will be added, and you should be able to print a test page.

Another solution is to use a print server. There are three options if you
take this route.
1. Replace your router with one which includes a print server. This is the
most expensive option.
2. Acquire a wired print server unit and connect it to your existing
router. Beware the cheapest units as they will invariably be USB 1.1
compliant only.
3. Acquire a wireless print server. Setup may not always be
straightforward, but the printer can be moved around.
The benefit of any of the three options above is that the printer is
available all of the time, not being reliant on a host computer's power
state, but they all cost $$$ or more.
 
Mike Hall - MVP said:
To share a network printer being hosted by a computer running a 32 bit
operating system with another computer running a 32 bit operating system,
Vista or XP, you would go to Control Panel > 'Printers' > 'Add Printer' >
'Add a network printer'.

Sharing a printer being hosted by a computer running 32 bit Vista or XP
with a computer running 64 bit Vista or vice versa is not obvious, because
if you use the above method, it will not work.

So how? First, you need to know the name of the computer which hosts the
printer, and the name of the printer to be shared.
Sitting at the host computer: The procedure is the same for Vista and XP

Start > My Computer > Properties > Computer Name tab > Change button.
Write down the name that you see here because this is the computer name.

Start > Settings > Printers and Faxes > Right click on the printer to be
shared > Properties > Sharing tab. Write down the name that you see here
because this is the printer name.

OK. Now sit in front of the XP 32 computer:
Start > Control Panel > Printers > Add printer > Add a local printer >
Click on 'Create a new port' > 'Local Port' > 'Next'.
The port name will look like this: \\Computer name\printer name
So enter the names already retrieved, ensuring that you use the same
format, then click 'OK'.
At this point, you will be presented with the 'Add New Hardware' process.
You can either select the make and model of your printer from the lists or
insert your printer installation disk if you can't find yours. The printer
will be added, and you should be able to print a test page.

Another solution is to use a print server. There are three options if you
take this route.
1. Replace your router with one which includes a print server. This is the
most expensive option.
2. Acquire a wired print server unit and connect it to your existing
router. Beware the cheapest units as they will invariably be USB 1.1
compliant only.
3. Acquire a wireless print server. Setup may not always be
straightforward, but the printer can be moved around.
The benefit of any of the three options above is that the printer is
available all of the time, not being reliant on a host computer's power
state, but they all cost $$$ or more.
Click to expand...
Tx MIke....I am at the point (sitting in front of the xp32..) where you
enter the port name. (double checked 3 times) an error message "Logon
Failure: unknown user name or bad password" Tried various combo's ..... No
Joy.
 
Mike...after several printer add/delete episodes on both computers can now
print as expected. The canon printer installed without any problem, the HP
printer kept showing up as a "device" in Devices and Printers (Win7) but
never a printer, downloaded the latest 64 bit version of a driver (2007)
from HP for Vista and it finally took after several re-boots etc. Yes you
were right about installing from the XP machine by using "Create new port",
does not seem conventional, but worked. Would you have any idea where to go
on the XP machine to delete some of the ports that I created while trying to
set this up? (trying to create a port gave an error msg, .."that port
already exists" Tx again..
 
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