J
Josh Mayfield
I spent four days trying to get Windows 98 computers on my home
network to print to the new HP PSC 1350 All-In-One printer connected
to my Windows XP system. HP technical support said that network
printing was not supported on this model and suggested that I buy a
"higher end" printer if I wanted to be able to do it. Well I now have
not one but two solutions for making this work. This specific problem
only occurs if you're sharing a printer between different Windows
platforms (for example Windows XP and Windows 98). If all the
computers on your network are running the same version of Windows,
you'll probably never see this issue. Also, I know for a fact that the
same problem occurs on the HP PSC 1210, but I wouldn't at all be
surprised if it happened with other models like the HP PSC 2175 or HP
PSC 2410 because HP seems to use the same install CD for most of its
home printers these days. I'd like to thank a USENET poster who goes
by the name of "Madonna" for discovering solution #1 with her PSC
1210. I have confirmed that it works with the 1350, and I also
discovered another solution for users who are unable to perform the
steps necessary for solution #1.
SYMPTOM
On home networks where the HP PSC 1350 is physically connected (via
USB cable) to a PC running one Windows platform (Windows 2000/XP) and
the printer is shared on the network, only client computers running
the same Windows platform are able to add connections to that printer.
Client systems running another Windows platform (Windows 98/Me) will
not be able to add connections to the printer because the Add Printer
Wizard cannot locate appropriate drivers. Even if you click Have Disk
in the printer wizard and browse to the HP install CD, you will not be
able to install the drivers.
CAUSE
The drivers on the HP install CD are not laid out in a format that
Windows can recognize without the aid of special HP software that
configures your computer to use new printers when they are connected
to it. Unfortunately, this special software is only triggered when you
make a physical (USB) connection to your PC. Browsing to shared
printers on your home network does not trigger the software, so your
computer does not recognize the drivers on your CD. Client computers
running the same Windows platform as the PC connected to the printer
do not have this issue, because the Add Printer Wizard will
automatically download the drivers from the computer hosting the
printer. Windows XP provides the capability to install drivers for
other operating systems for exactly this purpose- to allow automatic
download of the appropriate drivers to client systems- but again,
because of HP's unusual driver layout, this is not an option with the
PSC 1350.
SOLUTION #1
This solution requires that you either have 1) another Windows
partition on your host computer [the one connected to the printer]
with the same Windows platform installed as the client computers or 2)
another computer running the same Windows platform as the client
systems that you can temporarily use to locally install the printer.
If you do not have either of these, you must follow Solution #2. Note:
By "Windows platform" I mean a compatible group of Windows operating
systems. One platform comprises WinXP and Win2000. The other platform
includes Win98 and WinMe.
1. Before you start, take note of your host PC's computer name. This
is the name that the PC broadcasts on your home network. Also, take
note of your printer's share name. For example, my host PC's computer
name is "Micron" and the printer's share name is "hppsc1350".
2. If your host PC has another partition with the same Windows
platform as the client systems, unplug the printer's USB cable and
then boot into that other partition and perform a local install of the
printer drivers and software (you will be prompted to reconnect the
USB cable during the software install process). If you are temporarily
using another computer with the same platform as the clients, shut
down your host computer now, then boot up the temporary computer and
perform a full local install of the printer drivers and hardware. You
must connect the printer to this computer during this step.
3. Once you have completed and tested printer installation on the new
partition/computer, verify that your PC is using the same computer
name that you took note of in step 1. If the name is different, change
it. (Do this in the Network control panel on Win9x, and in the System
control panel on Win2000/XP.) Changing your computer name requires a
restart.
4. Share the printer on the network using the same printer share name
you noted in step 1. If you do not see a sharing option on Win9x, you
need to install the Microsoft File and Printer Sharing Service via the
Network control panel.
5. Go to your client computers now (the ones that weren't working
before) and use the Add Printer Wizard to attach to the
newly-installed printer. The drivers will automatically be downloaded
onto your client system. When this is done, attempt to print something
over the network. If it works, you're almost finished! Do not continue
to step 6 until you've successfully printed something.
6. Back at your printer, either reconnect the host computer you're
planning to use (make sure you change the temporary system's computer
name to something different before doing this) or boot into your
desired operating system partition on the host PC. Make sure you're
still sharing your printer and that the share name/computer name are
the same as what your client systems are currently configured to use
(they should be by now).
7. Return to your client systems and print away!
SOLUTION #2
This solution doesn't require any extra partitions or computers, but
it's not ideal because it requires you to use older drivers than those
that came with your printer.
1. On the client systems, use the Add Printer Wizard to browse to your
new printer on the host PC.
2. When the wizard asks you which driver to install, select the HP
DeskJet 550C. These drivers ship with all versions of Windows and are
compatible with many current HP printers, although they may not
support all the features the newer printers support.
3. Attempt to print something. If the drivers installed successfully
and your host PC is properly sharing the printer, this should work
now.
Happy printing, folks!
network to print to the new HP PSC 1350 All-In-One printer connected
to my Windows XP system. HP technical support said that network
printing was not supported on this model and suggested that I buy a
"higher end" printer if I wanted to be able to do it. Well I now have
not one but two solutions for making this work. This specific problem
only occurs if you're sharing a printer between different Windows
platforms (for example Windows XP and Windows 98). If all the
computers on your network are running the same version of Windows,
you'll probably never see this issue. Also, I know for a fact that the
same problem occurs on the HP PSC 1210, but I wouldn't at all be
surprised if it happened with other models like the HP PSC 2175 or HP
PSC 2410 because HP seems to use the same install CD for most of its
home printers these days. I'd like to thank a USENET poster who goes
by the name of "Madonna" for discovering solution #1 with her PSC
1210. I have confirmed that it works with the 1350, and I also
discovered another solution for users who are unable to perform the
steps necessary for solution #1.
SYMPTOM
On home networks where the HP PSC 1350 is physically connected (via
USB cable) to a PC running one Windows platform (Windows 2000/XP) and
the printer is shared on the network, only client computers running
the same Windows platform are able to add connections to that printer.
Client systems running another Windows platform (Windows 98/Me) will
not be able to add connections to the printer because the Add Printer
Wizard cannot locate appropriate drivers. Even if you click Have Disk
in the printer wizard and browse to the HP install CD, you will not be
able to install the drivers.
CAUSE
The drivers on the HP install CD are not laid out in a format that
Windows can recognize without the aid of special HP software that
configures your computer to use new printers when they are connected
to it. Unfortunately, this special software is only triggered when you
make a physical (USB) connection to your PC. Browsing to shared
printers on your home network does not trigger the software, so your
computer does not recognize the drivers on your CD. Client computers
running the same Windows platform as the PC connected to the printer
do not have this issue, because the Add Printer Wizard will
automatically download the drivers from the computer hosting the
printer. Windows XP provides the capability to install drivers for
other operating systems for exactly this purpose- to allow automatic
download of the appropriate drivers to client systems- but again,
because of HP's unusual driver layout, this is not an option with the
PSC 1350.
SOLUTION #1
This solution requires that you either have 1) another Windows
partition on your host computer [the one connected to the printer]
with the same Windows platform installed as the client computers or 2)
another computer running the same Windows platform as the client
systems that you can temporarily use to locally install the printer.
If you do not have either of these, you must follow Solution #2. Note:
By "Windows platform" I mean a compatible group of Windows operating
systems. One platform comprises WinXP and Win2000. The other platform
includes Win98 and WinMe.
1. Before you start, take note of your host PC's computer name. This
is the name that the PC broadcasts on your home network. Also, take
note of your printer's share name. For example, my host PC's computer
name is "Micron" and the printer's share name is "hppsc1350".
2. If your host PC has another partition with the same Windows
platform as the client systems, unplug the printer's USB cable and
then boot into that other partition and perform a local install of the
printer drivers and software (you will be prompted to reconnect the
USB cable during the software install process). If you are temporarily
using another computer with the same platform as the clients, shut
down your host computer now, then boot up the temporary computer and
perform a full local install of the printer drivers and hardware. You
must connect the printer to this computer during this step.
3. Once you have completed and tested printer installation on the new
partition/computer, verify that your PC is using the same computer
name that you took note of in step 1. If the name is different, change
it. (Do this in the Network control panel on Win9x, and in the System
control panel on Win2000/XP.) Changing your computer name requires a
restart.
4. Share the printer on the network using the same printer share name
you noted in step 1. If you do not see a sharing option on Win9x, you
need to install the Microsoft File and Printer Sharing Service via the
Network control panel.
5. Go to your client computers now (the ones that weren't working
before) and use the Add Printer Wizard to attach to the
newly-installed printer. The drivers will automatically be downloaded
onto your client system. When this is done, attempt to print something
over the network. If it works, you're almost finished! Do not continue
to step 6 until you've successfully printed something.
6. Back at your printer, either reconnect the host computer you're
planning to use (make sure you change the temporary system's computer
name to something different before doing this) or boot into your
desired operating system partition on the host PC. Make sure you're
still sharing your printer and that the share name/computer name are
the same as what your client systems are currently configured to use
(they should be by now).
7. Return to your client systems and print away!
SOLUTION #2
This solution doesn't require any extra partitions or computers, but
it's not ideal because it requires you to use older drivers than those
that came with your printer.
1. On the client systems, use the Add Printer Wizard to browse to your
new printer on the host PC.
2. When the wizard asks you which driver to install, select the HP
DeskJet 550C. These drivers ship with all versions of Windows and are
compatible with many current HP printers, although they may not
support all the features the newer printers support.
3. Attempt to print something. If the drivers installed successfully
and your host PC is properly sharing the printer, this should work
now.
Happy printing, folks!