Vista Basic - network printer goes offline on re-start

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I bought a laptop for my daughter – about two weeks ago – with Windows Vista
Home edition. It is working fine generally.

I set this up on our home (Netgear wireless router) network – I gave the
laptop a ‘name’, and changed the Windows Workgroup to the same as the other
two computers on our home network, set up the WEP key – and it connected
okay, can access the Internet and can see and be seen on our home network.

One of the other two computers (still running Windows ME) has an Epson 760
printer attached, and I have never had any problems connecting to this or
printing on it - from my other laptop (running Windows XP).

In order to add a connection to a network printer (the Epson 760 mentioned
above) on to the Vista laptop, I have found that it is not possible to add
this directly as a network printer (gives an error message). However (after
consulting an on-line forum) I have found that it is possible to add it as a
local printer, and then direct Vista to use the network port for the printer
on the other computer (e.g. using format of \\network-name\device-name ).

Well this works okay – initially. The printer is added – shows on-line - and
I can print to it over our network.

However – here is the problem. If I turn the Vista laptop off, when I start
it again later the network printer appears off-line, even though the Vista
laptop is still properly connected to the network (can see and be seen, and
can access the Internet). All attempts to turn the printer back on-line fail
(either directly or as administrator – using UAC) – showing an error.

I have checked various on-line forums (including this one) and many people
using Vista computers seem to be suffering this problem – on a range of
different printers.

I have tried various things –

1. I updated my Windows ME PC to use NTLM2 – but this doesn’t seem to have
any effect.

2. I also responded to a Microsoft web page article that someone referred me
to (934455 - A "Web Services on Devices"-based printer appears as Offline
after you wake a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep). Microsoft sent me
a hotfix patch – which I have installed, but this has not had any effect in
helping resolve this problem.

The only (rather crazy) ‘solution’ that I (and clearly others) have found to
work is to delete the printer and immediately re-install it – whereupon it
starts working again immediately. This can’t be right – there must be a
better way.

Perhaps someone has some other suggestions? (or maybe Microsoft could just
fix this?)

Howard - Sheffield UK
 
Hi Howard,

I've found a solution (worked for my setup) that clears the printer offline
problem when printing from a Vista laptop PC over a home network to a printer
connected to a Windows98 desktop PC. I never had this problem with my XP
Home laptop accessing the printers on the Windows98 PC.

With the Vista PC, I was always able to Add my 2 printers (HP PSC 1350 and
Canon i560) using Vista's wizard (Add a local printer), but after a restart
of the Vista PC, both printers would be offline. In Printer properties,
Ports tab, both printers would appear as Client Side Rendering Provider under
the Description column.

My Vista PC is a new Dell Inspiron 1420, Vista Home Premium (WiFi networking).
My print server is a Dell Dimension V350, Windows 98 (ethernet networking).
Home network is WiFi using a D-Link 624 router, WPA-PSK security enabled.
Canon i560 bubblejet printer on parallel port of Dell Dimension V350
HP PSC 1350 on USB port of Dell Dimension V350

Here's the fix:
1. In Control Panel, Printers, delete offline printers. If they wont
delete, it may be because there are pending print jobs in the queue. Open the
printer and Cancel the jobs.
2. In Printer properties, Ports tab, delete the previoulsy installed
printers (offline statuts) that appear as Client Side Rendering Provider
under the Description column. To do this, highlight the port, then click on
Delete Port button. Click Apply.
3. Restart your PC.
4. Now reinstall the printers as follows:
5. Open Control panel, Printers, and click Add a printer.
6. Click Add a local printer.
7. Select the "Use an existing port" radio button, and select LPT1: (Printer
Port). Click Next.
8. Install the printer driver. Mine were found in the list inlcuded with
Vista. Select the manufacturer and the printer. Click Next.
9. In the next window, accept the printer name or type in a new name. Leave
the "Set as default printer" box unchecked. Click Next.
10. Vista should now install the printer. A window should open saying
"You've successfully added printer name.
11. DO NOT Print a test page at this time, because nothing is connected to
the LPT1 port on the laptop. Just press Finish. The printer you just added
should appear in the Printers window.
12. Click ONCE on the newly added printer to highlight it, then right-click
and open Properties.
13. On the Ports tab, click Add Port…, select Local Port, then click New Port…
14. When the Port Name window open, Enter a port name as follows:
\\computername\printername
(replace computername with the name of your PC acting as print server, and
printername with the name of your printer). Click OK.
15. You should now have a new port listed on the Ports tab of the printer
Properties, but now the Description should be Local Port, instead of Client
Side Rendering Provider. Click OK.
16. Now you can go to the General tab, and Print a Test Page.

Hopefully, your test page will print. Then restart your computer to check
that the printer comes back online.

This procedure worked for me. Hope it works for you too. Let me know. Good
luck!
(PS: bi-directional printer support is enabled).
 
Paul,

Thank you so much. This method worked for me too - getting an Epson 760
printer on a (soon to be retired) Windows ME PC to print documents from a
Windows 'Vista Basic' laptop - and it stays on-line after switching off and
then on again! Amazing!

The things we have to do - jumping through hoops - to get Vista to work
properly! And how come Microsoft are'nt aware of these bug fixes (well - I
don't suppose they're too interested in the problems of Windows ME or 98
users any more).

Thanks again.

Howard

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