WHY WON'T IT PRINT

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sandee
  • Start date Start date
S

Sandee

I have a Dell desktop computer & a Aser laptop, both running Vista Home
Premium. I have a HP Officejet 6110 all-in-one printer. I also have a
wireless router. From the desktop computer I can print just fine but I
cannot print from my laptop. I have tried Adding a New Printer. It runs
through all the steps. I have tried selecting "use an existing port" and
when that didn't work I started over and chose "create a new port". Both
times it looks like it is going to work. At the end you can choose to print
a test page." However, it never actually prints a test page. I do not get
any sort of error. If I go to file, print, it shows my hp6110 listed and it
is highlighted but nothing happens.
Can someone tell me exactly what I need to do to be able to print from my
laptop? I'm somewhat dense to all the terms and jargin so please be specific.
This forum is the only place I have ever been able to come to get answers
that really work.
Thank you.
 
Sandee said:
I have a Dell desktop computer & a Aser laptop, both running Vista Home
Premium. I have a HP Officejet 6110 all-in-one printer. I also have a
wireless router. From the desktop computer I can print just fine but I
cannot print from my laptop. I have tried Adding a New Printer. It runs
through all the steps. I have tried selecting "use an existing port" and
when that didn't work I started over and chose "create a new port". Both
times it looks like it is going to work. At the end you can choose to
print
a test page." However, it never actually prints a test page. I do not
get
any sort of error. If I go to file, print, it shows my hp6110 listed and
it is highlighted but nothing happens.
Can someone tell me exactly what I need to do to be able to print from my
laptop? I'm somewhat dense to all the terms and jargin so please be
specific. This forum is the only place I have ever been able to come to
get answers that really work.
Thank you.
Click to expand...

1. Is the printer connected directly to the network or to the desktop
computer?

2. If the latter, have you already set up file/printer sharing between your
two machines? Have you tested it successfully by transferring a file both
ways?

3. Did you go to HP's website and download Vista drivers for the printer?
Did you install them on the laptop (after setting up sharing if the printer
is connected to the desktop machine)?

Malke
 
Are you sure that the Vista driver for your 6110 is also installed on your
laptop?
Also make sure when you are trying to get it to work with your laptop that
your desktop is turned off so it does not try to connect through your
desktop.
 
Malke said:
1. Is the printer connected directly to the network or to the desktop
computer?

2. If the latter, have you already set up file/printer sharing between your
two machines? Have you tested it successfully by transferring a file both
ways?

3. Did you go to HP's website and download Vista drivers for the printer?
Did you install them on the laptop (after setting up sharing if the printer
is connected to the desktop machine)?

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!
Click to expand...

Here is what I know for sure (sort of)
The printer is connected directly to the desktop printer. Should I change
that? How?
I checked and both file sharing & printer sharing are on. However, it says
password required for printer sharing. I don't think I ever put in a
password when I set up the network. Is that causing me problems? Do I need
to do this? If so, how do I go back and change it? As far as checking to
see if file sharing is working, I am ebarrassed to say I don't know how to do
that.
Now for the driver question. While at my laptop, I went to the hp driver
download site and put in my printer model. I get the message "The driver
solution for this product is included in your Windows Vista operating system.
There is no need to download anything. Still not believing them, I did a HP
Driver diagnosis which said I am using the latest driver.
HINT When I click on file, then print like I said before the HP 6110 is
highlighted. But if I click on the find printer button on the right side of
the window, this is what happens - a window comes up with two selections,
Sandee PC & Sandee Notebook. If I select PC I get the message "PC is not
accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource.
Check with the administrator." That would be me.
If I select Notebook I get the message "Log in failure. User acct
restriction. Possible reason is blank password not allowed" So here we are
with the password problem I mentioned in the 2nd paragraph of this post.
Have I given you enough information to help me further? I am so lost.
 
If your PC and your laptop are not in the same workgroup you can not share
anything between them such as files or printers. And then of course both
the PC and the laptop have to be on and connected to the network to share
anything and you have to have set up for sharing those files or printers
that you want to share.
It would be different if your printer had either connected network and/or
wireless support since then it would be connected through your router so
that your desktop would not have to be turned on when you wanted to print
from your laptop.
 
Sandee wrote:

See comments inline:
Here is what I know for sure (sort of)
The printer is connected directly to the desktop printer. Should I change
that? How?
Click to expand...

If your printer is not a true network printer (has an ethernet port), then
you need to have it connected to one of the computers so the desktop is the
logical place for it.
I checked and both file sharing & printer sharing are on. However, it
says
password required for printer sharing. I don't think I ever put in a
password when I set up the network. Is that causing me problems? Do I
need
to do this? If so, how do I go back and change it? As far as checking to
see if file sharing is working, I am ebarrassed to say I don't know how to
do that.
Click to expand...

Follow the instructions at the end of this post. Do not be daunted by them;
simply take things one at a time and you'll be sharing files and the
printer in short order.
Now for the driver question. While at my laptop, I went to the hp driver
download site and put in my printer model. I get the message "The driver
solution for this product is included in your Windows Vista operating
system.
Click to expand...

That means that your printer is older and HP provided drivers to Microsoft
to be included with Vista. There is no reason not to believe HP about this.

You haven't set up file sharing properly and that's why you can't print.

Excellent, thorough, yet easy to understand article about File/Printer
Sharing in Vista. Includes details about sharing printers as well as files
and folders:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

For XP, start by running the Network Setup Wizard on all machines (see
caveat in Item A below).

Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally caused
by 1) a misconfigured firewall; or 2) inadvertently running two firewalls
such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party firewall; and/or 3)
not having identical user accounts and passwords on all Workgroup machines;
4) trying to create shares where the operating system does not permit it.

A. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network (LAN)
traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, this means allowing File/Printer
Sharing on the Exceptions tab. Normally running the Network Setup Wizard on
XP will take care of this for those machines.The only "gotcha" is that this
will turn on the XPSP2 Windows Firewall. If you aren't running a
third-party firewall or have an antivirus with "Internet Worm
Protection" (like Norton 2006/07) which acts as a firewall, then you're
fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually configure the LAN allowance
with an IP range. Ex. would be 192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you
would substitute your correct subnet. Do not run more than one firewall.

B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup. This
is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.

C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do not
need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the passwords
assigned to each user account can be different; the accounts/passwords just
need to exist and match on all machines. DO NOT NEGLECT TO CREATE A
PASSWORD, EVEN A SIMPLE ONE LIKE "PASSWORD". If you wish a machine to boot
directly to the Desktop (into one particular user's account) for
convenience, you can do this. The instructions at this link work for both
XP and Vista:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm

D. If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center, turn off
Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab).

E. Create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users' home
directories or Program Files, but you can share folders inside those
directories. A better choice is to simply use the Shared Documents folder.
See the first link above for details about Vista sharing.

F. After you have file sharing working (and have tested this by exchanging a
file between all machines), if you want to share a printer connected
locally to one of your computers, share it out from that machine. Then go
to the printer mftr.'s website and download the latest drivers for the
correct operating system(s). Install them on the target machine(s). The
printer should be seen during the installation routine. If it is not,
install the drivers and then use the Add Printer Wizard.

Malke
 
Malke said:
Sandee wrote:

See comments inline:


If your printer is not a true network printer (has an ethernet port), then
you need to have it connected to one of the computers so the desktop is the
logical place for it.


Follow the instructions at the end of this post. Do not be daunted by them;
simply take things one at a time and you'll be sharing files and the
printer in short order.


That means that your printer is older and HP provided drivers to Microsoft
to be included with Vista. There is no reason not to believe HP about this.

You haven't set up file sharing properly and that's why you can't print.

Excellent, thorough, yet easy to understand article about File/Printer
Sharing in Vista. Includes details about sharing printers as well as files
and folders:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

For XP, start by running the Network Setup Wizard on all machines (see
caveat in Item A below).

Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally caused
by 1) a misconfigured firewall; or 2) inadvertently running two firewalls
such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party firewall; and/or 3)
not having identical user accounts and passwords on all Workgroup machines;
4) trying to create shares where the operating system does not permit it.

A. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network (LAN)
traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, this means allowing File/Printer
Sharing on the Exceptions tab. Normally running the Network Setup Wizard on
XP will take care of this for those machines.The only "gotcha" is that this
will turn on the XPSP2 Windows Firewall. If you aren't running a
third-party firewall or have an antivirus with "Internet Worm
Protection" (like Norton 2006/07) which acts as a firewall, then you're
fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually configure the LAN allowance
with an IP range. Ex. would be 192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you
would substitute your correct subnet. Do not run more than one firewall.

B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup. This
is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.

C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do not
need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the passwords
assigned to each user account can be different; the accounts/passwords just
need to exist and match on all machines. DO NOT NEGLECT TO CREATE A
PASSWORD, EVEN A SIMPLE ONE LIKE "PASSWORD". If you wish a machine to boot
directly to the Desktop (into one particular user's account) for
convenience, you can do this. The instructions at this link work for both
XP and Vista:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm

D. If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center, turn off
Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab).

E. Create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users' home
directories or Program Files, but you can share folders inside those
directories. A better choice is to simply use the Shared Documents folder.
See the first link above for details about Vista sharing.

F. After you have file sharing working (and have tested this by exchanging a
file between all machines), if you want to share a printer connected
locally to one of your computers, share it out from that machine. Then go
to the printer mftr.'s website and download the latest drivers for the
correct operating system(s). Install them on the target machine(s). The
printer should be seen during the installation routine. If it is not,
install the drivers and then use the Add Printer Wizard.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!
Click to expand...
Malke,
You say "Don't Panic" Hah, easy for you to say. Anyway, I have spent my
entire evening on this and I still don't have it right. I followed your link
for the file sharing which I admit seems pretty straight forward. I have
printed it and I thought I had everything right. But somehow I am missing
some important aspects of setting up the file sharing. I can take a file,
click on Share and move it to the Public Folder. However, when I go to the
other computer, the laptop, I cannot find it.
I totally appreciate all the time you took to walk me through this but
unless you are planning on a trip to WI I think I'm dead in the water. The
other problem is we are leaving for vacation Friday morning. I really can't
spare anymore time trying to figure this out. I will have to resume this
after we get back.
Thank you again to everyone who has tried to help me with this.
 
If the systems are not in the same workgroup files or printers can not be
shared.
If in a hurry just email the files from one system to your email address on
the other system or dump them to a CD or flash drive.
 
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