Printing via Network Vista & XP

[JDragon]

Maybe someone here can help me with this.

I'm trying to set up my new Vista laptop to be able to print to my networked printer that is shared from my XP Desktop.

I have a wireless network, with the printer connected directly to my Win XP Home SP 2 desktop via USB. Its set up to be shared and both the other desktop and my 1st laptop (both running win xp home SP 2) can print to it.

When I try to set it up on the Vista machine, I can see it on the network but get an "Access Denied" error message when I try to connect to it. I have some drives networked between the Vista and XP machines which work fine.

I've tried looking at the help stuff in Vista and a little on Microsoft's site and found nothing.

Any suggestions?

TIA!

JD

 

[SteelDraco]

Are you in the same workgroup with the Vista machine? I believe, with the default network printer settings, you can't print from outside the workgroup.

Did you go through the Vista equivalent of the Add a Printer wizard? That's always been pretty successful for me. I believe it'll still be under Start->Settings->Printers, but I don't really know Vista yet. Might check there. If that doesn't work, browse to the printer on the network, right-click on it, and hit Install Printer. That should do about the same thing.

If that doesn't work, you might be dealing with wonkiness, either from XP not knowing how to share a printer to Vista, or from more general networking issues between XP and Vista. There's quite a bit of difference behind the scenes, so mixing the two might well cause some oddities.

 

[JDragon]

Are you in the same workgroup with the Vista machine? I believe, with the default network printer settings, you can't print from outside the workgroup.

Did you go through the Vista equivalent of the Add a Printer wizard? That's always been pretty successful for me. I believe it'll still be under Start->Settings->Printers, but I don't really know Vista yet. Might check there. If that doesn't work, browse to the printer on the network, right-click on it, and hit Install Printer. That should do about the same thing.

If that doesn't work, you might be dealing with wonkiness, either from XP not knowing how to share a printer to Vista, or from more general networking issues between XP and Vista. There's quite a bit of difference behind the scenes, so mixing the two might well cause some oddities.

Yes they are on the same work group, along with all the PC's in the house.

I have run the Add Printer as well as just trying to add it through the network connection / both end in the same result of the "Access Denied"

I think it may be a setting somewhere or the wonkiness of crossing XP & Vista as you mentioned.

I just figure enough people have multiple PC's these days that someone out there has to have successfully done what I'm trying.

Thanks

JD

 

[Mercule]

I had a similar issue and bitched at Vista for weeks. Then I realized it was a firewall setting issue. Check that.

 

[JDragon]

I had a similar issue and bitched at Vista for weeks. Then I realized it was a firewall setting issue. Check that.

Thanks. Good idea I had not thought of that, but no go.

For a short test I turned off the Firewall on my XP Desktop that has the printer connected to it. Rebooted the PC and tried again. Still getting the same error.

Thanks for the thought.

JD

 

[useridunavailable]

You could try this (Google search, got it on Cnet). Apparently there are some widely-experienced conflicts... (Who woulda' thunk it? Heh...)

"Go to Control Panel. Choose printer. Then choose Add Printer.

Choose Add a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in the drop down box is Local Port. Do not change that. Click Next.

A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name. Type in the \\computer name\printer name ie. My computer's name is basement and the printer name is EpsonSty so I typed in \\basement\epsonsty

Yahoo! It worked. Go figure! I guess Microsoft thinks printers on a intranet are local.

I hope this helps, I scoured many forums b4 finding this fix. Microsoft's support docs and HP's tech support were no help."

 

[JDragon]

You could try this (Google search, got it on Cnet). Apparently there are some widely-experienced conflicts... (Who woulda' thunk it? Heh...)

"Go to Control Panel. Choose printer. Then choose Add Printer.

Choose Add a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in the drop down box is Local Port. Do not change that. Click Next.

A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name. Type in the \\computer name\printer name ie. My computer's name is basement and the printer name is EpsonSty so I typed in \\basement\epsonsty

Yahoo! It worked. Go figure! I guess Microsoft thinks printers on a intranet are local.

I hope this helps, I scoured many forums b4 finding this fix. Microsoft's support docs and HP's tech support were no help."

You my friend ROCK!

That did it, just finished printing the test page.

Thanks a million. I have friend that was having the same issue so we should be able to get his up and running this weekend.

Thanks

JD

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

You my friend ROCK!

That did it, just finished printing the test page.

Thanks a million. I have friend that was having the same issue so we should be able to get his up and running this weekend.

Thanks

JD

Curses, just as I was about to give my snarky insert Linux CD and reinstall answer too

 

[useridunavailable]

You my friend ROCK!

That did it, just finished printing the test page.

Thanks a million. I have friend that was having the same issue so we should be able to get his up and running this weekend.

Thanks

JD

Glad I could be of help.