Networking advice needed, please

[Midnight Blue]

I have set up a network between my laptop running Vista and my destop running XP (which is plugged into the wireless router).

After a few problems, which I cured by turning off the windows firewall (my router is fully protected), I can wirelessly transfer stuff from the shared folder on the desktop to the laptop but I cannot connect to the printer, which is attached to the desktop. I just get 'access denied'.

I can see the printer driver and can open its properties from laptop and from that I have come to the conclusion that it is because 'everyone' can print but only the desktop administrator can manage the printer. I have tried to access security from the desktop but it does not have a 'security' tab.

When I ran the network wizard on the desktop(which I had to do to share the printer) it wanted me to make a network disk to install on other computers on the network which ran on different Windows systems. TBH I doubt I could find a floppy disk and it gave me no other option! Is this the root of my problem? As I said, I have no problem accessing the files, just not the printer!

I can continue to print by transferring files by memory stick or even carry the laptop upstairs and plug into the USB but .... I've started so I would like to finsh!!!

Cheers

 

[red]

Sounds like you're getting there Pat, I'd ignore the floppy disk part too since if you share the printer manually rather than following the wizard you'll not see a message like this.

One thought that springs to mind; The printer is installed and connected on a machine running XP, have you made sure the printer driver you are using on the laptop is actually supported on Vista? If not then that may be the issue, also check that the printer was installed as 'Administrator' i.e. elevated privileges on the Laptop.

It sounds to me that it's more likely to be to do with the Vista machine.

When setting up the shared printer you can add additional drivers to it to support other operating systems as by default it will probably only share the XP driver. One thing I'm unsure of is if you are able to share a driver for a newer system from an older system but I'd be surprised if you couldn't!

 

[red]

1. Unplug your USB cable from the back of the Windows XP PC and plug the USB cable directly into your Windows Vista PC.
2. The Windows Vista drivers for your printer should be automatically loaded and your printer will be installed on your Windows Vista PC. If this was successful, skip right to step 3.
If step 2 is not successful then:

i. Download the Windows Vista printer driver for your printer from
the manufacturers website.

ii. Install the driver on your Windows Vista PC. During installation, youll be prompted to connect the printer to your PC.
Choose the option to proceed with installation without connecting the printer.

3. After installation is complete, open the Printers icon in the Windows Vista Control Panel.
4. Right-click on your printer that was just installed and choose Properties.
5. Navigate to the Ports tab.
6. Click Add Port, then select Local Port, then click New Port.
7. For the Port Name, enter the exact network path and share name of your printer. (ex. - \\HOMEPC\Printer2) 8. Click OK and make sure that this new port is selected with a check in the checkbox.
9. Click Apply and then OK to close the printer properties.
10. You should now be able to print from your Windows Vista PC to a shared printer located on your Windows XP PC.

That sounds reasonable if you are still having issues.. worth a try.

 

[Midnight Blue]

Matt - you star !! :happee:

Installed new local port with the network path and it prints!!

I owe you a beer - thanks.

 

[red]

No problem!

Happy to help :thumbs:

 

[Midnight Blue]

Matt, need your help again, please !!

Old XP desktop has now been replaced by one running Windows 7. I now have the same problem as before trying to connect to the printer.

My old much loved Epson is now attached to the new PC via a 36 pin parallel to USB cable. I just get 'access is denied' when I try to add a new local port on the lappy. They are not password protected because I turned that off.

Any ideas?

 

[Midnight Blue]

I got there in the end (no thanks to Microsoft online help!) Can now print from lappy again :-D

 

[red]

Excellent Pat, I did read this the other day whilst out and about and meant to get round to replying!

Glad you got it sussed!

 

[Midnight Blue]

Cheers Matt - I've almost worn the stair carpet out running up and down between computers! ..... might have made more sense to take the lappy upstairs (but it's warmer down here!) :-D