Win7 64 bit sharing printer

[Bob Fay]

I have just obtained a new notebook with Win7 64 bit on board, My desktop
computer is running XP and is not capable of running Win7. On my home
network I can share files from XP on the Win7 machine, but not from the Win7
to XP. My printer is connected to the XP desktop. Is there any way that I
can share this printer with the Win7 64 bit notebook.

Bob

 

[Annie Woughman]

I have just obtained a new notebook with Win7 64 bit on board, My desktop
computer is running XP and is not capable of running Win7. On my home
network I can share files from XP on the Win7 machine, but not from the
Win7 to XP. My printer is connected to the XP desktop. Is there any way
that I can share this printer with the Win7 64 bit notebook.

Bob

I had a horrible time getting my two 64 bit laptops to print from a printer
hooked to an XP machine. The way I finally got them to work was to first
add the printer to the laptop by physically plugging the the printer into a
USB port on the laptop. Windows 7 will "plug and play" the printer for you.
Then, I had to remover the USB cord from the laptop and plug it back into
the desktop. After doing that, I clicked on the properties of the printer
(in the laptop) and reassigned it's port to the network location of the
printer, ie, \\computername\printer name

 

[Michael Walraven]

Was that an HP printer by any chance, I have found that procedure necessary
for many of the installations of HP devices. Never had to do it for any
other maker. It is one reason I recommend anything but HP for systems I am
going to have to maintain. (The printers themselves are fine machines, just
installing them give me fits - could be me of course).

Michael

 

[KCB]

I have just obtained a new notebook with Win7 64 bit on board, My desktop
computer is running XP and is not capable of running Win7. On my home
network I can share files from XP on the Win7 machine, but not from the
Win7 to XP. My printer is connected to the XP desktop. Is there any way
that I can share this printer with the Win7 64 bit notebook.

Bob

I have also had problems sharing files, but had no such problem connecting
the printer. My wife uses XP/SP3, and I just built a Win7/64 system. I can
see her shared folders, but she can't see mine. But, the Printer is shared,
and connected USB to her desktop. On my Win7 machine, I clicked Devices and
Printers, Add a Printer at the top, then selected Network Printer and it was
right there. These two are connected to the network via Ethernet through a
Cisco WRT54G. She also has a wireless Vista machine that connects to the
printer, without issues.

 

[c.d.]

I have also had problems sharing files, but had no such problem connecting
the printer. My wife uses XP/SP3, and I just built a Win7/64 system. I
can see her shared folders, but she can't see mine. But, the Printer is
shared, and connected USB to her desktop. On my Win7 machine, I clicked
Devices and Printers, Add a Printer at the top, then selected Network
Printer and it was right there. These two are connected to the network
via Ethernet through a Cisco WRT54G. She also has a wireless Vista
machine that connects to the printer, without issues.

i also had the same problem. same setup as OP. what i found out after a long
time of looking was that in my case, i had to install the 64 bit printer
driver on the xp sp3 which is hardwired to the printer ,(hp 3050 )in order
for it to find and install the network driver. the weird thing is that on
my laptop...win7 64, it found the driver but the other desktop win7 64 did
not..

 

[John McGaw]

I have just obtained a new notebook with Win7 64 bit on board, My desktop
computer is running XP and is not capable of running Win7. On my home
network I can share files from XP on the Win7 machine, but not from the Win7
to XP. My printer is connected to the XP desktop. Is there any way that I
can share this printer with the Win7 64 bit notebook.

Bob

Based on personal experience, on a mixed network one is always better off
with a "real" networked printer -- this can be one with networking built in
or one with an external print server. I've had my LaserJet 5P with NetGear
PS101 mini-server and Dell color laser with built-in network port on a
mixed network using XP 32, Vista 64, and W7 64, and an occasional bout
with Linux with absolutely zero problems -- it just works (and it doesn't
depend on certain equipment being turned on all the time). A print server
can be very inexpensive and can save hours or days of frustration.

 

[Annie Woughman]

Was that an HP printer by any chance, I have found that procedure
necessary for many of the installations of HP devices. Never had to do it
for any other maker. It is one reason I recommend anything but HP for
systems I am going to have to maintain. (The printers themselves are fine
machines, just installing them give me fits - could be me of course).

Michael

Yes, it is a HP LaserJet 1300. We also have an HP Color LaserJet CP1518ni
that was a piece of cake to install because it is a network printer. Until
I got the other two machines working on the 1300, I thought I was going to
have to just settle for letting them print to it. (which I didn't want to
do because the 1300 is cheaper for toner because it is black and white and
most of our casual printing and "test" printing is black and white) And yes,
the HP printers are good machines, just a pain in the butt to get working on
a network.

 

[Michael Walraven]

I have a theory that HP wants to 'copy protect' its software by requiring
the user to physically have the printer in order to complete the
installation. No proof of course, I alternate my theories between conspiracy
and incompetence :}

Michael

 

[chrisv]

I have just obtained a new notebook with Win7 64 bit on board, My desktop
computer is running XP and is not capable of running Win7. On my home
network I can share files from XP on the Win7 machine, but not from the
Win7 to XP. My printer is connected to the XP desktop. Is there any way
that I can share this printer with the Win7 64 bit notebook.

Be sure you setup a Workgroup (mixed systems) instead of a Homegroup (all W7
systems).

 

[Bob Fay]

Well, so far I have a giant headache.
I connected the printer to my notebook with the win7 and the HP5150 printer
worked fine.
When I try to install a driver in the XP desktop, I realize that I don't
know the name of the driver in the Win7 machine and I don't know where to
put it in the XP machine.
Any help and some aspirin would sure be appreciated.

Bob

 

[Annie Woughman]

Well, so far I have a giant headache.
I connected the printer to my notebook with the win7 and the HP5150
printer worked fine.
When I try to install a driver in the XP desktop, I realize that I don't
know the name of the driver in the Win7 machine and I don't know where to
put it in the XP machine.
Any help and some aspirin would sure be appreciated.

Bob

If the printer was already working on the XP machine, it shouldn't need a
driver. Just plug the printer back into the same USB port it was using and
it should work fine. The tricky part is typing the correct path in your
laptop when you change the properties of that machine to get it to find the
printer through your network. It will be something like
\\nameofcomputer(that the printer is connected to)\nameofprinter

If you look in the control panel of the XP machine under Printers and Faxes,
right click on the printer and click on the general and you will see the
name of the printer.

 

[Bob Fay]

Thanks to all for your help.
Apparently HP does not have a suitable driver for Win 7. Win7 uses some
universal driver to handle this printer. It is supposed to be limited in its
functions. When I seek the printer in my XP machine, Windows7 wants a driver
that it cannot find. A long USB extension cord will do the job for now.

Thanks again,

Bob

 

[Tom]

i also had the same problem. same setup as OP. what i found out after a long
time of looking was that in my case, i had to install the 64 bit printer
driver on the xp sp3 which is hardwired to the printer ,(hp 3050 )in order
for it to find and install the network driver. the weird thing is that on
my laptop...win7 64, it found the driver but the other desktop win7 64 did
not..

Win7 has become a real pain in the ass.
When my son forst bought his new DT with W7 the trouble started.

I shut off the firewalls and AVG's
W7 could see the XP network but not connect to it. Well it did one time and
hasn't since. I installed the LLTD beacon and the XP machines show up in the W7
map but it can't connect to the XP shares. Sometimes the XP printer shows up but
when I send a job to it it never shows up in the XP spool.

XP can see the shared W7 folder but W7 can't see XP, hardly ever.

Leave it to MS to mess up a perfectly good system like XP so they could make W7
pretty.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have just obtained a new notebook with Win7 64 bit on board, My desktop
computer is running XP and is not capable of running Win7. On my home
network I can share files from XP on the Win7 machine, but not from the
Win7 to XP. My printer is connected to the XP desktop. Is there any way
that I can share this printer with the Win7 64 bit notebook.

Bob

I have a small network with at least three different Windows versions, XP,
Vista and 7. I've found that the most reliable solution for networked
printing in a mixed environment was a $100 Samsung network laser printer.
With this, only the system I want to print from has to be turned on.

I often have to specifically search for the other systems, though if I've
mapped a drive by name, it works more reliably than via the UI.

 

[Annie Woughman]

Thanks to all for your help.
Apparently HP does not have a suitable driver for Win 7. Win7 uses some
universal driver to handle this printer. It is supposed to be limited in
its functions. When I seek the printer in my XP machine, Windows7 wants a
driver that it cannot find. A long USB extension cord will do the job for
now.

Thanks again,

Ah, I know what you are doing wrong--you are still trying to let Windows
install your printer for you. Your printer is already installed--you are
using it aren't you--through the USB. What you need to do is get it to
print through YOUR NETWORK--this has nothing to do with drivers.

First, go to Start, then Devices & Printers. Your printer will be listed.
Right click on it and choose PRINTER PROPERTIES. Once that menu opens click
on the Ports tab. Then click on the Add Port button. Highlight LOCAL Port
from the popup and then click on the NEW PORT. A box opens that says Enter
port name. This is where you type the path through your network to your
printer. You will have to enter the name of the computer that this printer
is attached to. The path will look something like this: \\gateway\hp
LaserJet 1300

I used my own pathway as an example. The name of the computer that my
printer is on is "gateway" The printer is an HP LaserJet 1300. This is the
tricky part. This pathway has to be typed exactly right to tell your laptop
where to find that computer on the network. Look in the computer that your
printer is install on and see what it is named there--that is how it will
have to be typed. It might take a few tries to get it typed exactly right,
but it will get you to that printer.

Good luck. If I can do it, you can do it. You just have to slug it out
with these machines until you get it right.

 

[Bob Fay]

Thanks Annie for not giving up on this. I have followed your directions and
the final word from Win7 is that it cannot find the driver. It goes through
a routine of checking windows update. Then is displays the message that
*.inf(unknown) is needed. I just don't have the experience to find the
driver and know where to put it in the xp machine. Maybe it is just this
*.inf file that is needed in the xp desktop. You have to give great credit
to MS for making all our networks useless.

Bob

 

[Bob Fay]

It is working now! I deleted the printer from the XP machine and reinstalled
the HP 5100. Went back to the Win7 and everything worked as you described.
Thanks again Annie and all the others that helped. Success is so sweet!

Bob

 

[Annie Woughman]

See there--I knew you could do it. I don't know how many times I slugged it
out with my laptop and printer before I got them working together (my
printer is attached to an XP machine too.) I have found that a step-by-step
instruction works best for me too.

 

[Lord Vetinari]

See there--I knew you could do it. I don't know how many times I slugged
it out with my laptop and printer before I got them working together (my
printer is attached to an XP machine too.) I have found that a
step-by-step instruction works best for me too.

It's so weird. I mean, I've NEVER had any of these problems, no matter what
OS/hardware I used.

Damned good of you guys to post your trials and tribulations, though. We
all need help, now and again.