Need help or suggestions networking a printer

[Quitbuggingmeandgoaway]

Hello All, long time no post!

I am at my fiance's (we are getting married July 10, less than 2 weeks, more on that later!)

I am trying to network a printer. My fiance and I each have laptops and I have a desktop. The desktop is old (got it in 03) and runs XP. My laptop runs vista, and hers runs Windows 7. When we need to print at home, we have to hook up the printer to our laptops to print. Is there a way to make it networkable despite different OS's? Just curious - figured someone here knows more and I could use the help. Much appreciated and much love,

Quit!

[Der Cute]

Well, you have to have the printer shared.
And then have everyone's pc in the network access the printer.

Can you already share files with each other WITHOUT Mr. Printer?

[lordlundar]

NOTE: The following information will leave your system weakened to outside intrusion. If you really need to do this, then do so. Personally, I leave the settings off.


To start off with, you need to ensure that File and print sharing is active. This is a setting that makes it easier to access networked machines to share information and is built into Windows since win'95.

In XP, it is located through your connection properties. Open the Control Panel, open Network connections, and right click the connection you use and select Properties. Inside the small window that opens will be a bunch of items, and one will be partly labeled "File and Print Sharing". Make sure there is a check mark beside it. You have now ensured it's enabled.

For Windows Vista and 7, the procedure is different, but almost identical between the two. Once again, go into Control panel, open Network and Sharing center. Vista will have it on the display you see while Win7 you will have to select the Advanced Sharing setting on the left hand side of the window. In both cases you need to make sure Network Discovery and Print sharing is on. (Vista has it separate from file sharing while Win7 has them connected) Once selected, select Apply and those machines are now sharing enabled.

Next up is to ensure your computers are all in the same workgroup. This so they can see one another. XP will have the default MSHOME, while Vista and Win7 use WORKGROUP. To change it, in control panel select system, which will bring up a windo of the computer's information. In XP, select the tab Computer Name. Vista and Win7 will have a section below the Windows Experience Index that has the same info. Select Change settings on the right hand side. In the window, you select rename or rename PC depending on the setting and there will be an option to select a member of... Make sure workgroup is selected and input the name of the workgroup. It can be anything you want, but it must be the same name across all computers. Once done, select apply and restart the machine.

Once done, The next step is to enable the printer itself to be shared. In XP, you simply open the printer and fax item in XP, right click the printer you want to share and select the "Share..." option, then either follow the wizard (recommended) or choose to set it up yourself. If you choose the second option, you need to select to enable sharing, then give it a name. If other machines are using another OS, you can at this time choose to install additional drivers as well. Once complete, select OK and the printer can now be shared. Vista is almost identical to XP, just you will be going into "Hardware and sound" then "Printer" inside the control panel and there is no wizard. The procedure is beyond though is mainly the same.

Windows 7 is much different in getting to the settings, but not in configuration. Location of the printer is Hardware and Sound Then devices and printers. You will double click the printer you want to share and in the new window, select customize your printer. Select the sharing tab and then follow the above process for setting it up. Your printer can now be shared.

Finally it comes to other computers being able to see the machine, which is easy, because it's all Wizard driven. Go to your printer location (follow the above steps depending on your location. And right click in the window that is not an object. Select add printer then it will give you the option of selecting a direct connected printer or a networked printer. Select network printer and follow the directions. Select the printer, allow it to install the drivers, and then select if you want it as a default printer. Once the config is doe, so are you.

[crazylegs]

Moved to tech help...

[drunkenwildmage]

Personally, if it was me, I would get a print server..should run you around 50 - 75 bucks (US)..

[Naaman]

I had that issue printing from a Vista machine to a printer on and XP machine.

Turns out it was because Vista won't talk to the printer unless the UAC was switched on fully.

I just use sneaker-net now (I don't print that often)