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#11
Correct, it finds the printer over the network just fine, but I get the "Windows cannot locate a suitable driver" error when I try to install it over the network.
Same error in both directions. And in both cases I've offered it the 32 bit XP driver, the 64 bit Vista driver, and the HP "universal" driver...and it rejects all of them.
OK, install the VISTA drivers for the printer on the XP machine and you'll be fine :)
So really this means the system rejects the driver through auto detect and install, whilst if you install it manually (with printer attached directly, it works). And same when you try installing in Device Manager, when you right-click and update driver (assumming it shows up in Device manager with yellow exclaimation).
What does the driver folder look like? what if you attached the printer to the machine, install the driver and locate the folder where the driver resides. Maybe if you could copy this folder, and use it during browsing for the driver during network install.
Please keep in mind that you are not actually networking the printer,, you are sharing the printer,, there is a difference.
This might be a compatibility issue with that printer being shared between XP and 7.
That printer is also at least 5 years old.
After a bit of research, there are drivers that appear (by date) to be updated. But that doesn't mean that Sharing is compatible.
Last edited by Tepid; 17 Dec 2009 at 22:18.
Yes, networking a printer is through a network share, print hub or server or jetdirect or other, and you can connect to it different ways. (ie. IP, Printer Name, other)
Sharing a printer is tied to the PC it is being shared off of. Technically, by PC name\printer name. And if that PC is turned off, no printer access.
I just read in a Windows 7 book that if you run into "The server for <printer> does not have the correct printer driver installed", which is what I keep getting, that you should choose an HP 2880 printer from a manufacturers list.
But I can never reach that point. Once I click "Ok" to the above message, all I get is a chance to point it to the correct "inf" file. I do that, it rejects it, and dumps me back to the "Browse for a Printer" screen. It never gives me the chance to choose a printer from a list.
That is what i also said, however i would not use the term "network share". A network share is essentially "a mapping" of a location or folder, requiring a host eg. a server or a client (ie \\machine\folder) for which other machine can connect to that particular location over the network. Your second definition of sharing a printer is pretty much it.
@ Anthony2816: Can you do some screenshots at the point where it doesn work?