Windows 7: Printer sharing problem on Win7-64bit

I've been helping a friend with his home network. He has a new, high-end PC with 6GB of RAM and a printer connected via USB port. He had an installation of Windows 7 RC/32-bit that worked but had started shutting down intermittently as its eval period had expired. I did a new install of Windows 7 32-bit, and everything worked, his other two PC's could print to his shared printer. Then we noticed that his Windows was accessing only 3.5 gig of his machine's RAM, so he wanted the 64-bit version so he could use it all. I did a new install of Windows 7/64-bit, reinstalled his apps, shared his printer. But now his other PC's (one Windows 7 Home Prem, other XP/SP3) cannot see the printer. He has a Belkin draft-N-spec wifi router with good coverage; it serves DHCP addresses and apparently DNS name (see note). The Windows 7 PC's have both IPv4 and IPv6. From those PC's I can ping his PC by IP address just fine, but can't see it by name. I try to access his shared printer by a UNC address using his PC's IP address (e.g. \\192.168.1.4\PrinterName) but it fails with 0x00000569, "access denied".

Naturally I suspect something involving the 64-bit version of Windows 7, as that's all that has changed.

Note: all the IPconfig reports show the Belkin router as the DNS server, but I haven't yet gotten into it to see whether it actually is doing it. But I think it is, as Internet access works for all PC's.

I'm reviewing the Microsoft doc on sharing files & printers among different versions of Windows, but would appreciate any suggestions or pointers. Here are a few ideas I'm thinking about:
· Check whether Windows firewall on other PC(s) is blocking NetBIOS.
· Make sure NetBIOS name resolution is working on all three PC’s
· Try disabling IPV6 on the Windows 7 PC’s.
· DNS server (the Belkin router)? Try turning it off? Or make sure it has name entries for all three PC’s? Flush its cache?
· LLMNR? (only works in IPV6 on Vista/7 PC’s)
· Turn off “password protected sharing”
· Disable UAC?

TIA
Bob

A couple of things to check:

It's using a Home network, and file/printer sharing is enabled.
The x64 machine is part of the same workgroup or homegroup.
The users on the x64 machine are the same as the users on the other machines.
If not using the same users on all machines, verify the guest account on the x64 machine is enabled.

Welcome to SevenForums, Bob.

I have Windows 7 64 bit and 32 bit (Home Professional) running on three machines. Before I got the wireless printer, I shared with my wife's attached printer (Brother), and I now use both the wireless and wired network printers, so 64 bit isn't the problem here.

I have all the machines set up in the same Workgroup (not Homegroup), with "password protected sharing" turned off on all machines. Also, set the last field to "Users use user accounts and passwords to connect to other machines" instead of letting "Windows manage homegroup connections".

The printer was set to shared for everyone, all permissions on her machine, and I had to load the drivers in the other machines, as I recall.

IPv6 is only used (currently) for Homegroups, and it would appear that it is a bit flakey, or maybe the Homegroup software needs some work.

My settings in "Advanced Sharing Settings" (Control Panel > {small icons} > Network and Sharing Settings > Advanced sharing settings) are all of the top buttons are set except the bottom three - turn on the top three.

It seems that "password protected sharing" should be OK as long as all users exist on all three PC's with the same passwords - but I'll turn it off on all. I'm more & more suspicious of cached DNS entries on the Belkin router - I've downloaded its user guide and hopefully will find a way to flush its DNS cache and/or turn off DNS name resolution. I need to read some more on name resolution in mixed 7/XP networks.

Thanks all.

Bob