How to install printer over network?

aem · 17 Dec 2009

Anthony2816 said:

Right now I have the printer attached to the Win 7 machine, and I have the XP 32-bit drivers on a temp folder on the XP-32 machine. When I try to install the printer on the XP machine, it says it can't find the drivers. I point it to the folder with the XP 32-bit drivers, extracted and including the inf file, freshly downloaded from the HP support site, and it just gives the same message: "Windows cannot locate a suitable driver."

But if I plug the printer into this same XP machine...no problem, it works great, no drivers required.

If the printer is attached to your w7, how did the Xp machine pick up the printer, over the network? i'm not sure if the error message u get was indeed after the xp machine picks up the printer. Was it?

Anthony2816 · 17 Dec 2009

sunnybyfleet said:

What happens if the printer is plugged into the XP machine and shared there? Can you print from the Windows 7 machine?

No, when I try to install it over the network on the W7 machine I get the same ""Windows cannot locate a suitable driver." message.

Anthony2816 · 17 Dec 2009

aem said:

If the printer is attached to your w7, how did the Xp machine pick up the printer, over the network? i'm not sure if the error message u get was indeed after the xp machine picks up the printer. Was it?

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.

magicK · 17 Dec 2009

OK, install the VISTA drivers for the printer on the XP machine and you'll be fine :)

aem · 17 Dec 2009

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.

Tepid · 17 Dec 2009

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.

aem · 18 Dec 2009

Tepid said:

Please keep in mind that you are not actually networking the printer,, you are sharing the printer,, there is a difference.

Can you pls elaborate on this?

Essentially, a networkable printer is one that can be connected to with an IP. Sharing a printer, i'm not sure if you need an IP.

Tepid · 18 Dec 2009

aem said:

Tepid said:

Please keep in mind that you are not actually networking the printer,, you are sharing the printer,, there is a difference.

Can you pls elaborate on this?

Essentially, a networkable printer is one that can be connected to with an IP. Sharing a printer, i'm not sure if you need an IP.

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.

Anthony2816 · 18 Dec 2009

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.

aem · 19 Dec 2009

Tepid said:

aem said:

Tepid said:

Please keep in mind that you are not actually networking the printer,, you are sharing the printer,, there is a difference.

Can you pls elaborate on this?

Essentially, a networkable printer is one that can be connected to with an IP. Sharing a printer, i'm not sure if you need an IP.

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.

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?