How to install printer over network?

[Anthony2816]

I have two computers, one with Windows 7 64-bit, and one with XP 32-bit.

If I plug my HP Color Laserjet 2550L into either computer, it works fine from that computer. But if I go to the other computer and try to install it over the network, it tells me it can't find a driver for it...even though the printer was previously installed on it!

How the heck does this work? Is it impossible for these two computers to share a printer?

 

[aem]

You could obtain the printer's IP and install it via tcp/ip method.

Start > Device and Printers

Click "Add a Printer" from tool bar

Select "Add a Network, .... Printer"

Abandone the search by clicking "The pringer that i want isn't listed".

Select "Add a printer using tcp/ip address or Hostname", Next.

From there you just in the IP address and wait for the system to find.

....

For the drivers, you will need to select the Have disk and browse to your CD/DVD.

 

[Anthony2816]

I don't have any problem seeing the printer on the other machine. The problem is with the last line of your post: When I click on the printer I want to install over the network, it tells me that it will automatically install a driver.
But when I continue, it says that "The server for the printer does not have the correct printer driver installed", and allows me to search for the driver.

When I direct it to the driver, it keeps saying "Windows cannot locate a suitable driver."

It seems to be a conflict based on the fact that one machine is running Windows 7 64-bit, and the other is XP 32-bit.

Beyond that, I don't know what to do.

 

[aem]

Well if the issue is with 64Bit or the driver, than you need to deal with that. If you nor the vendor don't have a suitable driver for 64Bit, and nothing else works, what can you do?

The way i described is for insalling a printer over the network, assumably with working drivers.

 

[Anthony2816]

But I have the appropriate drivers. If I plug the printer into a USB port on the Windows 7 64-bit computer, it functions fine. If I plug the printer into a USB port on the Windows XP 32-bit computer, it functions fine.

I just can't install it over the network on either machine.

 

[sunnybyfleet]

Hmmm, so what you are saying is that it wants the x64 bit drivers to be installed on thex32 machine? I've only ever networked network printers that connect to the network via ethernet, so have no experience of your exact problem. However, I am aware that HP now do a universal print driver. Have you tried using that instead?

 

[Anthony2816]

Yes, I've tried the universal driver, but still get that "Windows cannot locate a suitable driver." message.

Have also tried talking to HP tech support, but their Indians offered no help.

 

[aem]

But I have the appropriate drivers. If I plug the printer into a USB port on the Windows 7 64-bit computer, it functions fine. If I plug the printer into a USB port on the Windows XP 32-bit computer, it functions fine.

I just can't install it over the network on either machine.

Is the driver a single .exe file which when u executed it, it also installs a utility that you use with the printer's functions?

If so, what you might need to do is to unzip this .exe to produce a folder of files, which may contain .sys, .inf files etc.

 

[Anthony2816]

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.

 

[sunnybyfleet]

What happens if the printer is plugged into the XP machine and shared there? Can you print from the Windows 7 machine? I did read your original post but am not 100% sure from it if you have tried it both ways.

The only time I ever got a similar issue to yours was when I was using a remote desktop, but that quite clearly is not an issue here.

 

[aem]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[aem]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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?