Network Sharing with XP, Vista and 7?

[EvilOzzmess]

I have an old Dell Dimension 3000 running XP, a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop running Vista and now an Acer Aspire AS5738PG-6306 notebook running 7 and I want to be able to network all of them together over our FiOS wireless internet so that everybody can use our ONE printer, a Dell AIO 922.

Problem is I do not know if Vista and 7 can communicate with XP like this and since our printer is six years old, it does not support wireless so I NEED that XP desktop to manage this, but that means if XP and Vista and 7 cannot communicate together, this won’t work.

So, if this is possible I would really appreciate a point to the right direction on this (preferably with detailed instructions).



Thank you in advance!

 

[Barman58]

Should be no problem in networking the three systems here

first

• make sure that all are on the same ip subnet
• All are in the same workgroup
• the same usernames are present on all systems
• file and printer sharing are on on all systems
• network discovery on for all systems

then

share the printer on the xp system - using advanced sharing andset permissions to everyone

Also

you may need to add the vista/win7 drivers in the additional drivers section of the xp printer setup or install them on the relevent machines and point the port to the XP machine

 

[cottar]

sharing printer win xp and win 7

Thought this might be of use, pulling my hair out trying to share printer attached to pc running win xp with my HP laptop running win 7 till I found this, posted on another forum back in 2007 initially for vista but worked first time with my win 7.
Cottar

This is a great workaround to your problem...​

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Connecting to a Shared Printer on Windows XP via Windows Vista
​

Problem:
Your Windows Vista PC cannot connect and print to a “shared” printer, which is directly attached to a Windows XP PC, via your network.

Solution:

• Unplug your USB cable from the back of the Windows XP PC and plug the USB cable directly into your Windows Vista PC.
• The Windows Vista drivers for your printer should be automatically loaded and your printer will be installed on your Windows Vista PC. If this was successful, skip right to step 3.
  • If step 2 is not successful…

i. Download the Windows Vista printer driver for your printer from the manufacturer’s website.
1. If your printer’s manufacturer has not created a Vista driver yet, retry step 2.
ii. Install the driver on your Windows Vista PC. During installation, you’ll be prompted to connect the printer to your PC. Choose the option to proceed with installation without connecting the printer.

• After installation is complete, open the Printers icon in the Windows Vista Control Panel.
• Right-click on your printer that was just installed and choose Properties.
• Navigate to the Ports tab.
• Click Add Port, then select Local Port, then click New Port.
• For the Port Name, enter the exact network path and share name of your printer. (ex. - \\HOMEPC\Printer2)
• Click OK and make sure that this new port is selected with a check in the checkbox.
• Click Apply and then OK to close the printer properties.
• You should now be able to print from your Windows Vista PC to a shared printer located on your Windows XP PC.

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Thanks guys. I managed to get the three of them networked and all shared up, but unfortunately I am having absolutely no luck with the printer.

Vista said: “local print spool service is not running”, and 7 returned: 0x0000000d.

I tried the steps provided start to finish but it just will not cooperate. >_<

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Okay, well if this isn't irony... the printer will now print off of my 7 Notebook directly hooked up, however it refuses to work on the Vista (even considering it IS a Vista driver - same for the 7 64bit as there is NOT a 7 driver).

The 32bit Vista driver is straight from Dell, but won't work on the Vista 32bit, unlike the 64bit Vista driver I have running for the 7 64bit notebook.

So... what should I do? I accidentally installed the 64bit Vista driver onto the 32bit Vista laptop (but uninstalled/deleted it) and now I guess I totally messed it all up otherwise it would be working like my 7 on the 64bit Vista driver, right? :shock:

Edit: It says "this option is not available because the printer is currently not communicating".

 

[Barman58]

Do you have any suitable restore points on the Vista laptop that you can use to rewind the system to before you installed the x64 driver?

one other thing to try is to follow the instructions above for re-directing the printer port - but rather than use the PC name use the IP address this will sometimes help where WINS name resolution is not stable

 

[EvilOzzmess]

We should, and I will do that tonight when it's not in use.

Yeah, I tried that too. It just won't work, not even on my 7-x64 that WILL print when directly connected. I'm sure it's something I've done wrong, I just can't find it.

On the other hand, when I booted up the XP it immediately came up with: "Enable Bidirectional Communications Setting in the Printer Properties Dialogue". I went and tried, but I didn't see anything like that there?

Then it came up with "Spooler SubSystem App has encountered a problem and needs to close".

I have no idea what to make of those two. Anybody know what it's talking about?



EDIT: As for the network and filesharing itself: Both my Notebook and my mom's laptop can see and communicate with the XP desktop, but only my mom's laptop isn't seen or able to be connected to from the XP desktop. It's very weird and I don't know why this is happening. Any ideas?

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Okay, wait a second. I just tried printing a Word Document from the 7 Notebook while the printer was connected physically to the XP desktop, but instead of saying "communication not available" it said: "Windows cannot print due to a problem with the current printer setup" and then listed a slew of probable causes - none of which are relevant. However, it's a step closer.

The "port" I'm using is set to \\MASTER\AIO 922 so I know that works now, but there's just something else I'm not seeing preventing the Notebook from printing off of the XP network.

The Notebook lists TWO printers: Dell Photo AIO Printer 922 and Dell Photo AIO Printer 922 (Copy 1). The first brings up all of the options and such, but the (Copy 1) only brings up the print queue. Any ideas? Is that possibly why this Notebook cannot access/print to the XP?

Also, the printer name is different on the XP than on the 7. I have the XP set to "share this printer" but I DO NOT have the 7 set like that, nor the Vista. Are any of those the problem?

 

[computersplus]

is the XP machine home or Pro is the Vista laptop 32 or 64 bit

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Desktop is XP "Home Premium" 32bit.
Laptop is Vista "Home Premium" 32bit.
Notebook is 7 "Home Premium" 64bit.

 

[computersplus]

ok does the XP desktop have the printer connected to it you want to share

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Yes

 

[computersplus]

are you able to print ok on that machine now

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Yes

 

[computersplus]

ok and you have it set to share

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Yep

 

[computersplus]

ok on the XP machine in system properties make note of your workgroup name usually MSHOME

 

[EvilOzzmess]

It's "HOMEGROUP" on all three systems.

 

[computersplus]

you can't use homegroup for this situation please rename you workgroup

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Because of the Printer? All three are currently networked with "HOMEGROUP". Just trying to clarify...