Networking from Printer attached to Win XP PC to Win 7

[Teensie]

Super solution !!

After confusing the IT department with my WIN 7 laptop and wanting to print through a wireless network connection to a printer on an XP OS machine (DESKJET 5550) - THIS was the perfect solution to create a NEW PORT.

My IT guys think I am some clever buff .......... THANKS A MILLION

 

[zamar21]

Hi there
I've posted on this before but to share Printers attached to XP computers with either X-64 or X-32 versions of W7 is SIMPLE.
Cheers
jimbo

Hi jimbo! I realise, you posted it for Win 7 and XP, but I have similar task to use a USB printer, connected to Win 7 x64, from a Win 98 PC, and your method doesn't work: I can't connect to the printer, despite I can share files btw these PCs from both ends after setting it up as described here. I created a local printer in Win 98, changed its port to the shared printer in Win 7, but it remains Offline no matter what I do. Any suggestions?

 

[Len0chka]

Jimbo45, thank you so, SO, SO much! I called tech support and THEY couldn't help me, but you did!

 

[dreamingtreejen]

Not Workign for me!

Hi- I see how this has worked for everyone else - but I cannot get it to work for me!

I have a Dell running XP as the "home" computer, and an acer connected on the network running Vista, and then an Acer running Windows 7.

The computer running vista connected to the network and picked up the shared computer no problem.

The computer running 7 will not pick up the shared printer no matter how I do it.
Setting up via network will not find the driver (similar to the same problem everyone else notes here).

Setting up as a Local computer as recommended in this thread gets as far as choosing the driver to install and will not complete further than that, stuck on "installing printer"

I downloaded the driver separately and tried to install directly on this computer via usb and it freezers on "installing updates".

Will I be able to network with my printer?? It's a Dell 966 AIO

 

[zamar21]

dreamingtreejen

Download the latest driver version from the printer manufacturer's website (make sure it matches 32-or-64bit Win version) and install it on Win7 PC as a local printer. Generic printer drivers included with each Windows version may not fully support your particular printer.

When computers are networked, and a USB printer is hooked up to one of them, you can install its drivers (corresponding to the OS version) on each of the other PCs, thus delivering a choice of control software: controlling a remotely accessed printer from accessing it over network OR physically connected to it computer.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I've posted on this before but to share Printers attached to XP computers with either X-64 or X-32 versions of W7 is SIMPLE.
Cheers
jimbo

Hi jimbo! I realise, you posted it for Win 7 and XP, but I have similar task to use a USB printer, connected to Win 7 x64, from a Win 98 PC, and your method doesn't work: I can't connect to the printer, despite I can share files btw these PCs from both ends after setting it up as described here. I created a local printer in Win 98, changed its port to the shared printer in Win 7, but it remains Offline no matter what I do. Any suggestions?

Hi there
I'm afraid that Win 98 is a bit past my experience. Networking etc is different so I've got no idea --also USB support was if existant at all somewhat "experimental" on W98.

Sorry but you are on your own on this one.

A possible solution might be to create a W2K virtual machine on your W98 box and use THAT VM to do all the printing.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Club 210]

For Art in WPB
After 3 MONTHS of banging my head against the wall over this issue I happened on your post. I have a HP Photosmart 7350 which requires the driver of the 5550 you mentioned to work in Windows 7. Couldn't get my laptop with XP to accept drivers by any means until I added the (HPA ) suffix to the WIN 2K_XP file as you suggested. Set up printer as a Netwok printer as instructed and am printing and feeling great. This rather obscure fix solved my problem.
Thank you for doing the work!!

 

[art in WPB]

Glad you were able to get it to work, Club 210. I know there's a 'general' solution out there somewhere - this one is pretty specific - but I don't have enough variety of printers and scanners to create the more general solution. Anyone?

 

[hjj]

Win98 and Windows 7

@Zamar21: It works for me, between a Windows 7 and a Win98 computer.
However, the Win98 computer has a printer attached, whereas in your lay-out it's the other way round.
So I can't help you there, I'm afraid.

Kind regards,

HJJ

 

[rodglenn]

Hi. A big thanks for your solution, it works great. Just got a new windows 7 computer & couldn't figure out how to share the printer. Because we use it to print cheques, it's kind of important. Once again. "Thanks"
Rod

Hi there
I've posted on this before but to share Printers attached to XP computers with either X-64 or X-32 versions of W7 is SIMPLE. These instructions are for the Printer attached to the XP machine (but works in reverse as well).

("Stand alone" Network printers can be done slightly similarly BTW).

assume the computers are call XPMACHINE and W7MACHINE.

1) Ensure Printer on XP machine is shared - assume it's called SHAREDPRINTER.

2) On the Network Browsing on your W7 machine ensure you can "See" the Printer share.

Now on the W7 machine do the following (doesn't matter if it's X-86 or x-64).

3) Control Panel==> add LOCAL (Yes LOCAL) printer. I know it's on a Network but hold your horses -- what we are actually doing is "Poodlefaking" the W7 machine into thinking it's running the printer.

4) Create NEW port==>Local port

5) Portname is \\XPMACHINE\SHAREDPRINTER

6) Now W7 will load a driver and you'll be able to print on the XP machine.

Simple

(For a "Network stand alone printer") at 4) chose TCPIP port
and at 5) enter the IP address.


If the printer is on the W7 machine and you want to print on the XP machine then do the same instructions on the XP machine --
port name in this case will be \\W7MACHINE\SHAREDPRINTER

Cheers
jimbo

 

[tolinho]

Thanks

I also want to thank this brilliant mind what shared this solution with us
I normally would go to \\computername and hit conect to install the printer.
This always worked betwin xp machines.

Now that I have a windows 7, I needed to install the shared printer installed on XP on to Win7.

No drivers on epson site and I way getting error trying to install the way I mentioned above.

Finally I found this thread as shorted it out.
Thanks a million

 

[ferdilouw]

Thanks - solved problem

jimbo45, your instructions are heaven sent!
I struggled over 2 days getting to print from Win7 PC onto the XP connected printer without success.
I changed the workgroup and homegroup,
I tried standard TCP/IP ports and virtual USB ports,
went thru lots of checklists and instructions,
then your's solved my problem in minutes!

It seems MS still doesn't address this problem in their help/support sites!

Thanks

 

[jbjewitt]

WOW - that is spot on. I struggled all last weekend on this and nobody anywhere could come up with anything. My original post

http://www.sevenforums.com/network-sharing/203243-cant-install-hp-2015d-network.html

should have been more general. But thanks for a very simple workaround.

Jeff

 

[the1paulcole]

This is probably the best piece of advice I've had in a long time... I was getting ready to drop the printer out of a 2nd floor window I was that frustrated with it. Don't know how many different drivers and methods I used trying to install this damned HP 5225 across the network from an XP machine! Simple solution but certainly not obvious. Thank you for saving my company £1000 on a new printer!

 

[jimbo45]

This is probably the best piece of advice I've had in a long time... I was getting ready to drop the printer out of a 2nd floor window I was that frustrated with it. Don't know how many different drivers and methods I used trying to install this damned HP 5225 across the network from an XP machine! Simple solution but certainly not obvious. Thank you for saving my company £1000 on a new printer!

Hi there
I should send an invoice !!!!

Glad it all worked for you

Sometimes the easiest solutions are the hardest to find !!!

Cheers
jimbo

 

[anotherbri]

Hi everyone,

I have a HP C8180 Photosmart printer that would not work with my new Windows 7 pc. I did the research, went thru HP online and downloaded the newer drivers and everything seems to be okay with my new machine so far. BUT, since I did that, my son's Vista pc will not connect to the printer. He uninstalls his driver and re-installs it in order to connect to the printer. He has to do this on every re-start now.

My question is this: If he updates his driver thru HP online for his Vista pc the way I did for my Windows 7 pc, will it change anything on the printer that might screw up my connection or functionality with it???

The Vista driver is clearly a different driver than the Windows 7 driver on the HP website. I'm just wondering if downloading another driver on a different pc changes anything in the printer itself, or just on the pc.

Thank you.

 

[covino]

My problem is that my printer is an HP Laserjet 4 plus. Hp wants me to upgrade. Honestly I can't find a driver that will use that shared printer off an XP Prro PC.... to save my life!! HP says .... Migrate & Upgrade

 

[mbeard1701]

Still doesn't work

I have a Dell XPS 4150 XP Pro machine with a Canon MP530 printer attached. This printer is shared and works just fine on the 3 other XP machines that I have. However it will not work with the 4 Win 7 machines. You state:

1) Ensure Printer on XP machine is shared - assume it's called SHAREDPRINTER.

2) On the Network Browsing on your W7 machine ensure you can "See" the Printer share.

What if the Win 7 machine DOES NOT "See" the printer share? It is obviously shared as it is seen on the three XP machines. I have tried to enter \\DELL4150\MP530 (which is the computer name and printer name) but it always asks me for the "Windows Security, Enter Network Password, Username and Password" even though I have NEVER set any passwords on any of these computers.

HELP please!

 

[zonkr68]

Thank You!

Hi there
I've posted on this before but to share Printers attached to XP computers with either X-64 or X-32 versions of W7 is SIMPLE. These instructions are for the Printer attached to the XP machine (but works in reverse as well).

("Stand alone" Network printers can be done slightly similarly BTW).

assume the computers are call XPMACHINE and W7MACHINE.

1) Ensure Printer on XP machine is shared - assume it's called SHAREDPRINTER.

2) On the Network Browsing on your W7 machine ensure you can "See" the Printer share.

Now on the W7 machine do the following (doesn't matter if it's X-86 or x-64).

3) Control Panel==> add LOCAL (Yes LOCAL) printer. I know it's on a Network but hold your horses -- what we are actually doing is "Poodlefaking" the W7 machine into thinking it's running the printer.

4) Create NEW port==>Local port

5) Portname is \\XPMACHINE\SHAREDPRINTER

6) Now W7 will load a driver and you'll be able to print on the XP machine.

Simple

(For a "Network stand alone printer") at 4) chose TCPIP port
and at 5) enter the IP address.


If the printer is on the W7 machine and you want to print on the XP machine then do the same instructions on the XP machine --
port name in this case will be \\W7MACHINE\SHAREDPRINTER

Cheers
jimbo

Poodlefaking! Love it! I have spent SOOOO many hours trying to get my laser printer to work from Win7 to an old XP. I can not believe how simple it was. I have found so many posts telling others the "right way" to do it, and none of those posts had their issues resolved. I couldn't get my Brother HL-5040 to print no matter what I tried, but this totally worked! Thank you for taking the time to post this way back in 2009.
Mike

 

[sgingerich]

Thanks Jimbo45! I had looked up how to share printers via XP/Win7 for a few days and frankly it was just pure frustration. I started looking up the error codes I was getting this one happened to be "operation failed with error 0x00004005" that's how I found this forum and your easy solution. My printer CanonMX310 was the issue and not being able to find the driver .inf. Even though I loaded the drivers on the win7 machine and pointed directly to the thing. Thank you, thank you THANK YOU, for your quick fix and caring enough to post again! ; )