Printer Sharing between Win7 & Vista

[smnich]

I have a wireless setup with no problems. Only problem I have is when I want to send a print job from Vista to Win7. The computers see each other - see printers, etc. but always comes up with a print error - dll. I have come to understand that Win7 and Vista don't "share". Is that true? Is there a fix? Thanks!

 

[Extensa]

Hi smnich!

I have a tutorial that should help you solve this problem. The link will go to our sister forums, Vistax64.com. Setting up a shared printer

I hope this helps,

Extensa

 

[smnich]

Fixed...

Thank you for your help! I had actually done that and the printer just wouldn't work. I got fed up (really wanted HP Photosmart) and installed another printer and it WORKED. Must just be the printer! Again, thank you for your help!

 

[Extensa]

No problem! Glad you were able to solve your problem.

If you feel that I have helped, please tip the scales!

 

[MilesAhead]

Thank you for your help! I had actually done that and the printer just wouldn't work. I got fed up (really wanted HP Photosmart) and installed another printer and it WORKED. Must just be the printer! Again, thank you for your help!

Some of these USB printers only have on board Vista drivers. You get into weird cases in which the same printer will work both ways connected to the Vista machine but if it's connected to the W7 machine remote printing is hosed.

I have that situation anyway with my Epson Stylus. There's no downloadable drivers after XP and it looks like they don't want to write any new ones. So if I want to use it with all machines on the Lan, it has to be connected to the Vista PC.

 

[CarlTR6]

That was the best solution - but not necessarily the cheapest solution.

 

[smnich]

You know? I think in this case, as it was an older printer that worked in home network situation, that the correct driver was available for installation.............with the Photosmart (newer printer yet not "new") the updated driver wasn't included in Win7 or Vista (had to download new drivers for Win7 when I installed it) so available driver didn't work. The Photosmart is also able to be connected wirelessly but the Vista doesn't pick it up that way. Vista picks it up in network so it downloaded drivers that perhaps weren't latest so it wouldn't work - so far I have been unable to download latest for Vista. Does that make sense? Anyway, thanks to all for comments. Good forum!

 

[CarlTR6]

I have an older Photosmart - not wireless unfortunately. I have the printer connected to my Windows Seven machine and I got the drivers to make it work. The HP console does not work and the buttons on the printer for scanning and faxing do not work; but the built in scanning and faxing in Windows do work.

You might try hooking up the printer directly to your Vista machine and installing it. That should pick up the necessary drivers. Then when you go back wireless, it should work. I had to go this route with my wife's XP machine.

 

[smnich]

Thanks, good idea!

 

[CarlTR6]

Let me know if it works for you. There is probably a better way to about it; but that method worked for me.