The Active Directory Domain Services -error

[kcaz]

Hi, I'm new to these forms, my name is Kcaz.

Today I was trying to add wireless printers to my computer (Toshiba running Windows 7 64 bit). At home, I have one wireless printer (Cannon) which works fine. To install that i think I downloaded the drivers from a CD.

Now I was trying to download the drivers for the printers at school. They are all connected through the main internet network. I've seen people (mac) download the drivers wirelessly, and I wanted to do the same. So in Microsoft Word 2007, when I press print, then in the window "Find Printer" an error comes up that says "The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable". It doesn't matter where I try it, home or school, i guess the problem is within the computer.

I tried to google this, but the responses are all about how people can't print, or another related, but not relevant problem.

Is there anyway to fix this?
~Kcaz

 

[Lordbob75]

Sounds like the computer it not set up to print. As in not connected to the print network.

~Lordbob

 

[kcaz]

Well I can print fine. I;m just wondering how you add printers. Because I know the network I'm on at home works, and I still get the error

 

[Lordbob75]

Well I can print fine. I;m just wondering how you add printers. Because I know the network I'm on at home works, and I still get the error

Yes....

Commercial networks are set up very differently from home networks. I will assume that you are using a laptop that you take from home and to work. In this case, connecting to the home network should be easy, but connecting to the work network means that you will need your work administration to setup your computer to allow network access (I believe).

~Lordbob

 

[kcaz]

I know. I have network access. Like I don't think it has anything to do with networks because it doesn't work even at home where I'm positive there are no restrictions

 

[Lordbob75]

It might be a restriction on the laptop itself.

Is this a work laptop, or your personal one?

~Lordbob

 

[kcaz]

A personal one.

 

[Lordbob75]

A personal one.

Odd indeed then. Have you downloaded and installed the drivers for your printers?

EDIT: I remember that your first post said you were trying to do that. Try downloading the drivers at home and installing them before trying to add the printer.

~Lordbob

 

[kcaz]

Well it's not about the printer, it's in the computer. The same thing happens when you try and find a computer to shutdown on your network using shutdown -i in the command prompt. If you press shutdown -i, it opens a box with options, then if you press find computers the exact same error occurs.

Based off of this, I would think the problem is the computer doesn't have something called the Active Directory Domain Service which allows it to find other things on a network. That being said, I can still find other computers by typing net users into the command prompt so it's only for some things maybe commercial?

 

[Lordbob75]

Can you add the printer manually?

~Lordbob

 

[kcaz]

how?

 

[Lordbob75]

how?

Go to Devices and printers, and select add printer, then choose network printer. It should automatically find your network printer. If not, then you can manually add the network address and it will add it.

~Lordbob

 

[kcaz]

Ahh i see. That's stupid. The Find printer button should work.

But thanks, I'll see if that works!

 

[WindowsStar]

"Active Directory Domain Service" is part of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2. Is your laptop loaded with Windows Server 2008/R2?

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731053.aspx

 

[WindowsStar]

Is the message really: "Active Directory Domain Service is currently unavailable"

If so that means the printer driver you received off the network is incompatible with your version of windows.

Download the driver from the vendor’s website and install it on LPT1. Then go to your work and install the printer again and it will use driver you pre-installed instead of the one from the network.

After your network printer is working you can delete the printer on LPT1.

 

[kcaz]

Oh well my printer works fine, but shouldn't there be an easy way to install the drivers wirelessley if you are in the same network?

 

[WindowsStar]

Easy Printer Add: Yes there is on a home network, however if you are connecting to a Domain Network, Corporate Network, or Enterprise Network the printer drivers are controlled by the network print server. If this Domain is using Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 as the print server, they will not be able to provide drivers for Windows 7 without doing some prep work ahead of time. Those versions of Server were built before Windows 7 so they have no idea how it works or that it even exists. The Administrator needs to update the servers to handle Windows 7 Printer Drivers. If they support Mac then they already know how to update drivers for different OS’s they need to do the same for Windows 7.