Windows 7 USB print share

[Gidds]

I have a Desktop....
Running Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
Windows Firewall
Homegroup enabled for files and printers
A Dell Photo Printer 720 with Vista 64 driver - USB Connection - Working fine
Connected to a wireless router

on the other-end..

I have a Laptop
Running Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit
Windows Firewall
Homegroup enabled for files
Vista 32 drivers for Dell printer
Connected to the same router

I can trade files between the two no problem, but can't use the printer from the Laptop
I've tried everything i can find
Disabled Bi-directional printing
Got rid of other firewalls
Try Adding a printer both ways..
Over a network, it see it, but says "Windows cannot connect to the printer"
as a local printer, with port \\desktop\dell photo printer 720
The printer seems to install this way, till i send a test page
It sits in the Laptop Queue for a bit, then disappears, but doesn't show up in the Desktop Queue and eventually get a dell photo printer message saying Communication Not Available (from the laptop)

If I open a window and go to \\desktop
I can see the printer and the shared folder
I can access the folder ok, but if i right click on the printer and pick Connect, "Windows cannot connect to the printer"

Both computer are set to Workgroup
Printer troubleshooter, no help
Network troubleshooter, no help

Any help here?
..please?!?

 

[whs]

Did you try Homegroup. May work better. I share printers all the time without problems.

 

[Gidds]

I've tried so many things, if you mean go to the Desktop computer , and got to Homegroup and share my printer (and files) from there, Yes, that is what I have done. I've also gone to the printer properties and made sure it was shared from there too.

 

[Gidds]

no help / thoughts ?

 

[Ztruker]

What has always worked for me is to use WORKGROUP, not Homegroup and browse to teh computer the printer is on, double click on it and let Win 7 install the necessary drivers.

I've not had much luck at all using the Add Printer dialog with Win 7.

 

[Gidds]

Well, i shut off Homegroup on both
I can see the shared printer and access the shared folders
but when i try to connect to the printer, 'thinks' for about 30 seconds
then says...

windows cannot connect to the printer
error 0x000000d

 

[Ztruker]

Some interesting fixes for the Error 0x0000000d here: windows cannot connect to the printer.error 0x0000000d

 

[Gidds]

I took a look at that link

On the laptop I...
Ran Cmd (as an admin)
Typed "net use lpt2 \\desktop\dell720" (i renamed the printer to that earlier)
It asked for user name and password, said operation complete
I installed the printer (local, with port lpt2)
Print a test page, it flies out of the local queue
But does NOT show up on the desktop queue