Can't connect to a printer on a network

Question

Hullo, I have a Dell AIO printer 926 on my Desktop windows XP, and it's set up for sharing. I am now trying to get my laptop with Vista to be able to use the remote printer. Both my pc's are set up for networking. When I use the installation cd on the laptop, I choose the Network Installation, I have McAfee firewall turned off on both pcs, but the printer doesn't show up under Network Installation, and when I choose Manual Add, I add the remote pc's name and printer name it says that Setup could not connect to the remote pc.   I can't choose the option on Vista, to Add A Printer because it says ' windows Can't open Add Printer. The local print spooler service is not running. Please restart the sp;ooler or restart the machine.'   Help please?       I'm sorry, I figured it all out and it works now.  I do apologize for wasting your time. Thanks  Message Edited by pili on 09-13-2008 09:39 PM

jmwills · Answer

Can you ping the printer?  If not, it is a firewall issue.  sounds more like a Vista issue than anything else.

oceandreamer · Answer

Pili - what did you do? I'm having the same problem. My network consists of a 420 xps Desktop (Vista), and Inspiron 8600 laptop (XP) and a 1530m Laptop (Vista). Everything works except I can't get the 1530 to recognize the printer. No problem with the 8600 XP. Thanks

OD

jmwills · Answer

Both: See if you can ping the Vista machine from the XP machine, if not, then you have a Vista firewall blocking this.  If you can, we cam move ahead.

oceandreamer · Answer

Hi jm - thanks for offering to help. Actually, I'm not having a problem connecting my XP Laptop to my Vista Desktop and sharing the printer. I am having a problem connecting my Vista Laptop to the Vista Desktop and sharing the Printer. My Vista laptop is accessing the internet through the Router so there is no problem there.

I tried pinging and get a general failure message when going from Vista Laptop to Vista Desktop. Going the other way I get a Timed Out error so I guess we can assume no connection. BTW - I can ping between the XP laptop and the Vista desktop in either direction.

My Windows Firewall is turned off on both computers. I am running Trend Micro on both the laptop and the desktop and that firewall is turned on. I appreciate your help.

OD

Destop XPS 420 Vista Home Premium

LT m1530 Vista Home Premium

LT Inspiron 8600 XP Pro

PudgyOne · Answer

I never got into printer sharing because I use a wireless print server for my printer and I really don't care to share files and folders.

I read this and I believe this is what you're looking for.

Printer Sharing on XP/Vista Network

Go to Control Panel. Choose printer. Then choose Add Printer.

Choose Add a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in the drop down box is Local Port. Do not change that. Click Next.

A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name.

Type in the \\computername\printername

jmwills · Answer

If the Vista machines cannot be pinged, then there is a firewall of some sort blocking the connection. Once that is sorted out, you can connect by NetBios name or IP Address, as long as the printer has been desingated as shared and you have given proper permissions to it.

The following is a tutorial I put together for file sharing but the principal is the same for sharing within Vista:

http://willsit.com/XP_Vista.aspx

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

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