I have read a number of threads here and elsewhere, trying to figure out my specific problem to no avail. Here's what I have: Home wireless network with a LinkSys WRT54G, one desktop running win xp sp3 with a Lexmark Z715 attached to the USB port. One laptop running win vista home premium sp1, and one desktop running win vista home premium sp1. I am trying to print on the Lexmark printer from the laptop. All computers have exactly the same network name, all have printer and file sharing turned on. The vista machines have the password protected sharing turned off. the printer was added on the laptop in vista on a local port ie: \\Computername\\Printername. File sharing works all directions perfectly. I have tried printing with windows firewall turned off and on and have made sure I don't have any other firewall. I have CA Internet Security Suite installed, but when I installed it, I only installed AntiVirus and AntiSpyware (not firewall). I have pinged each of the two computers I'm trying to share the printer between and pinged both directions with the IP and Computer name. Pings fine. Printer prints fine from desktop it is connected to. I used to print fine over the network when I had XP on a loaptop. I noticed in the printer driver istallation it has to have bidirectional suport enabled, it is enabled, but I was wondering if this could have something to do with it. The error message I keep getting is "printer in not able to communicate with computer". Can anyone help?

Hi, Before you try to print, please disable the anti-virus programs and firewalls on both computers. If the issue still occurs, please let me know which driver you are using for the printer. Windows Vista does not build driver for Lexmark Z715. The latest Windows Vista driver for Lexmark Z715 can be downloaded via the following website. http://downloads.lexmark.com/perl/downloads/downloads.cgi?ccs=229:1:0:0:0:0 Important Note: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information. I suggest that you clear the printing subsystem, and reinstall the driver on the Windows Vista computer. Step 1 ====== Start Windows Explorer, and then rename all files and folders in the following two folders: c:\windows\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86 To rename a file, we can right click the file and select Rename. Step 2 ====== 1. Click Start, type REGEDIT in the Start Search Bar, and then press ENTER. 2. Navigate to and then click the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environment\Windows NT x86 View the list of subkeys. There should be only the following subkeys: Drivers Print Processors If there are any keys other than those listed above, follow these steps: a. On the File menu, click Export. b. In the File Name box, type a descriptive name for this key -- for example, type WindowsNTx86regkey -- and then click Save to save it to your local Desktop. We can use this backup of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environment\Windows NT x86 registry key to restore the key if you experience any problems after you complete this procedure. c. Delete all keys other than Drivers and Print Processors. Step 3 ====== Navigate to and click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors registry key. View the list of subkeys. There should be only the following subkeys: BJ Language Monitor Local Port Microsoft Document Imaging Writer Monitor Microsoft Shared Fax Monitor Standard TCP/IP Port USB Monitor WSD Port If there are any keys other than those listed in above, follow these steps to delete them: a. On the File menu, click Export. b. In the File Name box, type a descriptive name for this key -- for example, type Monitorsregkey -- and then click Save to save it to your local Desktop. We can use this backup of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors registry key to restore the key if you experience any problems after you complete this procedure. c. Delete all keys other than the 5 listed above. Then please reinstall the driver with the downloaded latest driver. During installation, please select that the printer is shared on network. Then follow the instructions to install the driver. If the issue persists, please check the share name on the Windows XP computer. Please note that when installing the printer on the Windows Vista computer, the used name should be share name, but not the printer name. Please check printer sharing permission either. Make sure that "everyone" can access this printer. If the above information does not help, please let me know if you have enabled Guest account on the Windows XP computers. Also please let me know the version of the Windows XP system. Hope it helps.

Thank you for your input. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, I just now had the time to try your suggestions. Unfortunately, it still is not working. I went to the link you gave me just to make sure I already had the updated driver and it was the same file I had already downloaded and used. I followed the instructions you gave me: I did find a couple of subkeys in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors area and deleted them. I checked the XP Machine to make sure the printer was shared, although I couldn't find an option to "share with everyone", all I could find is "share this printer". I disabled firewall and antivirus on both machines. Then ran the downloaded setup file as administrator. I double checked the XP computer name and the share name for the printer. I don't have the guest account enabled, although I do have a couple of non-administrator accounts as well as the administrator account. The XP machine is running Windows XP Home version 2002 SP3. Any more help you could offer would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave

Hi Dave, If we would like to access data between Windows Vista computer and Windows XP computer, the same username/password method is not applied. That is because by default in Windows Vista and Windows XP use different authentication levels. Follow the steps below to adjust the policy in Registry in Windows Vista to make the authentication level the same as it in Windows XP. 1. Click Start. In the Start Search box type "regedit". In the program list, right-click on regedit, and choose "Run as administrator". 2. Navigate to the following branch. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\ 3. Click on the branch Lsa, in the right pane, find the key "LMCompatibilityLevel". 4. Double-click on "LMCompatibilityLevel", change its value to 0. Then, restart and try to print again. Another easier method is enabling the Guest account on the Windows XP computer. If the issue still occurs, please let me know if you can access any shared folders on the Windows XP computer from the Windows Vista computer. Hope it helps.

Thanks again for your help, But it still doesn't work. I triedchanging the regisrty "LMCompatibilityLevel" from 3 to 0 on the Vista machine first. That didn't work. So, I went to the XP machine and enabled the Guest account, and that didn't work. Then I went back to the Vista machine and changed the regisrty "LMCompatibilityLevel" back to 3 and it still didn't work. (Each time I made a change restarted the computers.) All along I was able to access files and folders and copy, delete and open files on the XP machine from the Vista machine. Dave

Hi Dave, Since Windows Vista can access Windows XP, but file sharing and printer sharing on Windows Vista cannot be accessed by Windows XP, the issue is most likely a permission or authentication issue on Windows Vista. I apologize for the mistake. We need to enable Guest account in the Windows XP computer. Please try that, and check the result. If the issue persists, please follow the steps below. Pleae launch "Regedit" in Start Search box, navigate to the following branch. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA Making "RestrictAnonymous" and "Restrict anonymous sam" values as 0.