Shared printer on Windows 7, can't connect from Vista or XP
Hi, I am having trouble with a shared printer on Windows 7. I can't get Vista and XP machines on the same Workgroup to connect to it.I can't use a new homegroup as you need all Windows 7 for that. The XP and Vista machines are asked for a username and password to connect. No matter what I do, I can't get around this unless I change Windows 7 to use the local accounts option and use the usual, nasty and dated method of a username and password which are the same at both ends.Surely it can't be this hard to use a shared printer on Windows 7 from a previous OS?What am I missing?Thanks!
November 5th, 2009 4:18am

Previous systems cannot join HomeGroup, so we will still need to use the orignial share printer function to access the printer on Windows 7 system. For example, on Windows XP system, click Add a printer and choose Network Printer, use \\server\printername to add the network printer.
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November 5th, 2009 5:48am

tried that to no avail. Have been on phone with MS tech support for almost 4 hours and no-one can figure this out. Can print fine from W 7PC which is where the network printer is hooked up but if I try to print from my other PC (XP) it doesn't work. Keeps asking for the driver *.inf file to install the network printer. When I downloaded the Canon driver for XP and ran it it still cannot find it. PC's are hooked thru a router for the network. Anyone have a suggestion I'm all ears ...........moondoggy7
November 18th, 2009 9:06am

F***ing Microsoft- never considered the possibility that there might still be an XP machine or two out there!I am struggling with the same issue, but I have had the sharing working twice - each time, it has failed again after a few days!Been scouring the internet for answers, but all I've found is copies of the instructions - how it's SUPPOSED to work, but no details on what to do should the documented method fails.Honestly, why Microsoft has to mess things up (and charge us for their screw-ups) is beyond me!
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November 23rd, 2009 7:25pm

I am at the exact same stage as moondoggy7 now. Shared printer is on Windows x64, client is Windows XP x86. Can't install the drivers. 32-bit ones won't load on Windows 7 now matter how I try to add them to the additional printer drivers/supported platforms. I have manually loaded the 32bit driver onto XP and it still wants a driver to connect. Plus, it is still asking for credentials no matter what I have tried I can't get around this.It is incredibily frustrating. However, this is only at home and pales into insignificance when compared to the problems Windows 7 is causing me in the office...
November 23rd, 2009 9:37pm

Ok here is the latest from Microsoft Tech support (after 8 hours) and counting. On the XP machine you have to load 64 bit drivers for the printer. Great uh !!! EXCEPT Canon does NOT have 64 bit drivers for my printer in an XP environment. My printer is a Canon i 960. Canon said they would give me a 15% discount to buy a printer that would support XP 64 bit drivers. Ain't Canon generous !!!!!!!! (NOT) So my solution is this. Since I can share files between the two platforms, whoever uses the XP machine will just have to save what they want to print to a file and then transfer it to the Win 7 machine and print it there.Hope this helps somebody out there.moondoggy
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November 23rd, 2009 11:33pm

OK folks calm down, networking between 7 / XP / 2000 works fine.You need to go over your setups.MS does not produce the drivers so do not fuss at them cuz your gear is outdated.There are MANY post here dealing with networking, it works and it works great.So go back to the systems and double check yourself.I have over 40 machines in service and networking is good to go.
November 24th, 2009 12:49am

It won't work unless you have the right drivers available, unless you know something myself, Microsoft tech support and many others dont'. As far as outdated equipment, no I refuse to buy a new printer every 2 - 3 years. Keep smilinMoondoggy7
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November 24th, 2009 3:39am

No one said you had to buy a new printer..I do not think there is printer under 4 years old on the networks.I am using i450 and hp4000's as well as some sharp, Okidata 320's with 7on local lans andacross hamachi.AndI said NETWORKING works, moondoggy has driver issues, not a networking issue, drivers issue = printer vendor issue NOT a win 7 networkissue.On the XP machine, create a local printer which uses a Local Port in theform of\\Win7-PC_name\PrintershareThen select the Canon i 960 32bit driver for the device from install cd / dvd.If the printer name on the"print server" has a space in ityou may first need to change the share name so it does not have any spaces in it.
November 24th, 2009 6:45am

Like I said, lots of regurgitation of how it's supposed to work, but nothing of any use to those of us in trouble:"On the XP machine, create a local printer which uses a Local Port in theform of\\Win7-PC_name\Printershare"That's what I've done, and it worked for a couple of days and now the client has called back and complaine dtheir printers have failed again (meaning they can't print from the XP machine).I'm convinced it's some kind of new, obscure security feature that I haven't discovered yet. I've disabled password protection, and had hoped that all users on the network would NOT have to have a local account onthe Windows 7 machine as a result.Is that wrong? I would think that requiring someone to have a logon account to a machine that they only need to print to is stupid - why should we enable them to logon to the system when all we want to share with them is a folder and a printer?Arrrgggghhh!
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November 24th, 2009 4:15pm

Well as I do not really do much sharing from PC's (to me a network printer is a printer with a print server using TCP)But if it was working and stopped I would go back and do a uninstall / reinstall
November 24th, 2009 9:54pm

This worked for me. http://www.pchell.com/support/printeraccessdenied.shtml setup as local printer on my vista machine.
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January 2nd, 2010 7:13am

I was able to finally access my Win7 computer, which has the printer on it, by setting it up with a password so that the share method Bubbapcguy shows could work. Not any problems with drivers for me.
January 4th, 2010 5:47am

n2kmn, your solution worked like a charm!http://www.pchell.com/support/printeraccessdenied.shtml I have a brand new Windows7 machine, replacing a beat up poor old XP. This is the one my printer is attached to.It is 64 bit, so I downloaded the Epson drivers for it, and it works great as a local printer.Now enter my (da-da-daummmmm) VISTA machine (I don't care what people say; no problems with it). It can SEE the printer, but nothing I tried worked, until I went to the link you posted.Now it works like a charm. The printer works from both pcs.Thanks a TON!
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January 30th, 2010 7:54am

I'm sorry, but that answer does not answer my original question so I unmarked it. I know I can't use a homegroup, I said that in the my original post.I shall try the pchell link and add the printer locally and see if that solves this problem or not.
February 3rd, 2010 4:41am

I too have been having all sorts of problems connecting a XP x32 machine to a printer (Lexmark x5150) attached to a Win 7 x64 computer. I'd tried all the attach as local printer etc etc with no success. Gleaning bits and pieces from this and other threads I have finally cracked it. This may work for you too. I went to the Lexmark website and downloaded the Vista x64 drivers (there were no Win 7 x64 drivers). I then installed them on the XP x32 machine (yes really!!) with the printer port as \\Server_Name\PrinterShareName (which was an option during the install) and it works, Yey-hey........ at long last. I've been trying to get this to work on and off for months. I hope this fix works for others who like me may have been tearing their hair out.........
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March 10th, 2010 12:26am

Thanks for the solution . . . been getting a headache trying to make this work -- just goes to show you what is the obvious or correct way of doing it may not necessarily work out in windows . . . so you need to know a backdoor solution. -Ben-
May 9th, 2010 12:41am

I did find out that if your printer worked fine on an older system. Look for FIRMWARE upgrade with your Manufacture. I Had a Dell 948 printer that would not print wireless with Windows 7 64bit. I finnally found the firmware at support.dell.com under the vista 64. I don't know why they didn't add the link to the Windows 7. But that fixed the Problem. Hope this helps!!!
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October 5th, 2010 11:41pm

I know this is an old thread, but it shows up high on a Google search, so this is to anyone who follows and has the same frustrations. After two days of downloading various versions of the software (the x64 version did NOT work), I found a partial solution on another site, and then, with tinkering, got it to work on our home network (comprised of a printing Win7 desktop, a printing Win7 laptop, and the offending non-printing XP laptop). Using the CD that came with the printer, I let it do its job uninstalling everything I'd done so far, and installing the proper software for the XP laptop, adding a local printer to be connected later. I did the whole Add Printer thing using LP1 (don't worry, you'll change this shortly), and let it add it incorrectly. Then, I went back into the properties, selected Ports, and changed the wrong LP1 to the correct printer network address now on the list, and BAM, the test page printed, it printed from a document, and is still working. HTH
January 19th, 2011 11:20am

No one said you had to buy a new printer..I do not think there is printer under 4 years old on the networks. I am using i450 and hp4000's as well as some sharp, Okidata 320's with 7on local lans and across hamachi. And I said NETWORKING works, moondoggy has driver issues, not a networking issue, drivers issue = printer vendor issue NOT a win 7 network issue. On the XP machine, create a local printer which uses a Local Port in the form of \\Win7-PC_name\Printershare Then select the Canon i 960 32bit driver for the device from install cd / dvd. If the printer name on the "print server" has a space in it you may first need to change the share name so it does not have any spaces in it. This works perfect Thanks!!!
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January 25th, 2011 11:17am

Hi, For sharing printers between Windows 7 and Windows XP Operating System, users might have to first make sure that both machines are the members of the same workgroup. Then locate your Windows 7 and XP machines in the network. After this, users might have to click on the Printer icon and then click on the ‘Customize your printer’ button. Select the sharing tab and check the box in order to share the printer and type its share name. Add drivers if needed. Under network, click on the Windows 7 machine icons to find the shared folders and devices. In Windows XP machine, open My Network Places and find Windows 7 shared folders. Then, double click on the Share folder to find out the list of shared folders on Windows 7 Public folder.Printer Support
June 9th, 2011 12:05am

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