I've had a successful wireless network with 2 laptops running vista. I also have acess to the same wireless router - and internet connection with an XP laptop. I also share a wired connection through that router with a desktop running XP which has my only printer connected to it. I desparately want to share that printer between all four systems without having the drag the laptops into the room where the printer is - unhook the printer from the desktop and connect it to the laptop to print. And I'd like to have a centralized "file server" on the desktop. Since my only "successful network" is between the 2 Vista Laptops - either I'm missing something - or are there incompatibilities between Vista and XP? HELP!!

You would need to purchase a print server.http://www.netgear.com/Products/PrintServers.aspxExample:http://www.netgear.com/Products/PrintServers/WirelessPrintServers.aspx?for=All

Hello, Please begin with checking the connectivity between Windows Vista and Windows XP machines. Use ping command-line to check the connection between Windows Vista and Windows XP machine. If the ping cannot succeed, check if the router can support Windows Vista and temporarily disable firewall/anti-virus software on all the machines. Cheers, Lionel

I found this on another website. Hope it helps: 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 \\computer name\printer name ie. My computer's name is basement and the printer name is EpsonSty so I typed in \\basement\epsonstyYahoo! It worked. Go figure! I guess Microsoft thinks printers on a intranet are local. I hope this helps, I scoured many forums b4 finding this fix. Microsoft's support docs and HP's tech support were no help.

Thank you so much for this hint about the port set up. I finally am able to print from my Deskjet 882C wirelessly using my new Windows Vista laptop, which is wirelessly conntected with a wireless router and Windows XP desktop computer. I followed your steps and it worked beautifully. Thank you again for your help

Thank you so much for your hint in setting up a network printer on Windows Vista. I too have a Wired HP printer that I want to print in the wireless network that wascreated with my Windows Vista laptop and my Windows Vista Desktop computer. I followed your directions in setting up the printer and it worked. Thank you so much. I hired Staples Easy Tech people to help me and they were here twice for this problem and couldn't do it. You are a life saver.

your a genius I've been trying for weeksto get my Vista laptop to print thru my Xp desktop.

Hi, Nicole. I've spent 4 late nights trying everything I've found on all kinds of sites. My new Dell Vista laptop lets me see the 2 printers I have wired to my XP PC on my home LAN. But it won't print a test page or anything to 'em. I tried what you found to no avail. Can you tell me what website you found your work-around at? I've tried so many... Rosemary