Networking Problem

Hi All,

Somebody please help me. I have been working on this problem for the last 36 hours straight.(well not quite but almost)

I am having trouble sharing a printer using 1 xp pro machine and 1 winME machine. Both machines are sharing a cable modem by way of a Linksys 5 port hub. (not a router).
Each machine can see each other and I have no problems moving files from one to the other or getting on the web.
My printer is hooked up on the winxp pro machine. This is what happens when I try to add a new printer using the add printer wizard on the win ME machine.

1. click on add printer wizard icon on the ME machine.

2. Select network printer.

3. Use the "browse button" so the win ME machine can find the printer on the Xp pro machine.

4. (This is where I start to lose it.) The add printer wizzard asks for the make and model of the printer. The printer is a HP 722c and that model of HP printer is not listed in the WinME database.

5. So the only option that I have is to click on the "have disk" button.

6. I point to the cd rom drive where the hp printer cd is.

7. Then the printer wizzard tells me to Use setup.exe to install software.

Does this sound right to you. I don't really want to copy all the setup files on the WinMe machine, do I?

Anyway I tried running setup and it tells me that it cannot find any Hp printer attached to the parallel ports.

So the only option that I have is to install the software anyway and then try to point the software to the Winxp machine later.

So after I have the printer software installed I go into the printer properties and then go to the details tab. I change the "print to the following port" from lpt1 to "\MAINWINXP\Printer" which is the correct path to the printer on the winxp machine.

This seems to work until I have to print something. Then  get a printer error message saying that the computer has lost communication with the printer. Then a printer folder error saying there was an error writing to \\MAINWINXP\Printer(HP Deskjet 720C v10.3):
Your file waiting to be printed was deleted.


Anyway thats where I am now.
Please help!!

Thanks
Stealer

Hi Stealer,

I have had this same problem that you're encountering.  Well, one was between a WinXP and Win98SE machine.  The other times it was between a WinXP and WinMe and the last was two WinMe machines.  Anyway, you don't have to install all the software that came with the CD on your WinMe machine.  Here is what I did to get it all working okay...

Pre-install Process:
Uninstall any of the printer drivers you currently have for that printer.

Installing a Network Printer Process:
1)  Make sure that TCP/IP is installed on both computers with File and Printer sharing on.  (Obviously you've done this from your post.).  Sometimes you may have to also install the NetBEUI protocol as well.  I'll get into more details about that below.

2)  I thought it best to just download the drivers from HP's website instead of using those from the CD.  This has always worked for me.  Uncompress these drivers and save them in a known place.

3)  Make sure that the printer on the XP box is shared and all the correct permissions have been setup.

4)  On the WinMe machine...go to My Network Places and browse to your MainXP machine.  Look for the printer and right-click on it.  Select the option "Connect..." or "Install."  This will take you through those steps you listed (steps 3 - 5 in your post).  You can also go through steps 1 - 5 of your post if you cannot see the printer by the way I described.

5)  After your step 5...from "Have Disk" selection.  Browse to the saved drivers that you saved from HP's website and follow the prompts.  Print out a test page and that should conclude the installation.

Okay, here is the reason why you may need NetBEUI installed as well.  When I do my consulting gigs for AMEX Financial Advisors, they require a VPN connection when logged into the home office servers.  For some reason their networked printers (installed in their home networks...not office networks) go on the fritz when a VPN session is initiated.  The workaround I was able to find was that by installing NetBEUI (a protocol not being used by anything) this would make networkied printing work.  So, if by only having TCP/IP installed doesn't work, how about giving NetBEUI a try too?

Well, I hope that helped you out.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask and hopefully I can help out.  Good luck!  Let me know if this worked out for you as well.

Also on a slightly unrelated note it is not always essential to use the specific printer drivers for your printer (you should...but you can get away with it).

For instance I know for a fact that ANY Canon BJC series printer will work with ANY BJC drivers perfectly (ie BJC 2100 drivers are basically the same as the BJC 3000 drivers).

HOWEVER there are times when YOU really can run into trouble with running the wrong drivers (Ive found HP to be the worst for global driver support).

Not really related but though it would make an interesting addition to the thread.

Cheers

Yeah, I noticed that when I visited HP's website last night.  It seems that you can use the HP 720 drivers for the 722C that Stealer has.  You're right though, one thing I've noticed about Canon printers is that you can interchange the drivers without any serious problems.  HP on the other hand is another matter there...