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Vista and Printing

the_groundsman
Rising Star
Posts: 488
Thanks: 24
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Vista and Printing

Hi
I got a nice shiny new laptop last weekend, nothing spectacular. It seems easy enough to set up and Vista Home Prem found my wireless network without a problem (couple of desktops running XP Home).
The problem is with the printer which is attached to one of the XP desktops. The Vista laptop can "see " it and says it is installed correctly. I can even see the print queue. When I print though the document goes in and out of the print queue which looks good, but the printer doesnt actually do anything, no evidence of the data coming through or the printed page being delivered.
I've spent so much time on trying to solve  this My wife and kids are saying I am becoming an obsessive compulsive.
Any ideas?
Printer is an HP deskjet 920c
Vista is running on a gateway ML6227.
Huh
Nick
14 REPLIES 14
paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

I realise you say that your Xp machine can bee seen from your Vista machine but have you updated your Xp PC with this patch?
Not necessarily a fix but may help.
Also, Vista can be funny about account priviledges.  Have you tried running the program you're trying to print from as an admnistrator (right click on the icon and select "run as administrator)?
May also be worth disabling any firewalls temporarily, just in case it's a firewall issue.  If it then prints OK you'll need to tell the firewall to trust your local network.  In the Vista Firewall you need to tell it that you are on a private network or it will disable certain functions.
the_groundsman
Rising Star
Posts: 488
Thanks: 24
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Thanks

paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Couple of more things - does the printer work if it's directly connected to the Vista PC?
Have you installed the Vista drivers for it on the Vista machine?
didymus
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Hi,
I'm glad I'm not the only one!!!
I've had the same problem for a few weeks and have just about made myself bald.
If I try to add a network printer, all I get is a message "connecting to laser on desktop"  THEN  "Windows cannot connect to the printer.  Access is denied."
What is the solution?
a)  Change both machines to Vista,
b)  Change both machines back to XP, or
c)  Add to the landfill problem by putting them in the dustbin? Angry
paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

In addition to the other things I've said to try, you have allowed the printer to be shared on the network.
In XP:  Start>Control Panel> Printers&Faxes OR Start>Printers&Faxes if it's on your Start menu.
Right click on the printer you want to share and hit "sharing" and make sure that "share this printer" is selected.  You may also want to install your Vista driver for your printer on the XP machine using the "Install Drivers for Other Versions of Windows" utility on the same page.
didymus
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Hi again,
I re-read all your comments above and tried again.  The new thing was to try connecting the printer direct to the laptop with the Vista drivers loaded - Hey I can print and what is more I can see a network connection so back to my original connections and hey presto I've printed from the laptop over the network.... Success.... but it is short lived because I still get the "Get Lost" messages from my two Epson laserjet printers.  The multifunction machine has apparently got Vista drivers available but the photo 1290 hasn't.  When they are connected to the laptop I can print from laptop AND from desktop over the network, but the other way round is no go....  Why?  Sad
paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

You need Vista drivers to print from the Vista machine and Xp drivers to print from an Xp machine regardless of where the printer is connected - even if that's over the network on a machine running a differnt OS. 
Once you find suitable Vista drivers for your Epson printers you can add them to  the Xp machine as detailed in my previous post (or install them on your laptop)
When you print from the desktop to the laptop you're using the Xp drivers for the printer (as it's printing from an Xp machine).
Bottom line would appear to be that you need to find Vista drivers for your printers.
didymus
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Hi again,
I'm getting so uptight I don't know a laser from an inkjet.  The Epsons are injets - the Laser now works.
paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

You said you got "get lost" messages from your two Epson printers but that the multifunction machine worked.
The multifunction machine worked as it has Vista drivers available when you print from the Vista machine with that printer connected to the Xp machine.
You'll need to get Vista drivers for your Epson printers as well.

In other words you need to have the correct driver for the machine you are printing from - not the machine the printer is attached to.
You'll need to go to the Epson website and download Vista drivers for your printers and install them (if they're available).
didymus
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

I'm not sure where you are coming from....
All three printers work with the drivers installed on the Vista machine if I connect them directly to that machine.
All three printers also work with the drivers installed on the XP machine if I connect them directly to that machine.
All three printers also work from BOTH machines if they are connected to the Vista machine.
None of the printers now work from the Vista machine if they are connected to the XP machine.  (I have no idea what I've managed to do since the Laser worked a couple of hours ago - all I have tried is adding Epson drivers from the web and the CDs with, of course, the shut down and restart involved in this)
samuria
Grafter
Posts: 1,581
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎13-04-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Vista is a funny beast and doesnt like connecting to anything that doesnt have a password. So if you log onto a xp pc with no password and then try to share a directory Vista wont let you connect as there is no password.
So make sure you are logged on to the xp machine with a password if that doesnt work you can sometimes force it to work by mapping a network drive to the pc with the printer on it but you will have to make it persistent or map a drive every time you wan to print
didymus
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

both machines have the same users with the same passwords.....  They work on a wireless network and apart from printing the network is fine -  I can access files, modify them etc.
God
Grafter
Posts: 1,112
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Quote from: didymus
The multifunction machine has apparently got Vista drivers available but the photo 1290 hasn't. 

That is really odd. I connected a 1290 to my vista box the other day and it recognised and installed it straight away.
dhookham
Grafter
Posts: 166
Registered: ‎23-06-2007

Re: Vista and Printing

Quote from: God
That is really odd. I connected a 1290 to my vista box the other day and it recognised and installed it straight away.

Clearly it knew who you were Wink
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