PCWorld Forums: Print over network from XP pc to Vista pc printer - PCWorld Forums

I don't understand networks much, but all I really want to know is how to print from my xp computer, which has wireless internet through a vista computer in my house. the vista computer is attached to a printer, and I want to know how to print to that printer. Please help...

The first steps are to make sure that the printer attached to the Vista machine is marked as shared. You should be able to do this in the printers folder by right clicking on the the printer. You will need to give it a shared name.
Second, with the Vista machine on, go to the XP machine and go to the add printer action withing the printer folder there. If this printer does not have drivers within XP, you will need the XP install disc. In the install process, you will be asked if the printer being added is connected to this computer or a network printer attached to a network or another computer. Take the second option.
Windows should then go out and look for all printers available to the network and list them. When that list comes up, simply choose the printer you want and then follow the wizard through. If it asks for a disc or asks you to tell it where the drivers are, tell the wizard you have the disc and browse to the location.
Give it a try, if you have problems, post back here. I will be unavailable for several hours, but there are others who monitor these discussion who should be able to help.

Ok, the issue I'm having is that once I get to the window that should have the list of printers, I can't find the printer. I'll do my best to give all the info I can. But the printer is "shared"...at least it's marked as shared.

The window shows this:

Shared Printers:

-Microsoft Windows Network

---> +SMITH

---> -WORKGROUP

--->---> +DEBBIE-PC

And I double click on those things to try to expand them as if they are folders, but nothing else shows up...

tzveeJ said:

Do you have both computers set to use the same Workgroup?

I feel pretty useless right now haha.

Workgroup? I don't even know what that is, or any of the other things. I tried to network the computers at one point and just got frustrated because nothing was working. Maybe I accidentally set up a workgroup. But then again, I don't really know what that is.

They have to be on the same workgroup.
A workgroup is like a specail club that you have to be in to talk to each other.

In Vista: http://www.home-netw...puter-name.html
In XP: Right-click the My Computer Icon, Click Properties, then click the Computer Name tab, the Change button, change the name, click OK, then Apply, then restart Windows.

Keep in mind they must be the exact same thing, like "tzveeJsgroup" or "Workgroup". I suggest against the default.

After that, look for the File Sharing and Printers wizards, run them on both computers, telling them to share.

Then you'll need to set the printer on the XP computer, probably needing to tell it that the printer is the default if you want that.

tzveeJ - we have all come from where you are. Up until Oct, '06, everytime I tried to set up a home network, I failed somewhere. Then I installed broadband by satellite, and suddenly everything started working. I found out later that you cannot use a broadband router with dialup,
When you initially set up your computers you went through a screen where a computer name was generated, and then another where a network name was generated. You probably clicked next without looking at the names, I know I used to. The computer name generated in setup is not critical as it can be anything as long as you don't repeat the same name on a network. In other words, if Sam is setting up a home network with two computers, one can be SamPC1 and the other SamPC2, but they cannot both be SamPC.

Now here is where a windows quirk caught you. Up until XP, the default name given to a workgroup, was "workgroup". However, in XP the default was changed to "mshome". When Vista was released, they went back to the prior default "workgroup". Thus, you two computers think they belong to two different network groups and thus cannot communicate.

It is easy to fix - first in XP:

Click Start -> Control Panel -> System. This opens the view that shows the computer information. At the top, click on the Computer Name tab. You should see the following:

!XPLTScreen2.bmp!

If you want to change any of the name, simply click on the change button and then enter the names you want.

If you want to change the Vista machine:

Click on Start -> Control Panel -> System & Maintenance -> System

You should get the following view:



To change these settings, again click on the change button and then set the computer name and workgroup name to what you want.

As you can see I am using MSHOME, because when the network was set up I was using only XP, now, however, most are running Vista.

In the printer folder, a shared printer in Vista has a small icon showing several "people" in the lower left corner of the printer icon. In XP, a hand shows up under the printer image. A printer name must be given to a shared printer.

When installing the printer on XP, if it does not find the printer the name can be entered manually by the following format:

computernameprintername

The system should then find it and install it if the drivers are in XP.

I haven't done any of those things yet, but I will over the weekend. Thanks so much, in advance, for how helpful you guys are all being. I really appreciate it.

I'll respond again in a few days!

You are welcome. Yert was correct in saying the workgroup name is like a club, telling the comuters which others it can communicate with. I disagree with him on not using a default. The workgroup name has no security aspect from the outside. You will see references in some pubs about domains. Domains are collections of workgroups. For example at work, my desktop is part of the Accounting workgroup. I can all the accounting folders and the public folder on the server, but not the engineering folders. That is another workgroup.

XP Home machines cannot join a domain, that is one area of difference between XP Home and XP Pro. Home networks would generally have no need for more than a single workgroup.

Thank you so much! I did have to use the computernameprintername trick and I was thrilled when it worked - my computer didn't automatically detect the printer. But I'm now able to print!

You are very welcome.

Since you have marked the question as answered, please assign the helpful and correct responses.