Laptop add printer problem

[Lorthos]

Hello

We just got a new laptop with vista 64bit version installed. I updated to service pack 2. We have an HP printer(2410) on an XP tower downstairs and another HP printer(CS5280) on an xp tower upstairs. Laptop is all wireless of course, I was able to see and browse to the 2410 and the printer installed just fine. But when I do the upstairs printer I get this message: the server that the cs5280 is installed on does not have the correct printer driver....also gives you the option to browse to an INF file.

I'm assuming its trying to grab the driver off of the tower?? Instead of installing the driver from Vista...

Any ideas...

Thanks for any replies

[AudioGenics]

if your laptop is connected to the internet
perhaps the HP company website has what you need.

http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/support.html

[nguyendot]

Just download the driver and install it manually. It tried to pull it from the host computer and failed.

[Lorthos]

Just download the driver and install it manually. It tried to pull it from the host computer and failed.

So I would just download this driver, the basic one?

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...roduct=3204464

And I assume theres an .inf file in the driver folder I would point it too then?

[polrbehr]

I have an almost identical problem (new laptop, MS Vista, HP 2410 printer, etc.).

If I can figure a way to make this work, I'll post my findings here.

I am glad I'm not the only one, though ;)

[SCompRacer]

Don’t know if this will help. I set up a wireless network for a friend with a Vista 64 bit desktop and XP on two laptops. I couldn’t get the laptops to print no matter how the drivers were loaded (the printer is connected to the Vista 64 bit desktop, XP laptops are 32 bit). I found and used this fix provided by AlexR on Steve Rowe’s blog. Like 6 replies down. It is claimed to be a Microsoft fix and did work.

http://blogs.msdn.com/steverowe/arch...vista-x64.aspx

HI All,

There is a known issue from Microsoft about the Vista x64 printer sharing option. Microsoft provide a workaround for the printer sharing problem and i will share with all of you. I already tested and works fine with Vista x64 Enterprise RTM and Windows XP SP2.

1) Go to the XP Machine and go to Start - Control Panel - Printers and other hardware and then printer and faxes.

2) Double Click Add Printer to start the Add printer wizard and click Next.

3) Click on Local Printer, clear the Automatically detect and install check box, and then click NEXT.

4)Click CREATE A NEW PORT and then click LOCAL PORT in the PORT TYPE section.

5)In the Port Name box, type the path to the printer in the following format where SERVER is the name of the print server and PRINTER is the name of the printer:

\\server\printer

6) Click NEXT and then select a Windows XP driver for your printer.

7) Click Next and the follow the intructions to finish the wizard.

NOTE: When you use this procedure, the print job is printed locally and then redirected to the network path. If you use this procedure, you do not receive printe updates from the printe server when you update the printer driver on the print server.

I hope this process help with your problem. It works for me and was so easy to do.

[Lorthos]

I have an almost identical problem (new laptop, MS Vista, HP 2410 printer, etc.).

If I can figure a way to make this work, I'll post my findings here.

I am glad I'm not the only one, though ;)

Well whats weird is that the 2410 printer added just fine, no problems there at all.

I have another tower that I Vista 32 bit dual booted with xp. I only have the 2410 on that machine so just for the heck of it I tried to add the 5280 to see what happened, it installed just fine....

[Lorthos]

Don’t know if this will help. I set up a wireless network for a friend with a Vista 64 bit desktop and XP on two laptops. I couldn’t get the laptops to print no matter how the drivers were loaded (the printer is connected to the Vista 64 bit desktop, XP laptops are 32 bit). I found and used this fix provided by AlexR on Steve Rowe’s blog. Like 6 replies down. It is claimed to be a Microsoft fix and did work.

http://blogs.msdn.com/steverowe/arch...vista-x64.aspx

Okay, but I'm not sharing a printer on the laptop, I'm trying to add an already shared printer on the xp tower.

[Sami]

If downloading the driver (and installing it) does not help, unplug the printer from your XP machine and connect to your laptop. This way Vista will try to install the driver. Once it is installed, plug back into your XP machine and try connecting from laptop again. Now the driver is there and should work.

[Lorthos]

Yes, we aren't alone....

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/board/...thread.id=2500

[Lorthos]

Just a followup, after fighting with it some more we came up with a better solution. We just moved the printer off of the upstairs tower and into my wifes Stamping/Craft room and when she has the laptop in there she just plugs the printer into it. We weren't printing from that tower anyway, all its doing mainly is uploading weather data to wunderground.

This way she has the full hp software suite on the laptop. I downloaded it last night and installed and everything is working okay. And she can still print to the downstairs printer if need be.....

Thanks for all the suggestions and work arounds though....

[billbillw]

Who doesn't use a stand alone print server these days?

I can't stand the idea of needing a particular PC to be on for me to print. I have an OLD HP Jet Direct box wired to my router and I just have all the computers print to the correct IP port. Very easy and you never need to worry about whether the PC is on or not.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...-Print-Servers

They start at only $25, or you can find a used HP Jet Direct from Ebay really cheap.

[polkatese]

Who doesn't use a stand alone print server these days?

I can't stand the idea of needing a particular PC to be on for me to print. I have an OLD HP Jet Direct box wired to my router and I just have all the computers print to the correct IP port. Very easy and you never need to worry about whether the PC is on or not.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...-Print-Servers

They start at only $25, or you can find a used HP Jet Direct from Ebay really cheap.

Agreed with Bill. Print server is a necessary part of home networking. I have a Linksys wireless Print Server for as long as I have the network. The nice thing about it is I have several printers attached to it that any pc/laptop in the house can print to any of these printers.

[polrbehr]

Agreed with Bill. Print server is a necessary part of home networking. I have a Linksys wireless Print Server for as long as I have the network. The nice thing about it is I have several printers attached to it that any pc/laptop in the house can print to any of these printers.

I guess I'll try this as well.

My setup is a bit different (whose isn't, though?)
I already had the HP 2410 working with
a desktop PC running Vista; this desktop is the one hard-wired to the wireless router, through which I have three other PCs connected to the network via WiFi. I figured that since that desktop is running Vista (and, the printer works fine), that it would be no problem to get files to print from my new laptop.

Still a work in progress...

[Sherardp]

Who doesn't use a stand alone print server these days?

I can't stand the idea of needing a particular PC to be on for me to print. I have an OLD HP Jet Direct box wired to my router and I just have all the computers print to the correct IP port. Very easy and you never need to worry about whether the PC is on or not.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...-Print-Servers

They start at only $25, or you can find a used HP Jet Direct from Ebay really cheap.

Ordered, thank you for sharing. I needed one in my own network. Never got around to it, nor did I think of it. Excellent thread OP.