Printer Sharing Problem in Windows Vista

My overall experience with Windows Vista release code has been very favorable. I'm now using it on all of my PCs that are capable of running it successfully. Windows Vista has allowed me to do everything I used to do with Windows XP and much more.  However, I had one lingering problem that I wasn't able to resolve until today - accessing a Windows XP shared printer from a Windows Vista PC. I searched for a solution and tried every recommendation without success but I always got the same message - "Windows cannot connect to the printer.  Access is denied."  In searching for a solution on the Internet, I encountered several users who were just as frustrated as I was.  I knew I wasn't alone.

I give credit to no@email.com who posted the following fix on microsoft.public.windows.vista.networking_sharing.

Here it is:

Problem: A Windows XP PC on the network has a shared printer attached that other PCs running Windows XP can use. However, Windows Vista PCs on the network (even though they can connect to and access files on the Windows XP PC) get an "Access is denied" message when they try to connect to the printer.

Fix: Add the printer to the Windows Vista PC using the Control Panel and set up the printer (the one that you want to access as a network printer) as a local printer - Control Panel/Printers/Add a Printer/Add a Local Printer/Use the existing port LPT1:, etc. Do not set up the new printer as a network printer yet.

After the driver in installed, go to Printers, right click on the new printer and select  Properties/Ports/Add Port. Make sure that Local Port is selected from the list and then select New Port. When the Enter a Port Name field comes up,  manually add a new Local Port as follows: \\computer_name\shared_printer_name as the port name. For example, if the computer name for the Windows XP PC sharing the printer is "johnPC" and the shared printer is "HP LaserJet" enter \\johnPC\HP_LaserJet then select OK. Now return to the port list and select the newly created post as the active port for the printer. To test the printer, open Word and print to the newly created printer. Hopefully, you will be as happy as I was. Now you can Consider It Fixed!

Please post a comment if this has been helpful to you.

Contact Info: info@consideritfixed.com
                     860-985-7300

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Comments

[Charles]

Thank you so much. I HATE MS for making me switch to Vista just to replace a busted laptop!

I am going to Linux.

But thanx again for a great solution, well presented - good detail.

[ThunderLight]

FANTASTIC!!!

Many thanks for posting this information that helped me to resolve my problem.

Cheers guys
Laurent

[Randy]

EXCELLENT! Worked perfectly

[eak]

GREAT!!! Fixed my problem!! Great instructions.

[MOM2000]

AWESOME!!! Fixed my problem. Never would have figured that out on my own.

[Paul]

This worked fine for me.

[Clay]

Man what a life saver this info was...super easy to follow and worked like a charm...thanks a million!

[Podgkin]

Worked fine for me using Vista linked to printer on XP machine!
Fantastic!
Thanks for nothing - as usual - MicroSoft. :(

^Steve...are all your sharing/firewall settings on?
Do you find your 'network' printer OK on a normal scan?

[Steve]

I have a windows XP computer with the printer attached and a vista computer trying to share that printer. I tried the local port on the vista computer and it tries to print, but then gives a print error in the vista print que.

Let me know if you any suggestions. I've been searching the internet for two weeks looking for an answer.

[Adam]

A HUGE thank you from a new Vista user. That fix did the trick! Vista may be snazzier, but it's not any easier!

[Douglas]

I am adding my "thank you" to the list. This fix for vista to xp printing really helped.

[Patrick]

To let everyone know, I solved my own issue with regards to receiving the "network path cannot be found" error. It turns out that even though the printer appears as "Canon ..." whatever, on the desktop and other laptop, when I typed in "\\Desktop\Printer" for the new port it worked. Therefore, it turns out that the printer was named "Printer" all along. Hope that helps someone...

[Patrick]

And to amend the above two posts, I have installed the LLTD responder on all XP systems which do appear in the network map. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Patrick]

Correction to above post. The error message is actually "network name cannot be found." I even went into Vista and turned on printer sharing which I had not been able to do until I installed the local printer. Afterward I tried it several different ways again all to no avail...

[Patrick]

I have the same error message as Lisa, "network path not found." I have verified the name of the hosting system "Desktop" although it appears as "DESKTOP" on another XP laptop which prints fine. I have tried it both ways, all caps and not. Also, the printer showed as "Canon Inkjet MP830 Series" once installed on the Vista machine and "Canon MP830 Series Printer" on the other two XP systems. I renamed the printer on the Vista machine to match the others once it would not install and have tried it both ways as well. Any ideas? Thanks a million.

[ianw]

Lisa - I suspect that you may have a problem with the computer and/or printer name. Check the computer name and get the printer name from the sharing menu on the printer XP computer.

[Lisa]

I have been trying for works to share an old hp832 c printer on my xp desktop with a new vista desktop. . This appears to be a great solution but when I typ the name of new port in vista I get " net wrok path not found". Now what. ?? Vistaq machine is seeing xp and i have checked that wrokgroup names a are smae??

[David]

Thank You. This worked perfectly. I now have a desktop Windows 2000 (my favorite OS) and a desktop XP printer setup for my wife's laptop. The fix you outlined is fantastic and works without a hitch. Muchas Gracias.

[trac]

this problem has been around for months and I cant' tell you thanks so much enough times... it works fantasic!

[Ken]

I spent 5 hours trying to figure out how to remote print from my laptop (Vista) to my desktop (XP). Your fix took less than 5 minutes. Seems like such a simple fix now (HA HA) Thanks

[Michael]

Is there any way to make it print faster it seems like it sits in the printer thing for a while

[Michael Salvatore]

Omg thank you so much!!!!
I've been trying to fix this for a while now, I finally found the right forum.

Thanks again

[bravo]

1) i have 2 laser printers on my xp system desktop. i just purchased a laptop with vista.

2) this solution worked for my samsung ml 1740

3) it did not work for my samsung ml 2510 (even though i installed the ports and everything else as i did for the 1740)

what am i doing wrong? do i actually have to PHYSICALLY connect the 2510 to my laptop to install the drivers? i did the 1740 wirelessly and had left it connected to the xp system

thanks in advance!

[Larry McManamon]

Didn't work for me (so far). Have Dell A960 running off XP Pro desktop and can print to that over home network from a portable running XP, but portable running Vista print requests remain in vista printer queue. Have tried ad printer Fix steps but same thing happens.

[ronny vandenbussche]

I had also a problem of not enough memory...
The printer is installed on my dektop with XP
My laptop is VISTA.
I had installed the driver on the XP desktop and the printer worked on the USB port.
I had installed the VISTA printer driver on the laptop.Nothing would work, until I physically connected with the laptop to install the driver.
Afterwoods, all went good.

[phofstet]

Thank you so much for posting your fix. SUCCESS It solved my printer problem!

[Frank Giese]

This solution worked beautifully for me just as described. I was pulling my hair out and almost decided that I would either have to get a new printer with better networking properties or transport the files either to a shared folder and print on the xp or transfer and print from a jump stick. It took nearly as long to figure out that it was the Norton firewall on the vista machine that was preventing the computers to network between vista and xp before I even got to tryng to make the printer network. Thankyou!!!

[Robb Caffery]

Thanks a million! I was one of the many who were totally frustrated by this problem, and your fix worked perfectly!

[Ray]

This article is right on the money!!! Pefect solution to my problem.
Absolutely brilliant. It took me a while to find the answer but you fix worked first time. Thanks to a tech at HP who was kind enough to google this and find the site. Now that is why HP is at the head of its class.

[Richard August]

Absolutely brilliant. It took me a while to find the answer but you fix worked first time. Thank you.

[Dee]

This article is right on the money!!! Pefect solution to my problem.

[pancake]

thanks! it solves my problem exactly the same you mention!!

[Mike Dempsey]

Really crazy that you cannot use the connect feature to do all this for you. I appreciate the posting to solve the problem for me. Microsoft really needs to fix the connect issue to allow it to complete the function you described.

Thanks again for everything.

Mike

[Harmon]

I have devoted several hours to trying to get a printer connected to a computer running Vista shared with a notebook running XP. This process had it working in just a few minutes. Thanks!!

[Sean Kehoe]

Thanks!!! I have been trying to get this to print for a couple of hours and this has sorted it out. Great, simple easy to use advice.

[Marieke]

Thanks a lot - it works great! Vista found the drivers when I connect the Canon Pixma 4000 to the USB - then I installed an Ad-On-Module from Canon. After disconecting I searched 4 hours how to use the printer in my network.

[Manny]

OMG... You're a lifesaver... I would have never figured it out on my own... Thanks a million!!!!

[Bernie]

The printer would not install until I physically attached it to the PC, once I did that, changed the properties as directed, it worked great. My brother thanks you, I did this for his network at home.

[Betsy Chalut]

I want to thank you! I've been losing my mind trying to get the print sharing to work with my Vista computer so I tried what was in the article and it worked! Thanks again.

[Peter Ward]

I've seen several variations on this theme but I can't get past the error message I get when I try to use the \\server\printer format: "Not enough server storage is available to process this command".

I know that's rubbish because I have 1.5GB RAM and Task Manager shows less than half used. So this is clearly a misleading error message! However, I don't know what the error message should really say.

I have done a NET PRINT command and My Vista laptop can see the printer via this route. I have added the printer as the IP address of the XP laptop and I can submit print jobs to it, but they fail to print ("Error - Printing" in the print queue window).

Can anyone help? I have file sharing to the XP laptop working but really need printing to work as well. I can't believe just how problematic it's been to introduce a Vista laptop into a wireless XP environment -- I wish I'd chosen a new XP laptop and saved hours of frustration!

Thanks
Peter Ward

[don]

use kvm switch voila. fixed

[ax]

Worked great! Hard to believe that one this wouldn't be something they had tried (and fixed) before they shipped Vista.

[KLS]

You Rock! I worked for hours trying to get my new laptop to print and nothing ever happened. This took no time at all and I can now print.

[dd]

I have vista and printer share lq-2170 from win me is still didnt work...

[Jc Tan]

thanks alot ,is realy work

[Chan Doshi]

Thanks. This was very helpful.

[David]

This is all fine but remember, you also need to set the print share computer to have a static NAT IP address. Otherwise, when the IP lease expires and the router sends a new IP address to the computer, your print path will be broken and you will have the same issue. Be sure and add the DNS addresses also or you will not be able to access the internet from the print share computer. I hope this helps.

[Gino]

Dude you are a genius!

[clivro]

Excellent post, saved my bacon after having wasted hours trying to set it up as a network printer!!!

[Bilbo]

Works Great, Thanks!