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

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Comments

[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!

[Jim]

Thank you so much!!!! Works like a charm...

[Greg]

Still didnt work. I was able to print for a few days then I rebooted one of the pc's and I am back to printing only on th xp machine. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Mister Slimm]

Nice one, friend. This also fixed a problem where the printer installs on Vista okay (I never got any "Access Denied" messages) and does everything connected with printing fine (the job goes through the spooler and is successfully 'printed') except actually print anything. So when I clicked "Test Page", the test page job appears in the spooler, is 'printed' but no actual hard copy emerges from the printer. This solution also fixed that. It's bizarre how you need to implement System Administrator techie level printer installation on a supposed user-friendly operating system.

[Jean]

Hello. 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.
My problem: My printer is not listed as one of the printers to choose from, but I have the disc, so do I just go ahead and insert the disc rather than picking any of the printers? It is HP Deskjet 5150. Please help me. thanks!! Jean

[Gary Smith]

I just purchased a new laptop running Vista and was getting extremely frustrated with this issue. Your fix worked perfectly. Thanks a million.

[Michele]

OMG!! Thanks!!! I've searched and searched for a solution. This solved my problem. :D :D

[Gege]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ianw]

Jeff,

In my experience, a Vista shared printer is readily available to a Windows XP PC. This is true providing that the PCs are networked, that the shared printer on the Vista PC is viewable from the Windows XP PC, and lastly that the firewalls are open to printer sharing. The issue that I address in the article refers to a somewhat odd permission/sharing problem with Vista. I suspect that your problem may be a more typical networking and/or firewall issue.

[Jeff]

But what about the reverse of this problem? I have a Vista machine with a printer and a second machine running XP. I can't print on the Vista Printer from the XP.

[angelberto angulo]

It saved my day
thanks

[Dean]

Awesome work, thanks a million. I am as happy as you are!

[Konstantin Vikhrov]

Thanks for sharing your solution with us, bro. It worked just fine for me!

[Martin Cross]

Hi,
I was trying to get a new Vista Laptop to work with a printer on a XP PC. This fix worked for me - many thanks!!!

Martin

[Gene Markham]

XPP desktop with Epson printer and networked Vista notebook. Your method actually makes the printer print - but print job remains in Vista machine que, showing print error with job not printed. It helps but it is not there yet.

[Arlen Carlson]

Network printing problem with Vista. Your solution worked perfectly! Thank you.

[George L.]

Thank you, a quick, easy fix

[Mat]

vista to shared xp printer fix. Thank you very much for sharing this very useful information. It was very helpful in solving my printer connection problem!

[Trevor Nord]

This is a fantastic tip!
I was getting problems with connection to a Samsung printer on a XP box. Vista was complaining about insufficient memory, despite 60% being free :-)
Daft thing is that an Epson on the same XP box added just fine as a remote printer.

As stated above Excellent Help!

[John Valentine]

This was driving me crazy! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

[Krys]

When I try this I get "the parameter is incorrect" - any ideas?

[John Evans]

I have been trying to fix this printing problem on my wifes laptop for ages, thanks a million, it's worked a treat.