Simple Printer Sharing/Networking Question

[husky86]

We are trying to connect 3 desktop computers in a small office situation to
form a network where we can (most importantly) share 2 dedicated printers for
the office (HP color laser and monochrome laser printers). We are running
these 3 desktop systems through a simple router forming a LAN.

Both of these printers are connected directly to one of these desktop
computers, by the way. And all 3 desktop computers are running Windows XP Pro
(SP3).

We have turned on sharing for the network printers (in association with this
one desktop that is directly connected to the 2 printers) but they don't
appear on 2 of the computer's networks options.

In attempting to use the Add Printer Wizard, we are getting some specific
errors. Let me quickly take you through the setup process:

1. Within the first dialogbox we are given the option to "Select the option
that describes the printer you want to use." We choose "A network printer, or
printer attached to another computer."
2. The next dialogbox gives us the option to "What printer do you want to
connect to?" We select "Browse for a printer."
3. The following dialog box asks us to "Browse for Printer." Under the
"Shared printers" there is Microsoft Windows Network, underneath that there
is WORKGROUP, and then the computer name for the computer to which the 2
printers are directly connected. There is no listing for an actual printer,
in other words. The field "Printer" is blank.
4. When we have attempted to fill in the Printer field with the actual name
of the printer (assigned name on the desktop computer to which it is directly
attached) we receive one of the following 2 error messages: (1) "You need to
specify a valid network printer name." or "Windows cannot connect to the
printer. Either the printer name was typed in correctly, or the specified
printer has lost its connection to the server."

What are we doing in correctly? Perhaps there is a website that we can go to
that describes this process simply and in a straightforward manner?

By the way, we also set up the networking (using the Networking Setup Wizard
on each of the other 2 computers, but this didn't seem to help the problem).

Many thanks for all comments and suggestions!

 

[Bill Meyer]

Just go to the start/settings/printers on the machine where the printers are
attached and select properties on each printer and select sharing. Set the
printer to be shared and ten it will be available to everyone through that
computer.

 

[Lem]

We are trying to connect 3 desktop computers in a small office situation to
form a network where we can (most importantly) share 2 dedicated printers for
the office (HP color laser and monochrome laser printers). We are running
these 3 desktop systems through a simple router forming a LAN.

Both of these printers are connected directly to one of these desktop
computers, by the way. And all 3 desktop computers are running Windows XP Pro
(SP3).

We have turned on sharing for the network printers (in association with this
one desktop that is directly connected to the 2 printers) but they don't
appear on 2 of the computer's networks options.

In attempting to use the Add Printer Wizard, we are getting some specific
errors. Let me quickly take you through the setup process:

1. Within the first dialogbox we are given the option to "Select the option
that describes the printer you want to use." We choose "A network printer, or
printer attached to another computer."
2. The next dialogbox gives us the option to "What printer do you want to
connect to?" We select "Browse for a printer."
3. The following dialog box asks us to "Browse for Printer." Under the
"Shared printers" there is Microsoft Windows Network, underneath that there
is WORKGROUP, and then the computer name for the computer to which the 2
printers are directly connected. There is no listing for an actual printer,
in other words. The field "Printer" is blank.
4. When we have attempted to fill in the Printer field with the actual name
of the printer (assigned name on the desktop computer to which it is directly
attached) we receive one of the following 2 error messages: (1) "You need to
specify a valid network printer name." or "Windows cannot connect to the
printer. Either the printer name was typed in correctly, or the specified
printer has lost its connection to the server."

What are we doing in correctly? Perhaps there is a website that we can go to
that describes this process simply and in a straightforward manner?

By the way, we also set up the networking (using the Networking Setup Wizard
on each of the other 2 computers, but this didn't seem to help the problem).

Many thanks for all comments and suggestions!

Here is standard networking advice from MS-MVP Malke. You may have done
some of the steps but not all. The two issues most likely giving you
trouble are failure to set up identical accounts on all of the machines
(if you have "Simple File Sharing" turned off) and not having firewalls
properly configured. Note that sharing files and sharing printers are
governed by the same mechanism - if you can't share files, you can't
share printers, and vice versa.

<Malke>

File/printer sharing

Excellent, thorough, yet easy to understand article about File/Printer
Sharing in Vista. Includes details about sharing printers as well as
files and folders:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

For XP, start by running the Network Setup Wizard on all machines (see
caveat in Item A below).

Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally
caused by 1) a misconfigured firewall or overlooked firewall (including
a stateful firewall in a VPN); or 2) inadvertently running two firewalls
such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party firewall; and/or
3) not having identical user accounts and passwords on all Workgroup
machines; 4) trying to create shares where the operating system does not
permit it.

A. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network
(LAN) traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, this means allowing
File/Printer Sharing on the Exceptions tab. Normally running the Network
Setup Wizard on XP will take care of this for those machines.The only
"gotcha" is that this will turn on the XPSP2 Windows Firewall. If you
aren't running a third-party firewall or have an antivirus with
"Internet Worm Protection" (like Norton 2006/07) which acts as a
firewall, then you're fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually
configure the LAN allowance with an IP range. Ex. would be
192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you would substitute your correct
subnet. Do not run more than one firewall. DO NOT TURN OFF FIREWALLS;
CONFIGURE THEM CORRECTLY.

B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup.
This is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.

C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do
not need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the
passwords assigned to each user account can be different; the
accounts/passwords just need to exist and match on all machines. DO NOT
NEGLECT TO CREATE PASSWORDS, EVEN IF ONLY SIMPLE ONES. If you wish a
machine to boot directly to the Desktop (into one particular user's
account) for convenience, you can do this. The instructions at this link
work for both XP and Vista:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm

D. If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center, turn off
Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab).

E. Create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users'
home directories or Program Files, but you can share folders inside
those directories. A better choice is to simply use the Shared Documents
folder. See the first link above for details about Vista sharing.

F. After you have file sharing working (and have tested this by
exchanging a file between all machines), if you want to share a printer
connected locally to one of your computers, share it out from that
machine. Then go to the printer mftr.'s website and download the latest
drivers for the correct operating system(s). Install them on the target
machine(s). The printer should be seen during the installation routine.
If it is not, install the drivers and then use the Add Printer Wizard.
In some instances, certain printers need to be installed as Local
printers but that is outside of this response.

</Malke>

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[husky86]

Doesn't work--"Access is Denied" is the error message given.

Thanks.

 

[husky86]

Thanks very much for this info.

After playing around with this issue for several hours today, I think this
is the issue at hand:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/162695/en-us

I keep getting this "Access is Denied" error. However, I don't know how to
apply the workaround:

"To work around this problem, use an external utility designed for editing
multi-string registry values. Execution of such utilities can be accomplished
within Systems Management Server Installer by using the Execute Program
script item. "

What????

Please help.

Thanks again.

 

[Lem]

Thanks very much for this info.

After playing around with this issue for several hours today, I think this
is the issue at hand:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/162695/en-us

I keep getting this "Access is Denied" error. However, I don't know how to
apply the workaround:

"To work around this problem, use an external utility designed for editing
multi-string registry values. Execution of such utilities can be accomplished
within Systems Management Server Installer by using the Execute Program
script item. "

What????

Please help.

Thanks again.

That MS KB article is NOT related to your problem. If you click the
very first line in the article (view products that this article applies
to), you'll see that it applies only to Microsoft Systems Management
Server 1.0 Standard Edition. You have Windows XP Pro.

There are a number of things to check. First, confirm that the 3
computers actually are on the same network. Open a Command Prompt
window and type "ipconfig" (without quotes) and press Enter. The IP
Address of each computer will look something like: 192.168.1.100. The
first 3 sets should be identical for each of your 3 computers. That is,
in the example above, each computer should have an IP Address of
192.168.1.x.

Make sure that the share name you gave your printer(s) is less than 12
characters, has no spaces, and no special characters (technically, this
is not necessary, but ...).

Try sharing a folder on one of the computers (NOT Documents and
Settings, Program Files, or WINDOWS system folders). Then try accessing
the shared folder from one of the other computers. If you don't see it
in My Network Places, open Windows Explorer and type
\\computername\sharename in the Address bar and click GO, where
"computername" is the name of the computer on which you created the
share and "sharename" is the name you gave to the folder you shared. I
suspect that you will receive the same "Access Denied" error.

What firewall AND antivirus software are installed on EACH of the
computers? Have you set up accounts on the computers with matching names
and passwords?

If you followed all the directions in Malke's advice that I included in
my last post and are still unable to succeed, try using MVP Hans Georg
Michna's Network Problem Solver at http://winhlp.com/wxnet.htm
Use Internet Explorer 6 or higher and read the directions carefully.


--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[husky86]

That MS KB article is NOT related to your problem. If you click the

very first line in the article (view products that this article applies
to), you'll see that it applies only to Microsoft Systems Management
Server 1.0 Standard Edition. You have Windows XP Pro.

Thanks for this--I actually figured this out about 2 seconds after I made
this post; it was stupid of me because I certainly know better. It was going
on midnight and I was still at the office trying to figure this out. I
stumbled upon that article and thought "eureka!!!"

Too tired to pay attention I guess......

Have you set up accounts on the computers with matching names
and passwords?

This was what was wrong; now that it's fixed, everything's running perfectly.

Many thanks!

 

[Lem]

Thanks for this--I actually figured this out about 2 seconds after I made
this post; it was stupid of me because I certainly know better. It was going
on midnight and I was still at the office trying to figure this out. I
stumbled upon that article and thought "eureka!!!"

Too tired to pay attention I guess......


This was what was wrong; now that it's fixed, everything's running perfectly.

Many thanks!

Glad you got things sorted out. Thanks for letting us know.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm