Common Vista Problem - Network printing

[John Monahan]

No wonder people are frustrated going to Vista from XP! Here is my latest
issue:-

I want to run a few printers from my Windows Home Server (WHS). As a typical
example I loaded on to WHS the latest HP WHS driver for a HP 4050T LaserJet
printer. Its their newest "Universal driver" whatever that actually means.
Anyway I can print from the WHS computer immediately and perfectly fine.
Likewise if I assign any XP machine the WHS as a network printer and it too
prints fine and immediately.

Here's the problem.... if I try to connect this exact same printer up to my
Vista (business) machine, first it takes about 5 minutes to configure. It
then takes forever to print even the test page. I have a gadget that shows
net activity. "Signals" are sent spaced apart 5-20 seconds apart between the
two computers. I read extensively over the web forums and tried the obvious
things such as:-

Disconnecting the Vista firewall - No difference

With gpedit.msc etc enabling the rendering of print jobs on the server,
(normally unconfigured) - No difference.

In "Add printer" instead of adding the printer as a network printer, adding
the printer as a local port using Serverrinter name. - No difference.

I can even run the printer from a TrendNet TE100-P21 Print server box. It
runs fine with Vista as well. This appears to be a problem with another HP
Printer (a 5600), as well. Prints fine as a network printer with XP, five
minutes per page with Vista!

There seems to be something slowing the Vista communication to the
printer(so) on WHS to a crawl. This is not the case for any other
communication between Vista and WHS (e.g. file transfers).

I have spent an enormous amount of time and frustrating trying to figure out
what the problem is. I would really appreciate some help from experts here.

 

[Gordon]

No wonder people are frustrated going to Vista from XP! Here is my latest
issue:-

I want to run a few printers from my Windows Home Server (WHS). As a
typical example I loaded on to WHS the latest HP WHS driver for a HP 4050T
LaserJet printer.

Lurking in this group, it seems to me that most of the network printing
problems with Vista seem to be with HP printers.....I have a Samsung CLP
300N connected direct to my network (not through a server I have to admit)
and have had no real problems at all in printing to it from my Vista
machine - and that's with wireless as well! I wonder if it's something about
HP printers that Vista doesn't like.....

 

[John Monahan]

Thanks so much RehabMan. What you suggested worked great! I now have two HP
printers, a HP 4050T Laserjet (B&W) and a HP DeskJet 5860 (Color) working
perfectly from the WHS. I can send print jobs from any Vista or XP machine
immediately with no problems. Your help saved me no end of frustration
thanks again.

 

[DDW]

Lurking in this group, it seems to me that most of the network printing
problems with Vista seem to be with HP printers.....I have a Samsung CLP
300N connected direct to my network (not through a server I have to admit)
and have had no real problems at all in printing to it from my Vista
machine - and that's with wireless as well! I wonder if it's something about
HP printers that Vista doesn't like.....

It's probably more related to the fact that HP sells a LOT of
printers.

DDW