XP Professional can't access HP LaserJet 6P on NT 4.0 Print Server

[Jim Snively]

I have a new Windows XP Professional laptop and need to access an HP
LaserJet 6P printer attached to a Windows NT 4.0 (SP6a) server's LPT1. I
followed the instrictions in
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/AddDrivertoOldOS.htm and all goes well until
step 18. When I click Close I get a message: Windows cannot locate a
suitable printer driver. Contact your administrator ...

Each time I repeat the process I get the message listed in step 14. I see a
fast moving file copy dialog but since this message recurrs I think the XP
driver files are not being copied properly. There are no relevant messages
in the NT server error log. The Windows XP user is a member of the NT
server administrators group.

Please help me with this problem.

Thanks,

Jim Snively

 

[Bruce Sanderson]

Unfortunately, you have what HP refers to as "an incompatible set of printer
drivers". See
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=bpl13043.

This is a problem common to "older" printers and printer drivers. I recall
having several battles with the orginal HP LaserJet series (II, III, 4, 5
and 6) when we migrated to Windows XP.

I suggest:
1. make sure you have the latest drivers from HP for both NT 4 and XP - this
is no guarantee
2. on the Windows NT 4 computer, switch to a driver for a different printer
model - e.g. HP LaserJet 4 and do the same thing when installing the XP
driver
3. use the bypass at http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/NetPrinterNoPP.htm

I'm late for an appointment, but if you still need more help, post back and
I'll do a bit more research.

 

[Jim Snively]

Bruce,

I was going to this clients to try the workaround but the computer was down
due to a virus and
had to be "repaired". By the end of the day that workaround worked.

HP suggested trying the HP LaserJet 4+ drivers -- same as your suggestion --
I did not try
that because the \\servername\printershare port worked.

I did notice there was no version 3 registry key on the server.

There is also a HP LaserJet 5 printer (attached via a JetDirect device)
which connected OK
to Windows XP Professional without a version 5 driver.

Thanks for your help.

Jim Snively

 

[Bruce Sanderson]

It's a while ago, but if I remember correctly, we specifically had problems
with the HP LaserJet 6 printer drivers (and some others) and chose to use a
driver for a different model instead.

The differences between most of the HP LaserJet 4, 5 and 6 models are pretty
minor and the drivers are almost interchangeable. The only time it matters
much is if the printer has additional features, such as a duplexing unit.
Not all of the 4, 5 and 6 drivers support two sided printing.