[melonhead]

I have a new laptop with Vista OS.

There are three other computers on my network. All these computers are running XP and Windows update are current.
There is a laptop, a desktop with an Epson local printer, a desktop with a Lexmark printer.

I tried to install a network printer on my Vista laptop. It can see both the Lexmark and the Epson. However, it is unable to install either one. The Epson gets a message: Windows cannot connect to printer. Acess is denied.

I made sure the printer was shared.

I deleted the printer and then reinstalled it and again shared it. I was unable to install. I tried to install on my old XP laptop and there was no problem at all with the installation.

I turned off the firewall on the desktop computer. No luck.

I went to start, run, and typed in cmd. At the command I typed netsh firewall set portopening tcp 445 smb enable


Didn't work.

I installed the printer on my Vista laptop as a local printer. Then I went in and tried to add a port. I chose the standard TCP/IP port. I tried to type in //basement/epsonsty (where as: //computername/printername). It would not even let me type in a "\" So I tried typing in "basement" No luck. I tried typing in "epsonsty" No luck.

As for the other printer on the other computer. It is getting a different error message and I haven't even attempted anything with that one yet.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[melonhead]

Okay, I found a solution. I'm posting it to help others.

Logically it makes no sense to me, but it worked so...

Go to Control Panel. Choose printer. Then choose Add Printer.

ChooseAdd a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in the drop down box is Local Port. Do not change that. Click Next.

A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name. Type in the //computer name/printer name ie. My computer's name is basement and the printer name is EpsonSty so I typed in \\basement\epsonsty

Yahoo! It worked. Go figure! Hope this helps someone else so they don't spend the hours I did on it!

[melonhead]

Oops! I realized I made a typo: Here is the corrected version:

I found a solution. Logically it makes no sense to me, but it worked so...

Go to Control Panel. Choose printer. Then choose Add Printer.

ChooseAdd a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in the drop down box is Local Port. Do not change that. Click Next.

A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name. Type in the \\computer name\printer name ie. My computer's name is basement and the printer name is EpsonSty so I typed in \\basement\epsonsty

Yahoo! It worked. Go figure! I guess Microsoft thinks printers on a intranet are local.

Hope this helps someone else so they don't spend the hours I did on it!

[Sentinel78]

I randomly googled this specific problem and luckily found this site. This solution worked like a charm. Thanks so much

[melonhead]

Your welcome!

[jeansansnom]

Thanks very much for sharing your experience. You've saved me a huge amount of time with my first experience with Vista (using a client as the guinea pig).

This is obviously a bug in Vista. Let's see how long it will be before Microsoft fixes it.

[shayno]

Thanks for posting your solution. I was stuck for a while. With XP I always added printers attached to other computers as a network printer so I was thrown when I had to add it as a local printer by its network name.
I really find some of Vista's features and security a little over the top and inconsistent at times.

[cddrummergo]

Dude your a genius, cheers... boo to vista and HP. this just took me 4 hours to find your post, worked in 30 seconds!!! thanks!!!

[mjhollands]

Worked like a dream - fantastic

[Matt21]

ok, Im hoping that you can help. I have been trying to network a vista laptop and an xp pc. I have managed to do the file sharing bit and am now stuck with the printer sharing. I have been able to install the printer (I have tried as both a local and a network) but I am unabke to access it. All i get is an error message saying "Access Denied".

Any ideas?

[mrss]

Matt21, have you tried to add the printer? Or were you just viewing it as part of the network when you tried to connect. Try adding it via the control panel >> printers procedure.

[Matt21]

Yes, I have tried adding it in that way, but to no avail.

If I try to add it in that way, I go to Add printer, and then I have tried both as a local printer and as a network printer.

When I try local computer, I use the \\computersname\printer name port, and it is installed. However when you try to print it says - Problem Communicating with the Printer.

When I try to add it as a network printer, it performs a search and picks up the printer. I lik next and its says it is connecting to the printer. Have a few minutes it says, "Windows cannot access the printer. Operation could not be completed. (Error 0x0000000d)"

If I try to drag it accross the network it comes up with the same message, "Windows cannot access the printer. Operation could not be completed. (Error 0x0000000d)"Im completly stuck with this,

Matt

[dm101]

I'm also having the "problem communicating with the printer" issue with vista laptop trying to use printer on xp pc over network.

Got past the Access Denied problem following above instructions, but now when I try to print, Lexmark voice informs me that there is a problem communicating with the printer.

Any thoughts on what to try?

[mrss]

Since this thread is marked "Solved", you guys might consider starting a new thread.

-Is the printer shared on the XP machine?
-Are you using accounts with passwords? If so, they have to be the same name/password on both PC's.
-When the printer installed initially, did Vista go out and find drivers for it?

When I figured out the above, Vista downloaded drivers from Windows Update and then it gave me a dialogue box to print a test page. And I'm not using accounts with passwords either.

[haley698]

I too randomly googled my network printer issue (after hours of frustration), and thanks to you the solution worked. Thanks for posting your solution.