How do I share a printer connected to a Win 2k Pro box with a Win XP Pro box?

I shared the printer in Win 2k, but the XP box cannot see it. The other Win 2k box has no problem seeing it.

It’s shared on a wireless network. The XP box can see the Win 2k box on the wireless net, but it cannot see the printer shared on the Win 2k box. The other Win 2k box can see it (this connection is wired).

What’s the deal?

The XP box can see the Win 2k box on the wireless net, but it cannot see the printer shared on the Win 2k box.

More details?  Does the first "see" mean ping?

Can the XP box see the 2k box shares?  I.e. what happens when you put \\2kbox.my.net\ in the location bar in Explorer?

Is the file sharing on XP enabled?

Sounds like you need an XP printer driver on your 2000 box.

All three computers can see each other in Windows networking, including each other's shared folders.

The problem is the XP box cannot see the Win 2k box's printer share. That is, the share does not show up when I browse the network. I tried typing in the share name and it was reported as invalid.

Quoted: Sounds like you need an XP printer driver on your 2000 box.

Yes, that was what I was thinking. How do you do that? Won't the installation program croak when it sees it's not being installed on XP?

Quoted: Is the file sharing on XP enabled?

Yes, file/folder sharing works great.

I just did this the other way.  

Wireless XP machine with printer physically attached.

Printing from 2k Server machine.

Start > Settings > Printers - Add Printers
Next
Network printer
Check off "Type network printer name, ..."  but leave the space blank and click NEXT
Find the computer
Then find the printer

done

didn't need to install drivers for that printer on the 2k Server machine.  Didn't even think to check beforehand to make sure sharing was enabled.  It just worked

Your case is just the opposite from nine.

I have a printer attacked to a Win 2k box that I want to access from a Win XP box. I would expect it to work for you, but in my case, Win 2k doesn't appear to know how to deal with a Win XP printer client.

Does the printer have a NIC?

Quoted: Quoted: Sounds like you need an XP printer driver on your 2000 box. Yes, that was what I was thinking. How do you do that? Won't the installation program croak when it sees it's not being installed on XP?

On my XP box (hosting the printer) at home, I go into the printer properties box, and there is an option (somewhere) for installing drivers for other OSs.  Might be the same for 2k.

Quoted: Does the printer have a NIC?

No, there is no print server. The printer is connected directly to the Win 2k box and is configured as a shared printer. I know, it sucks.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Sounds like you need an XP printer driver on your 2000 box. Yes, that was what I was thinking. How do you do that? Won't the installation program croak when it sees it's not being installed on XP? On my XP box (hosting the printer) at home, I go into the printer properties box, and there is an option (somewhere) for installing drivers for other OSs.  Might be the same for 2k.

Win 2k has that option as well, but only for NT, 95/98, and 2k. There is no option for XP, of course, as XP came later.

I think this is the problem.

Here is what you can try, You can install the printer drivers by using Add Printers in the Printers control panel to install the printer on the xp box. Install the printer as you would install any other printer, and select A network printer, or a printer that is attached to another computer option during the set up. You can then browse to the shared printer - provided that it and the computer it is attached to are turned on and accessible on the network - and then complete the installation.

On computers running Windows XP and Windows 2000, you can also install the drivers for other operating systems when you first share the printer. To do so, click Additional Drivers in the Sharing dialog box. You do not need to install the drivers in the other computers.

This might work

Quoted: Quoted: Sounds like you need an XP printer driver on your 2000 box. Yes, that was what I was thinking. How do you do that? Won't the installation program croak when it sees it's not being installed on XP?

Install the XP driver for the printer locally on your 2000 box using the install disk that came with the printer (or download it from the web).  In your 2000 box, right click on the icon for the printer and select "properties".  Go to the "share" tab and click on the "additional drivers" button.  Look for the new driver and place a check in the box next to it.  That should do it.

Some cheaper printers use the computer they are connected to be the brains (ie software running on the PC to handle printing).

These can be hard, if not impossible, to share (ie cheap HP Inkjets), unless something has changed in the last few years.  I use a laser with an ethernet port now, easy to get all computers printing on it.

Quoted: Here is what you can try, You can install the printer drivers by using Add Printers in the Printers control panel to install the printer on the xp box. Install the printer as you would install any other printer, and select A network printer, or a printer that is attached to another computer option during the set up. You can then browse to the shared printer - provided that it and the computer it is attached to are turned on and accessible on the network - and then complete the installation. On computers running Windows XP and Windows 2000, you can also install the drivers for other operating systems when you first share the printer. To do so, click Additional Drivers in the Sharing dialog box. You do not need to install the drivers in the other computers. This might work

Try this before installing any software locally (takes too long these days )

I think he is furiously working on the issue

Quoted: Quoted: Here is what you can try, You can install the printer drivers by using Add Printers in the Printers control panel to install the printer on the xp box. Install the printer as you would install any other printer, and select A network printer, or a printer that is attached to another computer option during the set up. You can then browse to the shared printer - provided that it and the computer it is attached to are turned on and accessible on the network - and then complete the installation. On computers running Windows XP and Windows 2000, you can also install the drivers for other operating systems when you first share the printer. To do so, click Additional Drivers in the Sharing dialog box. You do not need to install the drivers in the other computers. This might work Try this before installing any software locally (takes too long these days )

I just did the RED and it works perfect-

wireless XP box to 2kServer box with its own printer physically attached.  No need to install drivers on XP box.

yeah printers take up a lot of time in business environments, and sometimes the only way to learn is trial and error, hope that helped out.

Damn, what a pain in the ass.

Here’s what finally worked.

1. First, I had to create a login account on my Win 2k box for the user who wanted to print to my printer, aka, the wife.

2. Then I had to explicitly add the new user to the list of authorized printer users. I actually just added the ‘Users’ group, since by default new logins are added to that group.

3. Then I went over to the XP box and installed the HP printer driver. The installation popped up a network browser, and from there the shared printer was visible, so I could specify it. I finished the install, rebooted, and it works greats.

I screwed up by not configuring a user for the shared printer. I didn’t think I needed to do that for Win 2k Pro, but it turns out I was wrong. The reason the other Win 2k box worked was because that machine already had admin rights on the printing machine (they are both in the same room and I use both).

I probably didn’t need the HP CD in step 4, did I? I think if I didn’t do step 3, and used Control Panel/Add Printer, it would have downloaded the printer driver from the 2k box and installed it, right?

Anyway, thanks for you help guys! Arfcom saves the day, again.