I’m the guy who usually has all the answers about networks and such, but I have a problem that is driving me insane.
Here at work I have a peer-to-peer network of about 15 computers, 7 are running WIN XP Home, 7 are running WIN XP Pro, and mine is running Vista. Everything had been running fine, but I added a computer just to have two printers hooked to it and to share to everyone on the network. Both of these printers are hp and had been previously hooked to other computers and shared successfully before. This week I consolidated the two printers to one computer that stays on 24/7, and I use remote desktop to access it if I have to.
On my Vista box, I have printer and file sharing turned-off, but I use the two hp printers via shared printing through the above computer over the network. I also have installed our Savin photocopier/scanner/printer using its printer server software. I have no problem with it.
Lately we have had problems printing to the shared hp printers. People will complain that they can’t print so I check the setups and will find auto hp printers installed via my Vista box (the same hp printers installed on a separate computer). I’ll check the computer that had the printers attached to it and find the same auto-installed printers installed plus the real hp printers installed, but somehow the sharing for the real printers is now turned-off and the default printer changed. On my Vista box, nothing will seem to be changed, I show all printers installed correctly, but now, only on the hp printers, the printer sharing be enabled on each printer. The file and printing properties for the computer as a whole still show no sharing.
As far as I can tell, this happens everytime I restart my Vista box.
How do I fix this? I never have had problems with shared printers (in fact I have done some goofy things with scanners and shared printers and had no problems).
I agree with Number. Going to embedded print servers, either internal for capable printers or externally connected ones, has saved me a lot of headaches. They usually cost $150 or less.
There are two issues here: firstly, you should use a network print server like a Jetdirect box or a networkable printer. Secondly, sharing typically has a limit of 10 connections on client versions of Windows.
Beyond that, at 15 client workstations, you ought to look into a dedicated network server (Windows Small Business Server comes to mind) and standardising your client OS. This will save you considerable headaches in the longer term. The release of Windows 7 will provide you with a good opportunity.
Here’s what I did: I uninstalled the shared printers on my Vista box. Now everyone’s happy, and I still can print to another printer. I have another printer coming that can be shared by our student lab, and that will cut down on the number of connections to our cobbled-together “file & print server”. Plus when I have more time, I’ll try re-installing the printer drivers, but won’t use a Remote Desk Connection.
Re: purchasing dedicated print servers – great idea! Unfortunately I work for a non-profit Adult Education agency that has no I/T money in a State that has yet to pass a budget for the program year that started July 1. I have to play the cards I’m dealt and I’m lucky I could scarf together what I have. (It took me till September 2007 to get all our computers on Windows XP; Windows 7 will have to wait until 2015!)
Yeah, grab and old jet direct. They go for 10-20 dollars on ebay.
I might be misreading your question, but are you relying on remote desktop to “auto create” these printers for you? Then yes, you’ll lose them on rdp shutdown. You’ll need to create them via the UNC share: \computer and double-click to install the printer.
I guess on Friday a state budget was passed, but we won’t see any money until November.
No problems printing today – even after the boss shut off the power to the building looking for a light switch. No hp’s are hooked to my computer but I get to print to the big photocopier as long as noone is making copies.
The auto created printers were showing up on other computers when I installed on my Vista box, I thought correctly, the hp printers. They were somehow being auto-shared on the network even though I have print and file sharing turned off on that Vista box. I’ll try again tomorrow and see what happens.
Could I get a nudge to a good Jet Direct how-to site? I think I have an hp 4050n floating around here somewhere.
The latest problem is installing an hp AIO printer/fax/scanner on a computer with a VIA cpu. Only the printer driver will work - the full software suite won’t install since I “Don’t meet the minimum requirements”, which apparently means only an Intel or AMD cpu.
That one doesn’t need a Jetdirect box, since it has an inbuilt network card. Give it a static IP address on your subnet outside the scope of the DHCP server (you don’t want duplicate IP addresses). Then set all PCs to print to it via a LPR port.