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Reaching the network printer on XP *from* Win 7

(10 posts)
  • Started 3 years ago by RHalstead
  • Latest reply from RHalstead
  • Topic Viewed 3666 times

RHalstead
Posts: 6

Adding a network printer *to* a Win 7 machine is pretty much intuitive IF you know where things are as it'll prompt you, go find the printer and add it IF there are drivers available. Unfortunately all of my printers, scanners, and other legacy equipment are on Quad Core machines using XP Pro. Meaning I need to connect the Win 7 machine to the printer on the XP machine. Moving the printer to the Win 7 machine would be a problem as that machine also runs XP a good portion of the time. I'd also have to reconfigure the printer on each OS on all of the other machines. Of course printing from XP to XP is no problem. I run XP Pro, Win 7, and several flavors of LINUX across the network, but XP will remain the dominant OS on the network due to lack of legacy drivers for Win 7.

So, how do I set up a Win 7 machine to use a network printer on an XP machine? That one has me completely at a loss. I know I could move the printer to a Win 7 machine, but then I'm looking at up to a couple of days for reconfiguring the other machines on the network.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ispalten
ispalten
Posts: 6259

On W7 go to the control panel and then Devices and Printers. Select ADD A PRINTER and then NETWORK and follow the prompts.

I have an HP 3 in 1 on an XP machine connected as a network printer on my W7 machine and had no problems doing so.

Irv S.

Posted 3 years ago #
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Shkumbin
Shkumbin
Posts: 219

Hello RHalstead, and welcom to HTG community, related to your topic title check this: SharePrinter.

The bests,
Thanks.

Posted 3 years ago #
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RHalstead
Posts: 6

To ispalten: Unfortunately when I tell it to add the printer it wants the driver installed on the XP machine, but the XP machine doesn't recognize Win 7 drivers. Installing the drivers on the Win 7 machine does not help it find the printer .inf. BTW the printer is an Epson stylus photo R320

To Shkumbin: Near as I can tell the "shareprinter" link is for using a shared printer that is installed on a Win 7 machine.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ispalten
ispalten
Posts: 6259

Rhalstead, go HERE to the Epson site and d/l the required drivers. During the install, point to the proper drivers and use them instead of where Windows wants to find them using the BROWSE or I HAVE THE DRIVER choices.

Irv S.

Posted 3 years ago #
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RHalstead
Posts: 6

ispalten: No luck on using those drivers either. I had downloaded the specific drivers for the R320. The drivers and utilities come in a self extracting file which is fine, but when the system tries to install the drivers or download them from the XP machine it fails with the prompt to the effect, "select *.inf file". Now if they'd give me time to read the extracted file to find the inf I'd know what to search for. OTOH as it's self extracting and immediately does the install there may not be any inf for me to find.

During the install it never gives me the choice of selecting any specific drivers although I do get the browse prompt if I wish. Unfortunately the only file is the self extracting exe and after running it I still get the prompt for the *.inf. I think I'm going to have to give epson a call tomorrow.

Posted 3 years ago #
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RHalstead
Posts: 6

Just a bit more information, The drivers for the R320 are listed for Win7, Vista, and XP in both the 32 and 64 bit versions. IOW, one driver package does all and should work in this instance. Installed on the XP machine it appears to assume the XP machine is the newest so neither Vista or Win 7 are among the selections for adding additional drivers. I think that Win 7 driver needs to show up in the additional drivers list although the Win 7 machine does recognize the R320 on the XP machine. Getting Epson on the R320 which is not one of the newer models seems to be a lost cause.

Posted 3 years ago #
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ispalten
ispalten
Posts: 6259

Those self-extracting files can be tricky. If they are EXE's they can be RUN and they will create folders usually, one could be XP, VIsta, etc., OR X86 and X64. In these will be a ??????.INF file. You must direct the install to the correct INF file.

Here is what one of my Dell driver folders looks like...

---------------------------
C:\DELL\drivers\R206717>dir
Volume in drive C is OS
Volume Serial Number is 1C5C-DD5E

Directory of C:\DELL\drivers\R206717

10/27/2009 11:47 AM <DIR> .
10/27/2009 11:47 AM <DIR> ..
10/27/2009 11:47 AM <DIR> 6.0.6000.20062.x64
10/27/2009 11:47 AM <DIR> 6.0.6000.20062.x86
12/18/2008 08:23 AM 5,020,620 data1.cab
12/18/2008 08:23 AM 38,192 data1.hdr
12/18/2008 08:23 AM 1,233,542 data2.cab
09/17/2007 03:31 PM 492,164 ISSetup.dll
12/18/2008 08:23 AM 455 layout.bin
08/31/2007 10:12 AM 460,248 setup.exe
10/01/2008 03:23 PM 1,697 setup.ini
12/18/2008 08:22 AM 224,915 setup.inx
07/31/2008 10:27 AM 423 setup.iss
05/17/2006 10:21 AM 385,968 _Setup.dll
10 File(s) 7,858,224 bytes
4 Dir(s) 121,983,451,136 bytes free
++++++++++++++++++++++++

In this case you see the X86 and X64 folders, and since I"m running the 64 bit version I know which to use and these are the contents :

_______________________
C:\DELL\drivers\R206717\6.0.6000.20062.x64>dir
Volume in drive C is OS
Volume Serial Number is 1C5C-DD5E

Directory of C:\DELL\drivers\R206717\6.0.6000.20062.x64

10/27/2009 11:47 AM <DIR> .
10/27/2009 11:47 AM <DIR> ..
08/02/2007 09:32 PM 5,631,520 DriveIcon.dll
12/17/2008 07:45 PM 10,983 rtcrdriver64.cat
01/03/2008 07:57 PM 62,464 RTSTOR64.sys
12/16/2008 01:02 PM 10,018 rtusbstor64.inf
4 File(s) 5,714,985 bytes
2 Dir(s) 121,983,270,912 bytes free
____________

And there is the install INF file to use.

You might NOT know where the INF file was put though if you ran the EXE, however, you usually can open Explorer and look at the D/L and right mouse button on it and do an EXTRACT to a known place and from there, find the INF and RMB on it and select INSTALL.

Irv

Posted 3 years ago #
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RHalstead
Posts: 6

Unfortunately the word from Epson is: "My apologies for the trouble you are having with your network. The R320 does not have a downloadable Windows 7 driver so it will not work with your current setup. (contrary to what it says on the Epson page) This printer will have to be connected directly to a Windows 7 computer in order for those computers to see the printer and for them to work on a network as a shared printer."

IOW if I want to mix Win 7 with machines running other operating systems the printer will need to be on the Win 7 machine which is not really an option unless I run multiple printers. Reconfiguring all of the other machines on the network with 2 or 3 operating systems each would cost more than purchasing on or two new printers and even then there are configuration problems.

It looks like Win 7 just lost some more functionality. I guess it's a good thing all of the other machines have XP Pro. I had to keep it as there are no drivers available for either Vista or Win 7 for my dedicated film scanners which cost more than my computers. Win 7 recognizes the flat bed, but has no drivers for it either. So it looks like I'll be staying with XP Pro on all of the machines instead of upgrading. OTOH it save me the problem of trying to get all of my mail files onto Win 7.

Posted 3 years ago #
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RHalstead
Posts: 6

Oops...I forgot...Unlike ispalten's files there is no ???.inf (that I can find) in the directories for the Win 7 installation.

Posted 3 years ago #
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