Topic: PC/laptop and printer issue needs resolved. Please help.

[inline4]

Here is what I need to resolve.
My desk-top printing software doesn't work very well with my Vista PC.
However the same software works great on my Dell laptop (XP Home).
Is there such a thing as a USB splitter or anything else out there that will allow me to print
from both computers (not at the same time)?
I'm just tired of unplugging the printer from one system and re-plugging it into another.
Thanks guys and
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Jim

[malcolmgb]

you don't say whether computers are networked together, but use a print server http://www.compusa.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=206&name=Print-Servers& I have used a US link for you but try your favourite retailer.

[BlindJoe]

+1

[Bodi]

The easiest approach would be (IMO) networking the two machines - all you would need is a crossover network cable if both have the network jack open. If you use the network plugs already, you should probably have them networked anyway?
Then just have the printer attached to one and share it over the network. You do have to have that system ON to use the printer from another one, but it works fine. The software will work as poorly or well as before.

[gregimotis]

And here are some instructions:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/honeycutt_july2.mspx


If you google "how to share a printer", you'll get more.  If you n eed more help than that, repost here,

[keiths]

I had a problem printing from my daughter's Vista PC to our shared printer on our XP machine. I had to upgrade the printer software on the XP machine and manually find the IEEE driver (saved in the temp folder) on the XP machine. Don't forget to share the printer after the upgrade.
Good Luck,
Keith

[Really?]

The printers MUST be hot swappable to work (unplugging an pluging).  There are USB hub type setups (low cost)where you can run one USB printer between two computers. Is a hub connected to two computer and one printer.

What seems to be the new kewl thing is like a Lexmark Wireless printer.  There all the time.

Or just toss all that you own and just get MAC.  Plug a printer in, it is installed, no next next ok, and it is already on your other MAC without even doing anything to it.  It is already there.


People seem to fight with this stuff on Windows machines, toss that chit.

[inline4]

Thanks for all your help guys.
GigaWhiskey, my next system WILL be a Mac. I too, am tired of all the crap you have to go through with Windows.
Jim

[eldar]

Funny. I install MANY printers on macs that NEED to download drivers. Please do not toss about poor info. Sure mac may have BASIC drivers but if you want to use half the features a printer comes with, You will have at least a 50% chance of having to download drivers. Granted, this is with HP printers.
All mac does is use the CUPS printing system, same as unix and linux.

What it comes down to is wether or not you know how to use a computer. Of course macs have been meant for those who lack pc skills. If you think I am being an ass, read up on it. Apple has used that in the past as a selling point.

Also remember, apple is MORE likely to stop supporting your printer than windows. Apple is famous for NOT supporting legacy hardware. Vista will still support most legacy equipment back to 2000.

Main thing is just cause it is apple does not mean it automatically works and anyone who says so is lying. Bottom line.   Sorry have to be the one to tell the truth.

[Really?]

I have been IT for what now, about 10-12 years now - All Windows environments.  I have owned MACS for about 7 of them.  It is rare to ever have an issue on the MAC.  All my printers have installed and been fine - networked themselves too.

If you support MAC as IT, then I can see what you are saying.

HP is a beast in themselves.  I have supported HP printers as a HP guy long ago.  Tiz why I don't do HP on a personal setup.

So, nope, not bad info.

[eldar]

Yes I do macs in a lab setting at a college. This problem is with more than just hp though. It also happens with canon and zerox printers. Scanners are a MAJOR problem to set up on macs too. In a college setting, security is a big deal and many scanners require being set up under a local user and that makes it much less secure. Macs are also easier to hack than vista is. In a cansecwest contest for 2008, on day 1 none of the 3 systems went down.
Systems were 10.5.2, vista SP1, ubuntu 7.10

On the second day, it took a person a few minutes and osX was crfacked open and if i remember correctly, they used safari.

The second to fall was Vista and to do that, the person used the latest version of adobe flash(high lighting yet another software I do not like).

Ubuntu was not taken down at all during the contest.
Now while this may not mean much to the average home user, it means that the vista code is as sucure as the osx code.

[333]

I found that drivers for older XP equipment weren't going to work, so a trip to the website of the piece in question to get the Vista ready driver will fix the problem.

[techy5025]

Has anyone found a single advantage Vista has over XP?

Jim

[eldar]

YUP. Vista is WAY more configurable than xp. You have much more control over group policies and are better able to limit what people can do. You can also keep people out of your folders by default. The vista code is also more resistant to virus infection.

When installing vista on a new pc, if it fails, just restart it and keep doing so if you need to. It will eventually install and most failures are caused by drivers. You could not do that with xp. You also do not have to install RAID drivers like you do in xp. The windows update process is much better in vista too. No longer do you have to go through internet explorer.

There are more plusses to vista but this should give you an idea.

[techy5025]

Spoken like a true administrator...    I meant for home use. I have four networked computers. I want to be able to access, change, delete, modify, etc, any file....on any of the four...from any of the four without wading through any policy files. If anybody can figure out the "sharing" setup on Vista without an advanced degree it will amaze me. And....yes...I will accept the risk of such a setup.

Do you think the average user is going to understand policy files or even that they exist? 

Jim

[333]

You couldn't do that with XP.  You had to put those files in a shared folder.  Or make the folder a shared folder.  The process looks to be similar.  Right click on the folder you want to share.  The second tab is sharing.  I don't know how well it works, as I don't have a need to share on my network.  But I just went in to the Vista machine and looked, and it seems that it will work.

[eldar]

Actually, my vista laptops work just fine for home use like that. I didn't have to set anything. I just made them part of the same group which you should do anyways.

[techy5025]

I just think XP was simpler and Microsoft has acknowledged that one of the improvements in "Windows 7" will be simplified "home" sharing. I seem to create tons of folders and can never remember to "share" them. I always find out when I try to access them from another computer. Also, when you share a folder, why can't you check a box that shares all descendants of that folder...like share all below starting with the c drive? 

..sorry rant over! 

Jim

[eldar]

But thats the thing, you either have better security and need to do a little more set up or much less security but simpler.
This day and age, more security is better than having it be simpler. Besides, you only need to configure your system once and it is good for as long as you have it.
How? You get $30 software and an external drive and make an image. If your pc blowes up, just drop the image back on. If you back up your data regularly, which is a good idea no matter what you use, if you get a virus you just reload the image instead of taking all day to clean your pc.