host posted on January 19, 2009 22:26
Vista - how to share networked printers on a predominately XP network
If you add a Vista machine to a predominately XP network, sharing networked printers with the Vista machine requires a different tack than sharing networked printers with XP machines.
Here's how to successfully install a shared printer to a Vista machine.
1. Go to the Control Panel of the Vista machine, choose Printer, then choose Add Printer.
2. Choose Add a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in the drop down box is Local Port; this is what we want, so do not change this setting. Click Next.
3. A dialogue box will appear asking that you enter a port name.
4. The port name you enter in this box will take this format: \\computername\printername
For example, the name of the XP computer that has the shared printer that I want to install on the Vista machine is named Newcomputer and the name of the printer on Newcomputer is named Printer2 so the port name I entered was: \\Newcomputer\Printer2
Follow this format for your port name
5. Click Finish and then test the newly shared printer. In most cases a reboot is not necessary.
Enjoy.
Bill