My Xp laptop cannot print using printer attached to my vista machi

I have a new windows vista desktop (windows home premium 32 bit). I have it
set up to share file/folders with my laptop which is running XP home. Both
machines can see each others files and can make changes to those files. I
attached a Dell A920 all in one printer to the vista machine and the pc took
over and went and found/installed whatever driver it needed and I can print
from the vista machine to the directly attached printer. I have the printer
set up to share on the network. ie. printer sharing on, password protection
off. However, when I open a document on the laptop xp machine and click
print--it showes me the printer on the vista machine (the path lines up with
the exact name I gave the shared printer)- but I get a message saying that
"can't communicate with printer".

Is there something with the laptop being XP and the printer being hooked to
a vista machine? Before I had the vista machine, my previous desktop was an
XP machine with the same printer attached to it and the laptop could use the
printer thru the network.

carl43m wrote:

> I have a new windows vista desktop (windows home premium 32 bit). I have
> it
> set up to share file/folders with my laptop which is running XP home.
> Both
> machines can see each others files and can make changes to those files. I
> attached a Dell A920 all in one printer to the vista machine and the pc
> took over and went and found/installed whatever driver it needed and I can
> print
> from the vista machine to the directly attached printer. I have the
> printer set up to share on the network. ie. printer sharing on, password
> protection
> off. However, when I open a document on the laptop xp machine and click
> print--it showes me the printer on the vista machine (the path lines up
> with the exact name I gave the shared printer)- but I get a message saying
> that "can't communicate with printer".
>
> Is there something with the laptop being XP and the printer being hooked
> to
> a vista machine? Before I had the vista machine, my previous desktop was
> an XP machine with the same printer attached to it and the laptop could
> use the printer thru the network.

If you have a CD for the printer, put it in the XP machine and install the
drivers. The printer should be seen during the driver installation routine.
If you don't have a CD for the printer, go to Dell's website and download
XP drivers for the printer. Install them on the XP machine.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

The laptop already has the software/drivers for the printer on it. This pc
was shared with a different desktop that also ran XP and the laptop could
always use the printer thru the other pc. It was only after I hooked the
printer to the vista system that the xp laptop could no longer do this. The
printer attached to desktop can be seen on the laptop, that is not a
problem--the problem is when I click to print it says it can't communicate
with the printer.

"Malke" wrote:

> carl43m wrote:
>
> > I have a new windows vista desktop (windows home premium 32 bit). I have
> > it
> > set up to share file/folders with my laptop which is running XP home.
> > Both
> > machines can see each others files and can make changes to those files. I
> > attached a Dell A920 all in one printer to the vista machine and the pc
> > took over and went and found/installed whatever driver it needed and I can
> > print
> > from the vista machine to the directly attached printer. I have the
> > printer set up to share on the network. ie. printer sharing on, password
> > protection
> > off. However, when I open a document on the laptop xp machine and click
> > print--it showes me the printer on the vista machine (the path lines up
> > with the exact name I gave the shared printer)- but I get a message saying
> > that "can't communicate with printer".
> >
> > Is there something with the laptop being XP and the printer being hooked
> > to
> > a vista machine? Before I had the vista machine, my previous desktop was
> > an XP machine with the same printer attached to it and the laptop could
> > use the printer thru the network.
>
> If you have a CD for the printer, put it in the XP machine and install the
> drivers. The printer should be seen during the driver installation routine.
> If you don't have a CD for the printer, go to Dell's website and download
> XP drivers for the printer. Install them on the XP machine.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> Don't Panic!
>

carl43m wrote:

> The laptop already has the software/drivers for the printer on it. This
> pc was shared with a different desktop that also ran XP and the laptop
> could
> always use the printer thru the other pc. It was only after I hooked the
> printer to the vista system that the xp laptop could no longer do this.
> The printer attached to desktop can be seen on the laptop, that is not a
> problem--the problem is when I click to print it says it can't communicate
> with the printer.

Because you've changed the location of the printer. If the printer is
installed on the XP box, uninstall it and reinstall it.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

On Thu, 29 May 2008 17:57:15 -0700, carl43m
<carl43m@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>The laptop already has the software/drivers for the printer on it. This pc
>was shared with a different desktop that also ran XP and the laptop could
>always use the printer thru the other pc. It was only after I hooked the
>printer to the vista system that the xp laptop could no longer do this. The
>printer attached to desktop can be seen on the laptop, that is not a
>problem--the problem is when I click to print it says it can't communicate
>with the printer.
>
You are thinking old school, not the new Vista way! Lots of hardware
need reinstalling, on the networked machines, when hooked to a Vista
machine and then shared with other machines. Yes even if it was
working previously.