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Printer won't work using Parallels

S

slabman

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 13, 2008
67
0
Plano TX
I can't get my HP3055 printer to work within XP while using Parallels. I'm led to believe there's an issue with port designation, but if this is the case, I need to turn off the VM before re-configuring a port. If so, how do I turn off the VM without shutting down Windows which makes me unable to change port designations? :confused: Help!

I've also been told I cannot print while using Windows in a VM. This doesn't seem correct to me. Or do I need to resort to Boot Camp? :confused:
 
slabman said:
I can't get my HP3055 printer to work within XP while using Parallels. I'm led to believe there's an issue with port designation, but if this is the case, I need to turn off the VM before re-configuring a port. If so, how do I turn off the VM without shutting down Windows which makes me unable to change port designations? :confused: Help!

I've also been told I cannot print while using Windows in a VM. This doesn't seem correct to me. Or do I need to resort to Boot Camp? :confused:
Click to expand...

I run Parallels and Windows XP. I have no problem printing to my HP OfficeJet 7130 thru Windows.

Did you install the HP software/drivers on Windows?
 
slabman said:
I can't get my HP3055 printer to work within XP while using Parallels. I'm led to believe there's an issue with port designation, but if this is the case, I need to turn off the VM before re-configuring a port. If so, how do I turn off the VM without shutting down Windows which makes me unable to change port designations? :confused: Help!

I've also been told I cannot print while using Windows in a VM. This doesn't seem correct to me. Or do I need to resort to Boot Camp? :confused:
Click to expand...

Is the printer hook directly to your mac or are you trying to use the network. If the printer is hooked to your mac while running parallels, make sure you loaded the drivers as Mer1n suggested. If you are hooked to a network, make sure you have printer sharing enabled.
 
I found USB printing in Parallels to be hit or miss. If I absolutely had to print something in Windows I just booted to it via Boot Camp instead of through Parallels.
 
I tried to load my printer drivers through Windows...I even inserted my printer driver disk, but it can't seem to find the right file on it. When operating under Windows and I insert my USB printer cable, it asks if I want to basically add this printer at the expense of losing my USB keyboard/mouse capability. I can have one but not both operating.

Should I give up on this and go to Boot Camp?
 
slabman said:
I tried to load my printer drivers through Windows...I even inserted my printer driver disk, but it can't seem to find the right file on it. When operating under Windows and I insert my USB printer cable, it asks if I want to basically add this printer at the expense of losing my USB keyboard/mouse capability. I can have one but not both operating.

Should I give up on this and go to Boot Camp?
Click to expand...

When you insert the CD with Windows running under Parallels, it should start the installer automatically. If it doesn't do you see the CD mounted under Windows? It sounds like you insert the CD, but it is not being attached via Parallels. If that is the case, use the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and attach it.

Another alternative is (under Windows) is to go to the HP site and download the latest drivers/installer package for your printer and use that to install the drivers instead of the CD.
 
I prefer to run my Boot Camp partition through Parallels/Fusion. When you need to run Windows native you can. When you need to run it virtual you can too.
 
Now I'm having some luck with printing, but if I connect the printer whilst in Windows, it asks if I want the printer to connect to Windows every time I start the VM. If I say "yes", then when I switch to OSX it won't work. So I then have to unplug and re-plug the printer to work under OSX.

That's a lot of plugging/unplugging when switching; seems like there has to be a better way than this? Have others found a better way?
 
slabman said:
Now I'm having some luck with printing, but if I connect the printer whilst in Windows, it asks if I want the printer to connect to Windows every time I start the VM. If I say "yes", then when I switch to OSX it won't work. So I then have to unplug and re-plug the printer to work under OSX.

That's a lot of plugging/unplugging when switching; seems like there has to be a better way than this? Have others found a better way?
Click to expand...
Using Parallels, when you want to print in Mac OS X and have Parallels running, just find its entry in the list of connected devices and disconnect it. Reconnect it to Parallels when you need to print in Windows.
 
WWizard, I just figured that out. Thanks. Gee, is that the only way it's supposed to work? I appreciate your help...wonder why it took this long to finally get to this point. No one else has been as enlightening as you on this....strange?
 
slabman said:
WWizard, I just figured that out. Thanks. Gee, is that the only way it's supposed to work? I appreciate your help...wonder why it took this long to finally get to this point. No one else has been as enlightening as you on this....strange?
Click to expand...
Yes, this is the way it's supposed to work. It's a bit of a pain, I agree - but I got used to doing it when I needed a device on a specific platform. Oh, and just out of curiosity - are you using build 5514 (or whatever the latest Parallels 3.0 build is)? I had problems with the Parallels 3.0 retail build - crashed on launch, every single time, on 10.5.2. After I updated, it worked fine.
 
I don't know what build I have, but it's one straight out of the box, purchased last December. How can I find out? How do I get the latest build and install it?
Thanks.
 
slabman said:
I don't know what build I have, but it's one straight out of the box, purchased last December. How can I find out? How do I get the latest build and install it?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Find the Parallels application in your Applications folder. Either do a Get Info on it ( :apple:+I or Get Info from the File menu ) or open Parallels and select About Parallels from the menu. This will tell you the build number.

To update, you can either use Parallels's built-in update feature, or go to the Parallels website, log in with your account you created when you registered (you did register, didn't you?), then go to the downloads area and grab the latest build from there. Once downloaded, installing is just like installing any other package-based program - double-click the .pkg file, and Installer does the rest.
 
This might help...

I'm not a Parallels or Windows expert, but I found out that the setting to "automatically" install the print driver did not work, because the automatic setting is only looking at external drives, like the CD. However, I downloaded the driver and it was placed in my C drive at C:\HP_CP1510_win32_PS_add_printer_package_v61.072.52.00.

When I selected the "Manual" install I had to locate the above file and double click on it. Then the usual restart. Of course being Windows, there are a few more steps to make sure that your computer is smart enough to figure out that it actually has the driver loaded. I had to go back to Control Panels, Printer/Fax, Add Printer, etc...

FINALLY, I had my correct printer driver available in the list.

Hope this helps... even though I fumbled through some of the terms.
 
Printing in MAC after Installing Parallels

Need some advice. I have an iMAC on which I installed Parallels. The Windows package works OK and I can switch to the MAC as needed. My problem is printing. I can print OK while I'm in Parallels running Windows 7, but when I go into MAC and attempt to print, the printer continues to state 'offline'. I have opted to disconnect my Canon printer when I leave Parallels, but it continues to show 'offline' when I try to print out of MAC. If I completely shut down Parallels, then the MAC side will print.

I had VM Fusion installed and had the same thing occur, although I could do the disconnect feature and could use the printer in both - a pain, but at least it worked. I presumed it would do the same in Parallels, but it will not. In using Bootcamp, the printer worked on either Windows or Mac. Anyone have a suggestion on how to use the printer in both Parallels and in MAC?

Bob:(
 
Printer won't work from Parallels since I installed Lion

I have been using Parallels for some time now and had no issues with printing but since installing Lion (and yes have the most recent version of Parallels) my printer won't connect from Windows XP in Parallels - any suggestions?
 
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