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What's the best way to print to an XP computer from OS X?

swindmill

swindmill

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 17, 2005
946
5
KY
My parents have an XP desktop and two Macbooks. I would like to set up the network so that they can both easily print and store files on the XP pc. I installed Bonjour on it, thinking the connected printer would then show up in the Printer Setup Utility, but no luck there so far. I've tried using the "more printers -- Windows printers" but the network I set up on the XP pc doesn't even show up. I've done this before but can't seem to make it work this time. What is the easiest and most reliable way to set up an XP machine as a print/file sharing server for Macs?
 
I'd like to know how to do this too. I thought I'd done it at one point but it wouldn't work.
 
swindmill said:
My parents have an XP desktop and two Macbooks. I would like to set up the network so that they can both easily print and store files on the XP pc. I installed Bonjour on it, thinking the connected printer would then show up in the Printer Setup Utility, but no luck there so far. I've tried using the "more printers -- Windows printers" but the network I set up on the XP pc doesn't even show up. I've done this before but can't seem to make it work this time. What is the easiest and most reliable way to set up an XP machine as a print/file sharing server for Macs?
Click to expand...
Any time that you need help with a peripheral, you should give the manufacturer and model number of the peripheral. That said, I am betting dollars-to-donuts that you are trying to use a USB driver to communicate your printer over your network. In a few cases this will work, but in most it will not. You need a CUPS driver for your model printer. Search this forum for Gutenprint and CUPS.
 
MisterMe said:
Any time that you need help with a peripheral, you should give the manufacturer and model number of the peripheral. That said, I am betting dollars-to-donuts that you are trying to use a USB driver to communicate your printer over your network. In a few cases this will work, but in most it will not. You need a CUPS driver for your model printer. Search this forum for Gutenprint and CUPS.
Click to expand...

The printer model is HP 2410. I'll look for the CUPS driver and see how that goes. Would having the appropriate drvier make it show up in Printer Setop Utility? One thing I'm not sure of is if Bonjour is supposed to allow me to easily connect to a printer connected to an XP pc running Bonjour. Any advice or knowledge concerning Bonjour would be appreciated...
 
i just went though and did this, its kind of a pain in the ass but it works well now - i cant remember where but i had a really good tutorial, ill see if i can find it for you(not that it will be any better thn the info you get here)
 
I was able to get the printer to show up by changing the Mac's workgroup via Directory Access. I added the printer but when I print to it, it just gives me about 10 blank pages and then a final page with a bunch of numbers and unintelligible information. Any ideas?
 
swindmill said:
I was able to get the printer to show up by changing the Mac's workgroup via Directory Access. I added the printer but when I print to it, it just gives me about 10 blank pages and then a final page with a bunch of numbers and unintelligible information. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

That usually means you don't have the correct driver selected.
 
I have to set-up one on my Mac later tonight so I'll take some screenshots (it's a Brother laser but the procedure will be the same).
 
Aloha,

I have an HP all-in-one printer on my network, which includes both Macs and PCs, but it connects to the switch via CAT 5 (Ethernet). That way, as long as the printer is turned on, any of the computers on the network can print. Of course, I had to load the printer drivers on all computers, Macs included.

:apple:HawaiiMacAddict
 
I've tried selecting the correct driver and I still get the same results as I did above. Does installing Bonjour on the XP machine not allow attached printers to be added via Bonjour? I thought that this was a purpose of Bonjour.
 
Make sure sharing is on for all of your computers, for the Macs to share the Windows printer I think windows sharing may need to be on as well. Then the Windows machine has to be set up to share the printer, and I think the workgroup comes in here. I found it pretty easy once all the work was done on the windows end to just go in and add a new printer and it detected the one on the network and I chose the driver (gimp driver, I'm told they offer a TON of drivers for all kinds of different machines you wouldn't otherwise have). It was actually the model just below the actual printer model (86 vs 88) but worked just fine. I have some issues with it like sometimes when I go to print it won't print without me either waiting for an hour or so, or restarting the computer. I'd love to have the printer directly connected to the router but the printer isn't high tech enough to have the capability. :(
 
Sharing the Printer on the Windows PC

-Click Start>Control Panel>Printers and Faxes
-Right-click on the printer HP-2410 and choose properties
-On the Sharing tab select "Share this printer" and enter a share name ***with no spaces in it*** (ie. HP-2410), click OK
-In the Printers and Faxes window you should now see a hand on the shared printer

Determining the IP address of the Windows PC
(this works best if you set up a static LAN IP for the XP computer through your router's config page usually at http://192.168.0.1)

-Open the Command Prompt application and type in "ipconfig"
-Record the IP address of the Windows PC (ie. 192.168.0.4)

Adding the shared printer in Mac OS X

-Make sure you've installed the driver on your Mac (from: HP)
-Open up Printer Setup Utility (/Applications/Utilities/Printer Setup Utility.app)
-Click the "Add" button in the toolbar
-In the "Printer Browser" window click the "More Printers..." button ***while holding down the option key***
-Choose "Advanced" in the first pop-up menu
-Choose "Windows Printer via Samba" in the "Device:" pop-up menu
-Enter a "Device Name:" for the printer (ie. HP-2410)
-For the "Device URI:" field enter smb://swindmill:123456@192.168.0.4/HP-2410
(where: swindmill and 123456 are your user name and password on the Windows PC)
-For the "Printer Model:" pop-up choose the HP driver (not a generic one)
 
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