Sharing Printer-Windows 98 and XP

Barb L · 19th September 2005

Could someone give instructions on how to set up printer sharing between Windows 98SE and XP? I have an older desktop computer with Windows 98SE which is connected to DSL and wireless router and connected to a printer. Upstairs I have a laptop running XP and accessing the internet wirelessly is working o.k. I want to be able to print to the printer connected to the 98 machine using the XP laptop. I have tried reading instructions from various web sites but don't understand the part about giving the path in XP where is says "browse for a printer" what to put in the "paths" box and what to name the computers when it asks for that. I went through the "Network Setup" in Windows 98 machine and clicked on the "Printer and File sharing box", and followed through with those instructions but not sure if I put in everything correctly. Anyway now when I right click on the installed printer on the Win98 machine I do get the option to click on printer sharing where I did not have this option before doing the Network setup. So if it is not too much trouble for someone to give me step by step instructions for each computer, I'd appreciate it. Thanks

oshwyn5 · 20th September 2005

Okay, if you have not done so , in the 98 machine, go to start/ settings/ printers and right click and choose to share this printer.
Restart both machines now.
make sure the win98 machine is on and
Then in the XP machine go to start/ settings /printers add a printer.
Choose add a network printer,
browse the network , select the win98 machine and the printer should show up.
When prompted, see if the printer is listed in XP database, if not, choose have disk and put in the driver cd.

Here are some good tutorials
http://www.depts.drew.edu/its/docs/n...nter/index.php

http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=winxp

**markp62** · 21st September 2005

What you need to do is run the Network Setup Wizard (Control Panel\Network Setup Wizard) on the XP machine, during this process you will be asked to make a Network setup floppy, do it. Take the floppy to the 98 machine and run the only file on it, Netsetup.exe.
Or copy the file C:\Windows\System32\Netsetup.Exe from the XP machine onto a floppy.
Follow the prompts.
After the reboot on the 98 machine, go to Control Panel\Add Remove Programs, click on Windows Setup tab, uninstall Universal Plug and Play and reboot. You don't need this on the 98 machine, but the Netsetup.Exe put it there anyway.
Now, on the 98 machine, go into Control Panel\Printers, share the printer. Then Add a Printer on the XP machine, choosing a Network printer. The links in the above post will help you on this.

Barb L · 21st September 2005

Sorry but I am still not able to get the printer to share. I followed all the instructions (mainly microsoft's) except for Markp62's suggestion about copying the netsetup.exe file to the 98 machine. I didn't see that in time but never saw that suggestion in any other area or tutorial. Is this step needed to share the printer between Win98 and XP? I am confused about the printer name also. The name of the printer as listed on the 98 machine is "HP Deskjet 880c Printer Series". This is the name under the printer icon. When I enable sharing, the sharing name which was automatically put in was hp. So I left it that way and used that name in the XP machine. I can't find where the name of 98 machine (which I named "Gateway") should show up in the XP machine as part of the network. I type in \\Gateway\hp as the path to the network printer but I just get an error message that either the connection isn't there or I have the wrong name for the printer.

oshwyn5 · 22nd September 2005

1. How are these two computers networked? Through a router, or by a crossover cable?

2. Is the network workgroup the same on both computers?

3. Have you tried turning off any firewalls or rerunning their workgroup setup?

4. Remember, to share the printer the host computer must be on. Is it?

5. Did you right click on that printer and choose share this on the network?

Barb L · 24th September 2005

Thanks for all of your help. Markp62's answer was the key I needed. Even when I read the instructions on the Microsoft link, it told me I did not need to run the Network Setup Wizard, but I assume these instructions were for XP to XP machines. Because my server was a Windows 98 machine, I did need to run that wizard and in running it, saw that it instructed me to do as Markp62 instructed. As soon as I ran that Netsetup.exe on the 98 machine, the 2 computers saw each other as well as the printer. It all worked then. Thanks again!