Resolved Vista Laptop will not connect to XP Shared Printer

Hello all, I am having a problem that has been beating me up for awhile now. About a year ago I purchased my wife a Acer Aspire 5335 Laptop with Vista Home install. When I first got the laptop I had know problem connecting to shared folder and printers on any of my IBM A50 Thinkcentre XP machines. Now, about 3-4 months ago the Vista laptop stopped talking to the XP shared printers.

All of my computers can see each other, share files, and share printers except the Vista Laptop. The Vista laptop can see and share file still back and forth with any of the XP sp3 machines but, it cannot connect to any of the printers. It can see them but, if you attempt to connect to them you receive the following errors.

If you got into printers and select add new printer, then select network printer it will pull up all the shared printers. If you try to connect you get
"(error 0x00000709) Make sure that you have typed the name correctly and that the printer is connected to network. "

I get the same thing if I also try by opening my computer and browsing to my network. Then I click on any of the XP computers in the MSHOME workgroup So I can view the shared folders and devices. Then when I right click on or double click any printer I get a error message

"Make sure that you have typed the name correctly and that the printer is connected to network."

Just like I said before I view anyfiles or folders. I have also removed and updated all printer software and printer devices. I have tried print servers but none of them work on my wifes Kodak All-in-one or her label printer.


Any help would be greatly appreciated. My wife has been screaming for months now.

Important note: The XP machines can connect to a local printer on the XP laptop. Go figure.

 

Is UAC turned on?

Have you then uninstalled the printer software and then downloaded the most up to date software and re-installed it?

Actually do the above

 

Yes, I removed the printers and un-installed the software on both the XP machines and the Vista machines. Then re-installed it all.

 

Very good, did you also check UAC is enabled? As that may be it.

Open up Control Panel, and type in “UAC” into the search box. You’ll see a link for “Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off”

 

Never heard of UAC or even new it existed until now. Is that is that annoying pop-up message you get every time you try to do something? Could that possibly cause my problems?

 

Yes

I know its strange, but networking issues can be indirectly caused by having this off

Turn ON
Uninstall the printer program
Restart
Re-install latest printer program (driver)
Test

Good luck

 

It is on

 

Try these two new options

Click the start button
Search "cmd.exe "
Select it and then "ctrl - shift - enter" to allow elevation request
Type in - "netsh winsock reset" press enter
Then Restart your computer

Restart the following services, and confirm in Automatic setting:
Start > Run > services.msc

- Network Location Awareness
- Network List Service

 

am I reading this right Search "cmd.exe" ? I opened a cmd prompt this pressed "ctrl - shift - enter" together but, nothing happened. When typed in - "netsh winsock reset" It says the request requires elevation. So I obviouly did something wrong.

 

Ok, now I can't see anything on network from the Vista machine.

 

Just Restart

The above commands I asked you to do are safe

 

Sorry for long time since my reply, I can now see the rest of the network again but I am still getting the same message.

"Windows cannot connect to the printer. Make sure that you have typed the name correctly, and that the printer is contacted to the network "

Like before, I did not type it, I selected it from a list of availible printers. I can also see and access shared files on any computer with shared folders.

 

Maybe I should ask about how all this is connected in your MSHOME workgroup.

How is the (Aspire 5335) laptop connected to your network? (Ethernet; wireless?)
How is the IBM A50 ThinkCentre connected to the network?
From reading over again, there are other computers also connected?
And lastly how is/are the printers connected? (Kodak All-in-one; label printer; others?)

With such a network going on (multiple computers and multiple printers) and running two operating systems and with old desktop computers; and wireless and Ethernet and shared USB connections. I feel that you may want to rethink this whole network approach!

I would suggest that you do similar to what you have been doing. ie:
Keep local USB printers off the network and connected to the computer that only requires it. This will help with reducing congestion on the entire network.
And use a network printer (that has Ethernet directly to a network hub) all setup with your workgroup and possible static individual IP addresses, so as printer sharing through USB does not exist.

That's my take, as there are just too many options here.
Sometimes when I have gone to a small local business to setup their workgroup and printers, I have started from the start! ie:
Confirm hardware: Modem/router settings, ideally with multiple Ethernet ports, or purchase network hubs to have 1 in and multiple out. Ethernet cables etc
Resetup the workgroup network and confirm all computers see each-other
Setup 1 network printer (not shared USB) setup all printer settings (on the printer itself) and then confirm all workgroup computers see it.
Continue with other printers, including local only (non-networked) printers
Setup wireless computers and local printers and network printers
Then test a bit!

ie Its just too involved trying to start at the end. Where anything could be the issue, including firewalls; drivers; network settings; hardware! and network bottle-necks.

But there may be quick fix too, but I believe with your above network, you should maybe have a rethink

 

To answer your questions, The Aspire 5335 Laptop is wireless. The IBM A50 Thinkcentre is connect via Ethernet. The Kodak All-in-one is connected directly to the A50 (not through a USB hub). There is also a DYMO Twin Turbo Labeller. I can connect to either of these Printers from my computer which is on the 2nd floor. My Computer is also a IBM A50 connected via Ethernet. My two sons computers are IBM A50 also. Both are wireless and both can connect to these printer.

Now, I also did try using using a network hub and it did work. The Kodak printer was incompatible. I tried many brands of USB MFP compatible print servers but all where incompatible with the Kodak AIO printer. I naturally used a static IP for printers. Using a DHCP would not would work very well if the IP address changed. That is a rule of thumb.

I have ran networks in businesses where I have worked with both printers Ethernet connected, older printers with servers attached, and locally attached printers shared from computers. I have never had a problem until the evil Vista came about.

Remember, the only computer that has a issue is the Aspire Laptop running Vista. Any of my other computers either Ethernet or wireless has no issues.

I am just stumped

 

Resolved, just not the way I hoped.

Just and update on this issue, I not sure exactly what was the problem but It has been fixed by doing a system recovery on the XP machine. This was only because I after a while I started to have internet connect loss and I could know longer see or access this computers shared file on the network. It start freezing so i said what the hell. I backuped all my wifes files and hit the old (return me to the day I bought this button.)

Needless to say it is now working fine again. I still hope to fine out what the problems was but, I just wanted to give all an update.