Laptop no longer connects to printer on home network

I am about at the end of my rope, and I hope someone can help: My HP
dv2500 laptop running Vista used to work fine connecting to my printer
over the local network via an XP-based main PC, which has a Kodak
Printer hooked to it. At some point in the last few months, the laptop
stopped being able to connect. I think this was around the time of
upgrading to SP1, but cannot be sure. In any case, I even went so far
as to rebuild my main PC and do a clean install of Vista on that
machine, in the hopes it might help. No joy. I can print from the
laptop if I connect the printer directly into the USB port on my laptop,
but cannot access the printer via the network anymore

Here are the details:

- Printer sharing is enabled on both the PC and the laptop
- When I go into control panel - add printer - select network printer,
the network printer appears in the pop-up box.
- Once I select the printer and click next, I get the following error:
"Windows cannot connect to the printer. Make sure that you have typed
the name correctly, and that the printer is connected to the network"

The printer works fine over the network on my wife's XP laptop, but
does not work on mine, nor my daughter's HP vista laptop. Interestingly
enough, the printing function worked fine for my daughter's laptop until
I borrowed it to test her print function and noticed that she did not
have SP1, and her virus program was out of date. I helpfully upgraded
both, and (I am not sure if this happened right away, or just a
coincidence) her printer function no longer works either. All three
laptops (2 Vistas and one XP) are running AVG Free 8.0 anti-virus. As
I said, the XP laptop works, so I do not think it is AVG. Both Vista
laptops print fine if hooked directly to the printer via USB.

I have searched the forum and tried several suggestions, including
trying to add as a local printer, but cannot figure this one out.
Thanks for any help you can provide. - Bob


--
Moose95
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

AVG has certainly been known to cause problems. Can you connect if you
uninstall it?
--
Cari (MS-MVP) Printing & Imaging
www.coribright.com/windows

"Moose95" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I am about at the end of my rope, and I hope someone can help: My HP
> dv2500 laptop running Vista used to work fine connecting to my printer
> over the local network via an XP-based main PC, which has a Kodak
> Printer hooked to it. At some point in the last few months, the laptop
> stopped being able to connect. I think this was around the time of
> upgrading to SP1, but cannot be sure. In any case, I even went so far
> as to rebuild my main PC and do a clean install of Vista on that
> machine, in the hopes it might help. No joy. I can print from the
> laptop if I connect the printer directly into the USB port on my laptop,
> but cannot access the printer via the network anymore
>
> Here are the details:
>
> - Printer sharing is enabled on both the PC and the laptop
> - When I go into control panel - add printer - select network printer,
> the network printer appears in the pop-up box.
> - Once I select the printer and click next, I get the following error:
> "Windows cannot connect to the printer. Make sure that you have typed
> the name correctly, and that the printer is connected to the network"
>
> The printer works fine over the network on my wife's XP laptop, but
> does not work on mine, nor my daughter's HP vista laptop. Interestingly
> enough, the printing function worked fine for my daughter's laptop until
> I borrowed it to test her print function and noticed that she did not
> have SP1, and her virus program was out of date. I helpfully upgraded
> both, and (I am not sure if this happened right away, or just a
> coincidence) her printer function no longer works either. All three
> laptops (2 Vistas and one XP) are running AVG Free 8.0 anti-virus. As
> I said, the XP laptop works, so I do not think it is AVG. Both Vista
> laptops print fine if hooked directly to the printer via USB.
>
> I have searched the forum and tried several suggestions, including
> trying to add as a local printer, but cannot figure this one out.
> Thanks for any help you can provide. - Bob
>
>
> --
> Moose95
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>

Check HP site for Vista Driver.

"Moose95" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I am about at the end of my rope, and I hope someone can help: My HP
> dv2500 laptop running Vista used to work fine connecting to my printer
> over the local network via an XP-based main PC, which has a Kodak
> Printer hooked to it. At some point in the last few months, the laptop
> stopped being able to connect. I think this was around the time of
> upgrading to SP1, but cannot be sure. In any case, I even went so far
> as to rebuild my main PC and do a clean install of Vista on that
> machine, in the hopes it might help. No joy. I can print from the
> laptop if I connect the printer directly into the USB port on my laptop,
> but cannot access the printer via the network anymore
>
> Here are the details:
>
> - Printer sharing is enabled on both the PC and the laptop
> - When I go into control panel - add printer - select network printer,
> the network printer appears in the pop-up box.
> - Once I select the printer and click next, I get the following error:
> "Windows cannot connect to the printer. Make sure that you have typed
> the name correctly, and that the printer is connected to the network"
>
> The printer works fine over the network on my wife's XP laptop, but
> does not work on mine, nor my daughter's HP vista laptop. Interestingly
> enough, the printing function worked fine for my daughter's laptop until
> I borrowed it to test her print function and noticed that she did not
> have SP1, and her virus program was out of date. I helpfully upgraded
> both, and (I am not sure if this happened right away, or just a
> coincidence) her printer function no longer works either. All three
> laptops (2 Vistas and one XP) are running AVG Free 8.0 anti-virus. As
> I said, the XP laptop works, so I do not think it is AVG. Both Vista
> laptops print fine if hooked directly to the printer via USB.
>
> I have searched the forum and tried several suggestions, including
> trying to add as a local printer, but cannot figure this one out.
> Thanks for any help you can provide. - Bob
>
>
> --
> Moose95
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>

I uninstalled AVG and tried again - got the exact same error message. I
also have checked for the latest updates from Microsoft and HP. In
addition, I downloaded and installed the latest software from Kodak for
the printer. I am not sure if there is an HP printer driver I should
have installed, because all I can find are drivers for specific HP
printers, not for the laptop itself. Once again, I am stuck... Thanks
for the suggestions, though! If you have any other ideas, I am open to
suggestions - Thanks


--
Moose95
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:50:49 +0000, Moose95
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>I am about at the end of my rope, and I hope someone can help: My HP
>dv2500 laptop running Vista used to work fine connecting to my printer
>over the local network via an XP-based main PC, which has a Kodak
>Printer hooked to it. At some point in the last few months, the laptop
>stopped being able to connect. I think this was around the time of
>upgrading to SP1, but cannot be sure. In any case, I even went so far
>as to rebuild my main PC and do a clean install of Vista on that
>machine, in the hopes it might help. No joy. I can print from the
>laptop if I connect the printer directly into the USB port on my laptop,
>but cannot access the printer via the network anymore
>
>Here are the details:
>
>- Printer sharing is enabled on both the PC and the laptop
>- When I go into control panel - add printer - select network printer,
>the network printer appears in the pop-up box.
>- Once I select the printer and click next, I get the following error:
>"Windows cannot connect to the printer. Make sure that you have typed
>the name correctly, and that the printer is connected to the network"
>
>The printer works fine over the network on my wife's XP laptop, but
>does not work on mine, nor my daughter's HP vista laptop. Interestingly
>enough, the printing function worked fine for my daughter's laptop until
>I borrowed it to test her print function and noticed that she did not
>have SP1, and her virus program was out of date. I helpfully upgraded
>both, and (I am not sure if this happened right away, or just a
>coincidence) her printer function no longer works either. All three
>laptops (2 Vistas and one XP) are running AVG Free 8.0 anti-virus. As
>I said, the XP laptop works, so I do not think it is AVG. Both Vista
>laptops print fine if hooked directly to the printer via USB.
>
>I have searched the forum and tried several suggestions, including
>trying to add as a local printer, but cannot figure this one out.
>Thanks for any help you can provide. - Bob

This works for most people:
Go to Control Panel. Choose printer. Then choose Add Printer.

ChooseAdd a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in
the
drop down box is Local Port. Do not change that. Click Next.

A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name. Type
in the
\\computer name\printer name ie. My computer's name is basement and
the
printer name is EpsonSty so I typed in \\basement\epsonsty."
Hope it helps.
I have AVG running on one pc and Avast on the rest, the Avast is the
free version, but AVG is the paid for version. When it runs out so
does it, I dislike it! Actually I dislike the Support folks more than
the program!! Told me I could not have more than 5 or 6 computers in
my home all running at the same time and not be a business! I have 16
running today and as it gets colder I will crank up about 5 or so
more. I do Distributed Computing, and have since 1999, but the Support
folks at AVG can't seem to get that thru their thick heads!!

Thanks f/fgeorge. I followed your instructions, but after I typed in
the path (\\yellow-pc\KODAK ESP 5 AiO) in the "port name" dialogue box
and hit "OK", I get an "access denied" pop up box, and cannot go
further. Any ideas how to access the local port? Also, I will check
out Avast - thanks for the tip. - Bob


--
Moose95
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

Get rid of the spaces in the Shared Printer Name.
--
Cari (MS-MVP) Printing & Imaging
www.coribright.com/windows

"Moose95" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Thanks f/fgeorge. I followed your instructions, but after I typed in
> the path (\\yellow-pc\KODAK ESP 5 AiO) in the "port name" dialogue box
> and hit "OK", I get an "access denied" pop up box, and cannot go
> further. Any ideas how to access the local port? Also, I will check
> out Avast - thanks for the tip. - Bob
>
>
> --
> Moose95
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>

Thanks Cari, but I am still stuck. I went to my main PC, renamed the
printer "KODAK" (both in the "name" field, and by going into printer
properties, opening the sharing tab, and changing the shared name). I
then went back and tried f/fgeorge's instructions, and got stuck at the
same point (access denied at the "local port" dialogue box). I also
tried the "official" way of adding a network printer again, and it shows
up in the pick list as "\\Yellow-pc\KODAK" now, but still gets the same
error as I first got when I try to select it ("Windows cannot add... be
sure you typed the name correctly... etc.").

I really appreciate everyone trying to help - as I said before, what
is perhaps most frustrating is that this used to work fine, but
something in the last few months "broke" this function. I would be less
frustrated if I never had been able to print over the network. As
always, any clues would be greatly appreciated! Thanks - Bob


--
Moose95
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

On Tue, 2 Dec 2008 13:23:19 +0000, Moose95
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Thanks Cari, but I am still stuck. I went to my main PC, renamed the
>printer "KODAK" (both in the "name" field, and by going into printer
>properties, opening the sharing tab, and changing the shared name). I
>then went back and tried f/fgeorge's instructions, and got stuck at the
>same point (access denied at the "local port" dialogue box). I also
>tried the "official" way of adding a network printer again, and it shows
>up in the pick list as "\\Yellow-pc\KODAK" now, but still gets the same
>error as I first got when I try to select it ("Windows cannot add... be
>sure you typed the name correctly... etc.").
>
>I really appreciate everyone trying to help - as I said before, what
>is perhaps most frustrating is that this used to work fine, but
>something in the last few months "broke" this function. I would be less
>frustrated if I never had been able to print over the network. As
>always, any clues would be greatly appreciated! Thanks - Bob

Did you "share" the Kodak first? Do a right click o nthe printer, on
its own pc, and click sharing. Follow the steps and then try the
above, using no spaces in the name. I forgot about having to do that
on mine, sorry.

Launch Add Printer As administrator

--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"Moose95" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Thanks Cari, but I am still stuck. I went to my main PC, renamed the
> printer "KODAK" (both in the "name" field, and by going into printer
> properties, opening the sharing tab, and changing the shared name). I
> then went back and tried f/fgeorge's instructions, and got stuck at the
> same point (access denied at the "local port" dialogue box). I also
> tried the "official" way of adding a network printer again, and it shows
> up in the pick list as "\\Yellow-pc\KODAK" now, but still gets the same
> error as I first got when I try to select it ("Windows cannot add... be
> sure you typed the name correctly... etc.").
>
> I really appreciate everyone trying to help - as I said before, what
> is perhaps most frustrating is that this used to work fine, but
> something in the last few months "broke" this function. I would be less
> frustrated if I never had been able to print over the network. As
> always, any clues would be greatly appreciated! Thanks - Bob
>
>
> --
> Moose95
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>

f/fgeorge & Alan:

1) I had printer sharing enabled, but went back to double-check on
"Yellow-pc", and confirmed that printer sharing is enabled in the
printer properties, and in the "Network and Sharing Center"

2) I am logged on as an administrator on my laptop (I checked in
"Control Panel - User Accounts") - is there some specific way to invoke
administrator functions when adding a printer, or is being logged on as
the Admin automatically do that?

Once again, thank you for taking the time to help - nice to know people
are willing to help out! - Bob


--
Moose95
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

the explorer process runs in user access by default


click on any white space in the printers folder , right click, select Run as
administrator, Add Printer

--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"Moose95" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> f/fgeorge & Alan:
>
> 1) I had printer sharing enabled, but went back to double-check on
> "Yellow-pc", and confirmed that printer sharing is enabled in the
> printer properties, and in the "Network and Sharing Center"
>
> 2) I am logged on as an administrator on my laptop (I checked in
> "Control Panel - User Accounts") - is there some specific way to invoke
> administrator functions when adding a printer, or is being logged on as
> the Admin automatically do that?
>
> Once again, thank you for taking the time to help - nice to know people
> are willing to help out! - Bob
>
>
> --
> Moose95
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>

Thanks Alan... I never knew you could do that. Now, the bad news: I
did as instructed, chose "run as administrator, add printer", selected
add local port, and input "\\Yellow-pc\KODAK" (without quotes) into the
Port Name pop up box, and STILL got the same error ("Access is denied")
in the resulting "local port" pop up box.

Vista really, REALLY does not want me to use a printer over the
network. I am beginning to wonder if I insulted it's sister or
something ;-)

As always, thanks for helping, and I am still open to ideas... sigh...
- Bob


--
Moose95
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

I was wondering if UAC is off? Others say it has to be on.

"Moose95" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Thanks Alan... I never knew you could do that. Now, the bad news: I
> did as instructed, chose "run as administrator, add printer", selected
> add local port, and input "\\Yellow-pc\KODAK" (without quotes) into the
> Port Name pop up box, and STILL got the same error ("Access is denied")
> in the resulting "local port" pop up box.
>
> Vista really, REALLY does not want me to use a printer over the
> network. I am beginning to wonder if I insulted it's sister or
> something ;-)
>
> As always, thanks for helping, and I am still open to ideas... sigh...
> - Bob
>
>
> --
> Moose95
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>

Thanks Patrick. Yes, UAC was on. However, just for grins, I disabled
UAC and tried everything suggested above, with no success. I then
re-enabled UAC and tried again. Still no joy. (FYI, that "run as
administrator" option only appears when you have UAC enabled. I am not
any closer to a fix, but at least I am learning more about Vista.)
Still open to ideas... thanks - bob


--
Moose95
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com