Laptop ME cannot print to shared printer
 

I have just set up my laptop (Window ME) wirelessly to my desktop (Windows
XP) using a 2-wire modem. Everything is working fine -- I can access the
internet, etc. The problem I'm having is that I've set up my printer which
is attached to my desktop as shared, but the printer driver is not listed in
the ME database. I have installed the printer to my laptop using the
installation CD and USB cable and that works fine. However, everytime I try
to add a printer from the network, the printer wizard opens with that
pitiful list of old printers.

Is there anyway to update the printer database on Windows ME or is there
another way to set this printer up to be shared? As you can see, I'm very
limited in my computer knowledge.

Thanks for any help you can give me.
Patti

Is there anyway to update the printer database on Windows ME or is
there another way to set this printer up to be shared? As you can
see, I'm very limited in my computer knowledge.

Patti,

Have you tried clicking the Have Disk button when presented with the list
of printers?
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Patti W. wrote:

I have just set up my laptop (Window ME) wirelessly to my desktop
(Windows XP) using a 2-wire modem. Everything is working fine -- I
can access the internet, etc. The problem I'm having is that I've
set up my printer which is attached to my desktop as shared, but the
printer driver is not listed in the ME database. I have installed
the printer to my laptop using the installation CD and USB cable and
that works fine. However, everytime I try to add a printer from the
network, the printer wizard opens with that pitiful list of old
printers.
Is there anyway to update the printer database on Windows ME or is
there another way to set this printer up to be shared? As you can
see, I'm very limited in my computer knowledge.

Thanks for any help you can give me.
Patti

Yes, but it first asks to pick a printer. If I choose any HP printer, then
click the Have Disk button, it assumes I'm looking for a driver for that
printer. I proceed anyway and get error messages that it can't find certain
files.

I've also checked on my desktop where I selected to share the printer to see
if other drivers are loaded and tried to insert my installation CD in hopes
that it would find the driver for ME. But can't seem to do that either.
I'm almost ready to give up -- maybe ME and XP are not that compatible.

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Is there anyway to update the printer database on Windows ME or is
there another way to set this printer up to be shared? As you can
see, I'm very limited in my computer knowledge.

Patti,

Have you tried clicking the Have Disk button when presented with the list
of printers?
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Patti W. wrote:

I have just set up my laptop (Window ME) wirelessly to my desktop
(Windows XP) using a 2-wire modem. Everything is working fine -- I
can access the internet, etc. The problem I'm having is that I've
set up my printer which is attached to my desktop as shared, but the
printer driver is not listed in the ME database. I have installed
the printer to my laptop using the installation CD and USB cable and
that works fine. However, everytime I try to add a printer from the
network, the printer wizard opens with that pitiful list of old
printers.
Is there anyway to update the printer database on Windows ME or is
there another way to set this printer up to be shared? As you can
see, I'm very limited in my computer knowledge.

Thanks for any help you can give me.
Patti

can't seem to do that either. I'm almost ready to give up -- maybe ME
and XP are not that compatible.

That you are having difficulties in installing a printer driver has
nothing to do with whether Win Me and XP are compatible, all the more so
since the two operating systems are running on two different PCs and
communication between the two will be by whatever protocol you have chosen
to use, by default TCP/IP.

Yes, but it first asks to pick a printer.

I'm not asked that here other than of course having to select the network
printer that I'm trying to install. I open the Add Printer wizard, click
the network printer radio button, click Next, in the next window I browse
to the printer I want to add, click Next, the hardware information
database loads up and I'm then presented with a list of printer
manufacturer's and printers. Without selecting either a manufacturer or
printer (although I note that Agfa and AgfaAccuSet 1000 are highlighted) I
then click Have Disk and follow the prompts from there.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Patti W. wrote:

Yes, but it first asks to pick a printer. If I choose any HP
printer, then click the Have Disk button, it assumes I'm looking for
a driver for that printer. I proceed anyway and get error messages
that it can't find certain files.

I've also checked on my desktop where I selected to share the printer
to see if other drivers are loaded and tried to insert my
installation CD in hopes that it would find the driver for ME. But
can't seem to do that either. I'm almost ready to give up -- maybe ME
and XP are not that compatible.

That doesn't work on this laptop for some reason. I, too, have the Agfa
printer highlighted, click on Have Disk, chose the drive where the
installation disk is, and get an error message stating that "The specified
location does not contain information about your hardware."

Can you think of anything else to do?

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
can't seem to do that either. I'm almost ready to give up -- maybe ME
and XP are not that compatible.

That you are having difficulties in installing a printer driver has
nothing to do with whether Win Me and XP are compatible, all the more so
since the two operating systems are running on two different PCs and
communication between the two will be by whatever protocol you have chosen
to use, by default TCP/IP.

Yes, but it first asks to pick a printer.

I'm not asked that here other than of course having to select the network
printer that I'm trying to install. I open the Add Printer wizard, click
the network printer radio button, click Next, in the next window I browse
to the printer I want to add, click Next, the hardware information
database loads up and I'm then presented with a list of printer
manufacturer's and printers. Without selecting either a manufacturer or
printer (although I note that Agfa and AgfaAccuSet 1000 are highlighted) I
then click Have Disk and follow the prompts from there.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Patti W. wrote:

Yes, but it first asks to pick a printer. If I choose any HP
printer, then click the Have Disk button, it assumes I'm looking for
a driver for that printer. I proceed anyway and get error messages
that it can't find certain files.

I've also checked on my desktop where I selected to share the printer
to see if other drivers are loaded and tried to insert my
installation CD in hopes that it would find the driver for ME. But
can't seem to do that either. I'm almost ready to give up -- maybe ME
and XP are not that compatible.

It would appear that the driver you have can only be installed by running
an executable on the CD rather than from an INF file. Is a different
driver available that you can download from the manufacturer's web site?
You say that you have installed the driver on your Win Me PC but using a
usb connection. Try selecting this printer in Printers, right clicking
and opening Properties. Open the Ports tab (or it may be on a Details
tab) and then change the port to which the print jobs will be sent. Click
Add/Port, Network and then browse to the printer which should appear as
something like \\{PCName to which printer connected\{Printer Name}. Note
that it is best if neither the PC nor Printer name contain spaces and is
short, say 8 or at most 12 characters.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Patti W. wrote:

That doesn't work on this laptop for some reason. I, too, have the
Agfa printer highlighted, click on Have Disk, chose the drive where
the installation disk is, and get an error message stating that "The
specified location does not contain information about your hardware."

Can you think of anything else to do?

Thank you so much, Mike. It's up and running!

I appreciate all your help.

Patti

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
It would appear that the driver you have can only be installed by running
an executable on the CD rather than from an INF file. Is a different
driver available that you can download from the manufacturer's web site?
You say that you have installed the driver on your Win Me PC but using a
usb connection. Try selecting this printer in Printers, right clicking
and opening Properties. Open the Ports tab (or it may be on a Details
tab) and then change the port to which the print jobs will be sent. Click
Add/Port, Network and then browse to the printer which should appear as
something like \\{PCName to which printer connected\{Printer Name}. Note
that it is best if neither the PC nor Printer name contain spaces and is
short, say 8 or at most 12 characters.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Patti W. wrote:

That doesn't work on this laptop for some reason. I, too, have the
Agfa printer highlighted, click on Have Disk, chose the drive where
the installation disk is, and get an error message stating that "The
specified location does not contain information about your hardware."

Can you think of anything else to do?

Patti,

Thanks for the feedback. I'm pleased to read that you've now managed to
fix the problem.

Regards,
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Patti W. wrote:

Thank you so much, Mike. It's up and running!

I appreciate all your help.