My desktop pc runs windows xp and my laptop is running vista. I have not been
able to establish a network connection to my printer through my desktop, a
message about the spooler stopping appears each time I attempt to access the
printer from my laptop.

any thoughts?

With the printer, you have to go to the printers manufacturer's website, and
download a vista compatible Driver for it, to install in your laptop; even
though it is hooked up to XP!

If there is no vista compatible driver for your laptop; forget the Printer!
In that case, network the 2 computers, transfer what you want to print to
XP; print it from XP!

Always more than 1 way!

In vista, you can go into Network and sharingAdd Netwotk Device, and browse
until you find XP's printer; then add it
Or vista's control Panel and add a printer.

You have to install the driver to vista to add XP's Printer.

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Here is a quick rundown of Networking the 2 systems.
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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../bb727037.aspx

Have a read of the above link re Vista File and Printer Sharing.

Permissions/Share info is there as well.

If using Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro I.S., make sure file and printer
sharing is enabled in THEIR firewall.

1st thing to do is make sure that the Workgroup Name of ALL the computers is
the SAME.

In Vista Network and Sharing:

Network Discovery: ON (So it can see the other computers)

Network set to Private (Public is for hotspots, airports, etc)

File Sharing: ON

Public Folder Sharing: ON (Vista’s Public Folder is the same as XP’s Shared
Docs)

Password Protected: OFF (unless you want to set up identical usernames and
passwords on ALL computers in your Network) If you have it ON, you will be
asked for a username and password when you try to access a Vista computer
from an XP computer.

Also, run the XP’s Home Network File and Printer Sharing Wizard to include
Vista in your “New� Network, even if you had an XP Network set up prior to
adding a Vista computer to it.


"Mr. M" wrote:

My desktop pc runs windows xp and my laptop is running vista. I have not been
able to establish a network connection to my printer through my desktop, a
message about the spooler stopping appears each time I attempt to access the
printer from my laptop.

any thoughts?