Dell 720 printer

simonhartung · 05-17-2008, 04:03 AM

I have recently tried to link up my dell 720 printer to my friends fujitsu siemens laptop. Once i had pluged it in the laptop recognised it and installed the relevent drivers, through the microsoft new hardware program. The test page worked fine and i managed to get it set up. I then deleted all the other printers that were assigned to the laptop and made the dell printer the default one. Coming back to the computer the next day i found that it wouldnt print a document, it said that its offline, so i disconnected it and tried a differnet usb lead that i know works fine and still the same problem, so i deleted and reinstalled the drivers, and still no joy. please if anybody could help it would be great. Si

**Dunedin** · 05-17-2008, 07:54 AM

Hello simonhartung

Make sure you are using the Dell driver for the printer

Windows vista 32 bit driver for dell printer 720

Windows Vista 64-bit driver for dell printer 720

cvhbauman · 08-21-2008, 08:04 AM

Dunedin--I downloaded and installed the Vista 64-bit drivers you left on your post. I can't get my Vista computer to communicate with the Dell 720 printer (which is physically installed on an XP Pro desktop). My laptop (also XP Pro) can access the printer through our home's wireless network. The driver installation on the Vista machine seems to complete, and the printer shows up in the printer list, but nothing prints to it, and going into the Dell printer solutions utility, it tells me it cannot communicate.

I decided to check if the printer would work when directly connected by USB (not viable for a permanent fix), and it did (printed a test page). So I'm presuming the drivers are correctly installed. Am I trying to do the impossible here--print through my network from a Vista machine to the 720 on another computer? Or is there simply something else I need to do to get this to work? Thanks in advance.

Christine

**Dunedin** · 08-21-2008, 09:06 AM

Hello Christine

Yes, sometimes it can be hard to get Vista to connect to a shared printer

I know of a method which worked with another brand of printer, so let`s try it.

You will have to reinstall the printer driver though to try this method.

1 Uninstall the printer driver again, then...

2 Reinstall the driver on your Windows Vista computer. During installation, you’ll be prompted to connect the printer to your computer. Choose the option to proceed with installation without connecting the printer.

3.After installation completes, open the Printers applet from the Windows Vista Control Panel.

4.Right-click on the printer and choose Properties.

5.Go to the Ports tab.

6.Click Add Port…, select Local Port, then click New Port…

7.For the port name, enter exactly the network path and share name of your printer
e.g. \\RECEPTION\ Dell 720
(use the proper name of the printer)

8.Click OK, and double-check that this new port is selected with the checkbox next to it.

9.Click OK to close the printer properties.

cvhbauman · 08-26-2008, 12:59 PM

Thanks for your reply. I uninstalled the printer, and started up the installation, disabling the firewall first (a suggestion from another forum).

If I chose "personal installation--install for use on this computer," it would not let me past the "connect the USB cable" page without a cable detected. I simply had to bail.

If I chose "network installation--install for use on a network," I ended up at a (blank) page to assign a port name. The printer wasn't detected automatically, but I could go in through "manual add" and select a peer-to-peer client, since the printer is connected to another computer. I enter the other computer name, and the printer's share name (with "allow communication through the firewall" check-marked). It works for a while, then comes back to the previous page, showing port name (now with the printer listed and highlighted), but no IP address or MAC. Clicking NEXT starts up the install, which finishes and simply closes. But the printer now shows up in my printer list as the default printer, in a READY state.

I performed #4-8, but the printer is already listed with a port, so I get an "already exists" message when I try the add. I tried to delete the port, but get a "resource in use" message, so it can't. I tried "configure," but am told there's nothing to configure. Bidirectional support is (was originally) checked, but still no communication.

<sigh>

05-17-2008, 04:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
simonhartung Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1 OS: win vista	Dell 720 printer I have recently tried to link up my dell 720 printer to my friends fujitsu siemens laptop. Once i had pluged it in the laptop recognised it and installed the relevent drivers, through the microsoft new hardware program. The test page worked fine and i managed to get it set up. I then deleted all the other printers that were assigned to the laptop and made the dell printer the default one. Coming back to the computer the next day i found that it wouldnt print a document, it said that its offline, so i disconnected it and tried a differnet usb lead that i know works fine and still the same problem, so i deleted and reinstalled the drivers, and still no joy. please if anybody could help it would be great. Si

05-17-2008, 07:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
Dunedin Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Over the Forth from Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 2,166 OS: WinXP Pro/Vista Ultimate	Re: Dell 720 printer Hello simonhartung Make sure you are using the Dell driver for the printer Windows vista 32 bit driver for dell printer 720 Windows Vista 64-bit driver for dell printer 720 __________________

08-21-2008, 08:04 AM	#3 (permalink)
cvhbauman Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2 OS: vista business 64-bit	Re: Dell 720 printer Dunedin--I downloaded and installed the Vista 64-bit drivers you left on your post. I can't get my Vista computer to communicate with the Dell 720 printer (which is physically installed on an XP Pro desktop). My laptop (also XP Pro) can access the printer through our home's wireless network. The driver installation on the Vista machine seems to complete, and the printer shows up in the printer list, but nothing prints to it, and going into the Dell printer solutions utility, it tells me it cannot communicate. I decided to check if the printer would work when directly connected by USB (not viable for a permanent fix), and it did (printed a test page). So I'm presuming the drivers are correctly installed. Am I trying to do the impossible here--print through my network from a Vista machine to the 720 on another computer? Or is there simply something else I need to do to get this to work? Thanks in advance. Christine

08-21-2008, 09:06 AM	#4 (permalink)
Dunedin Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Over the Forth from Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 2,166 OS: WinXP Pro/Vista Ultimate	Re: Dell 720 printer Hello Christine Yes, sometimes it can be hard to get Vista to connect to a shared printer I know of a method which worked with another brand of printer, so let`s try it. You will have to reinstall the printer driver though to try this method. 1 Uninstall the printer driver again, then... 2 Reinstall the driver on your Windows Vista computer. During installation, you’ll be prompted to connect the printer to your computer. Choose the option to proceed with installation without connecting the printer. 3.After installation completes, open the Printers applet from the Windows Vista Control Panel. 4.Right-click on the printer and choose Properties. 5.Go to the Ports tab. 6.Click Add Port…, select Local Port, then click New Port… 7.For the port name, enter exactly the network path and share name of your printer e.g. \\RECEPTION\ Dell 720 (use the proper name of the printer) 8.Click OK, and double-check that this new port is selected with the checkbox next to it. 9.Click OK to close the printer properties. __________________

08-26-2008, 12:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
cvhbauman Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2 OS: vista business 64-bit	Re: Dell 720 printer Thanks for your reply. I uninstalled the printer, and started up the installation, disabling the firewall first (a suggestion from another forum). If I chose "personal installation--install for use on this computer," it would not let me past the "connect the USB cable" page without a cable detected. I simply had to bail. If I chose "network installation--install for use on a network," I ended up at a (blank) page to assign a port name. The printer wasn't detected automatically, but I could go in through "manual add" and select a peer-to-peer client, since the printer is connected to another computer. I enter the other computer name, and the printer's share name (with "allow communication through the firewall" check-marked). It works for a while, then comes back to the previous page, showing port name (now with the printer listed and highlighted), but no IP address or MAC. Clicking NEXT starts up the install, which finishes and simply closes. But the printer now shows up in my printer list as the default printer, in a READY state. I performed #4-8, but the printer is already listed with a port, so I get an "already exists" message when I try the add. I tried to delete the port, but get a "resource in use" message, so it can't. I tried "configure," but am told there's nothing to configure. Bidirectional support is (was originally) checked, but still no communication. <sigh>