Printer sharing help

AllP · 04-12-2007, 07:47 PM

I've searched high and low thru these threads and could not find an answer to this specific question, so here it is.

I have a small office with 10 computers that are networked together (all windows XP). Some are home edition and some are professional. I have a printer installed on one of the professional computers and its being shared. Im able to connect to that printer with all my other computers, but the problem comes up when one of my Home edition computers gets restarted. When I restart a home edition computer it loses that connection to the printer and I have to reconnect it everytime by going to "View Workgroup Computers" and selecting the computer that has the printer and typing in the password again.
This doesnt happen when I restart the Professional computers, they save the connection to that specific computer that has the printer.

Is there a way to fix this issue without having to install Professional on all my Home edition computers?

Please let me know if you need more info or if I wasnt clear on anything. I would really appreciate any help.

verdrm · 04-12-2007, 07:52 PM

You said that you "have to reconnect it everytime by going to "View Workgroup Computers" and selecting the computer that has the printer and typing in the password again."

I assume you mean that when you try to connect to the computer which has the printer you get a username and password prompt?

If that is the case, there should be a checkbox that you can check to save the information on the prompt.

Are they all in the same workgroup?

AllP · 04-12-2007, 07:55 PM

Your assumption is correct but there is no checkbox to save the password. The Professional computer did have the checkbox thought thats why this problem isnt occuring on them.

verdrm · 04-12-2007, 07:59 PM

That's what I just remembered...that there isn't a checkbox in Home edition. On the XP Pro computer with the printer, I'm not totally sure but can you allow in User Accounts (control panel) the username from the Home edition computer to access it? If not, does the XP Pro computer with the Printer have any folder shares? Sometimes XP Pro computers with just a printer share and no folder share will require a username and password to gain access.

Does that make sense? It is a permissions issue.

AllP · 04-12-2007, 08:10 PM

Im not sure what you mean by your first question "can you allow in User Accounts (control panel) the username from the Home edition computer to access it?".

For your second question, no, Im not sharing any folders from that computer. Just the printer. I'll have to try sharing a folder to see if that fixes it, but I wount be able to do that till I get back at the office tomorrow.

johnwill · 04-13-2007, 06:48 AM

Create an account on the machine with the shared printer with the same name/password as is used to logon to the XP-Home computer.

verdrm · 04-13-2007, 11:51 AM

I also thought about creating an account with the same information; see if that works. The only reason I didn't list that as a fix was because it may change the user name to \COMPUTERNAME\user and not just the username.

johnwill · 04-13-2007, 06:16 PM

The \COMPUERNAME\ isn't an issue, the actual account name is what is used for authentication.

AllP · 04-17-2007, 10:42 AM

thx guys, that fixed it.

04-12-2007, 07:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
AllP Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 12 OS: XP	Printer sharing help I've searched high and low thru these threads and could not find an answer to this specific question, so here it is. I have a small office with 10 computers that are networked together (all windows XP). Some are home edition and some are professional. I have a printer installed on one of the professional computers and its being shared. Im able to connect to that printer with all my other computers, but the problem comes up when one of my Home edition computers gets restarted. When I restart a home edition computer it loses that connection to the printer and I have to reconnect it everytime by going to "View Workgroup Computers" and selecting the computer that has the printer and typing in the password again. This doesnt happen when I restart the Professional computers, they save the connection to that specific computer that has the printer. Is there a way to fix this issue without having to install Professional on all my Home edition computers? Please let me know if you need more info or if I wasnt clear on anything. I would really appreciate any help.

04-12-2007, 07:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
verdrm Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 86 OS: Windows XP Professional	Re: Printer sharing help You said that you "have to reconnect it everytime by going to "View Workgroup Computers" and selecting the computer that has the printer and typing in the password again." I assume you mean that when you try to connect to the computer which has the printer you get a username and password prompt? If that is the case, there should be a checkbox that you can check to save the information on the prompt. Are they all in the same workgroup? Last edited by verdrm : 04-12-2007 at 07:55 PM.

04-12-2007, 07:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
AllP Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 12 OS: XP	Re: Printer sharing help Your assumption is correct but there is no checkbox to save the password. The Professional computer did have the checkbox thought thats why this problem isnt occuring on them.

04-12-2007, 07:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
verdrm Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 86 OS: Windows XP Professional	Re: Printer sharing help That's what I just remembered...that there isn't a checkbox in Home edition. On the XP Pro computer with the printer, I'm not totally sure but can you allow in User Accounts (control panel) the username from the Home edition computer to access it? If not, does the XP Pro computer with the Printer have any folder shares? Sometimes XP Pro computers with just a printer share and no folder share will require a username and password to gain access. Does that make sense? It is a permissions issue. Last edited by verdrm : 04-12-2007 at 08:05 PM.

04-12-2007, 08:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
AllP Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 12 OS: XP	Re: Printer sharing help Im not sure what you mean by your first question "can you allow in User Accounts (control panel) the username from the Home edition computer to access it?". For your second question, no, Im not sharing any folders from that computer. Just the printer. I'll have to try sharing a folder to see if that fixes it, but I wount be able to do that till I get back at the office tomorrow.

04-13-2007, 06:48 AM	#6 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,581 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Printer sharing help Create an account on the machine with the shared printer with the same name/password as is used to logon to the XP-Home computer. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

04-13-2007, 11:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
verdrm Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 86 OS: Windows XP Professional	Re: Printer sharing help I also thought about creating an account with the same information; see if that works. The only reason I didn't list that as a fix was because it may change the user name to \COMPUTERNAME\user and not just the username.

04-13-2007, 06:16 PM	#8 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,581 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Printer sharing help The \COMPUERNAME\ isn't an issue, the actual account name is what is used for authentication. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

04-17-2007, 10:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
AllP Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 12 OS: XP	Re: Printer sharing help thx guys, that fixed it.