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How do I connect a laptop running XP to a wireless HP printer?

Windows 7 to XP for Printer Connection

  • I need advice in how to setup a wireless connection to a printer from a computer using Windows 7 through a computer using XP. I have a Vostro 1520 laptop running Windows 7 Pro that I'm trying to connect wirelessly to an HP Laser Jet 1160 through another Vostro 1520 laptop running XP Pro. The "Add Printer" feature on Windows 7 doesn't do the trick, and I'm at a loss on how to proceed. Earlier when I was running XP on both computers I was able to connect wirelessly. I've enabled the shared printer permission on the XP machine, and if it is of any importance, I have a router furnished by Verizon FIOS. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, otherwise I'll have to be asking for advice on the purchase of another printer. Thanks.

  • Answer:

    So you have a Windows XP laptop physically connected by cable to a printer, and you want to share that printer to your network? Is that right? What do you see when you try to browse the WIndows XP laptop from your Windows 7 laptop?

NinaLee at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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Are you trying to share the XP's printer? Or is this a printer that one can connect to wirelessly which just happens to be working with the XP?

Obscure Reference

Yes, devnull, that's right. But I see nothing on the XP machine when I try to connect with the Windows 7 machine, at least not in the "printers and faxes" section of the control panel. Is there somewhere else I should be looking?

NinaLee

Obscure Reference: I don't think my printer is equipped for a wireless connection. I'm trying to connect through the XP laptop which has a USB connection to the printer.

NinaLee

Okay, so the wireless information isn't really relevant here. We're talking about bog standard file and printer sharing. Presumably you can see the Windows XP machine on the network? You can share a folder and see that appear too? What are your firewall settings on the Windows XP machine? Do you have file and print sharing enabled? Disclaimer: I'm a Linux person, I know nothing about Windows.

devnull

devnull: File and print sharing are enabled. The XP firewall is on.

NinaLee

Have you tried browsing to the XP notebook via the network and double clicking the printer? Another method would to be to install Bonjour for Windows on the XP machine so the Add printer wizard in W7 can find it.

wongcorgi

wongcorgi: my XP laptop does not show up on the network of the Windows 7 laptop, and perhaps that's the key to the problem. But I don't really know how to rectify it.

NinaLee

Get your local IP of your XP laptop and see if you can ping that IP from your Windows 7 machine. If that works you can also try going to the start menu in Windows 7 and typing in "\\ipaddress_of_xp_mcahine" then enter and seeing if that brings anything up.

wongcorgi

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