Philgr said:
Help Please
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to connect to a USB Printer set-up on a Windows XP machine via a Mac Mini
I can connected to this printer via my windows laptop without problems.
But im at a bit of a loss ot set it up on my mac
BTW im a bit new to the mac thing
Thanx in advance
PG
Well first of all, welcome! You're going to love the Macintosh. To answer your question, the answer is "very yes."
Do your Windows logon accounts have passwords? If they don't, the easiest thing to do is to create an account on the computer with the printer (called something easy to remember and type, like "print") that has a password and can successfully print to the printer. Because of the way networking works across different OSes, it's a general rule that you need a user account with a password to minimize trouble.
Once you have this set up, you should make sure your computer is in the same workgroup as your PCs (this isn't necessary, but makes things simple). In the Finder's Applications\Utilities folder, there is one called Directory Access. Go into that and click on the text that says "SMB/CIFS" and then the Configure button. In the screen that pops up, type in the name of your Windows workgroup (found in the System Control Panel on Windows XP, in the Network Name tab). Once that's typed in, exit Directory Access.
Next, go into System Preferences and choose "Print and Fax." There will be a button with a plus sign (+) in it under the Printers list. Clicking that will open the Printer Browser, where you will have to click on More Printers. At the top of the box that opens, there is a drop down list of sources. Choose "Windows Printing." Your workgroup should automatically be selected in the drop-down box below that. If it isn't, select it.
A list of computers and available shared printers will show up in that list. Choose the appropriate printer from the printers list. Below that, select the Printer Model if it isn't automatically selected. If nothing shows up in the printer models list, you might need to insert the printer's CD and install the OS X software for it. Once you find the right model, just click OK and that should be it.
When you print, you will probably be asked for a user name and password. This is where you type in a valid Windows account name and password. You can choose to save it to the keychain if you'd prefer to have to enter it less frequently.
Good luck!
