Good Lord I can print to my PC-network printer!!

[id-sign]

After much headbanging, message board scouring, wrist slitting, heavy drinking, bouts of depression, cursing Bill Gates.....

I finally found the way to get my new Mini(love it love it love it) to print through my wireless PC network(Netgear router) to my printers that are connected to my WinXPHome machine by USB. I got both my Epson Inkjet and Brother laser working fine...actually better than ever from my PeeCee.

I did as follows:

Clicked System Preferences on Dock
Double clicked "Print & Fax" from
"+" sign to add a printer
Used the left "Default Browser" icon (didn't press "IP Printer"
More Printers...
Windows Printing
Network Neighborhood
Clicked on my workgroup name (only choice in my list); click "Choose"
Clicked on the PC Computer which has the printer connected to it by USB
Clicked "Choose"
Entered the exact name of my PC Computer in the "Name:" box
(Enter the exact Password if needed; I have none so left it blank)
Clicked OK
Selected Printer name that now miraculously appeared in the Printer Browser
Click "Printer Model:" to select the exact model
Clicked "Add" button
Said long prayer of thanks


Previous to this, I had tried many paths through the printer setup jungle including entering IP addresses and more, but this worked..
I hope to God that this helps someone else!

Before doing the above steps on my MacMini, I did try following the directions from another post in order to (I thought) prepare my PC computer to share it's printers more kindly. I will list the steps I followed next, with the understanding that I have no idea if it made any difference at all... I would highly suggest following the above instructions first and then try these only if you're still having problems:

Following is the original message source and text...again, I don't know if any of it did any good for my setup, so try the first set of directions above first...
--------------------------------------
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155356&print+mac+sharing
--------------------------------------

First start on the Windows XP system:
-Click on Start --> Run --> type 'command' --> click OK
-Now type 'ipconfig' and record your IP Address
-Now type 'exit' to leave the command prompt
-Click on Start --> Control Panel --> Printers
-Right-click your printer and select SHARING
-On the Sharing tab click 'Share this printer'
-Type a share name that does not have any spaces in it
-Click OK
-Click on Start --> Control Panel --> Users --> Guest
-Turn on the Guest account so your Mac will be able to use the printer
-Click Start --> Control Panel --> Add/Remove Programs
-Add/Remove Windows Components --> Other Network File and Print Services --> check Print Services for UNIX --> OK --> Next


Now to the OS X system:
-Open the Finder and go to Applications --> Utilities --> Print Center.
-Now click on the Printers menu and select Add Printer.
-Set the type to IP Printing
--Printers address is your XP machines IP address
--Uncheck 'Use default queue on server'
--Type the queue name as the name you shared your printer as.
--Under Printer model select your printer or a general in ESP.

Ihave a Epson Stylus C80 so I select the ESP --> EPSON Stylus Color Series CUPS v1.1 and it worked. This will vary by printer.

After all of that was complete I was now able to print to my printer attached to my wife's Windows XP Home system without any other hitches.

Hope that helps!
__________________
Troy Murray

 

[Laser47]

Ive tried that guide for printing from my ibook to my pc sharing a canon ip6000d. But with no luck.
It sucks that canon will not release a cups driver for the mac.

 

[mklos]

IMO, Apple should just make it easier to connect to a PC printer. Its not just Canon printers that make it hard, its any kind of printer. Then when you do get it working, it can be unreliable. Maybe an improvement in Leopard?

 

[cubist]

Glad to hear of your success. I have the opposite problem: I have a network printer that I can print on just fine from any Mac, but I can't get any Windows PC to talk to it. It is a Tektronix Phaser 540 Plus. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[mklos]

Glad to hear of your success. I have the opposite problem: I have a network printer that I can print on just fine from any Mac, but I can't get any Windows PC to talk to it. It is a Tektronix Phaser 540 Plus. Anyone have any ideas?

Its 10x harder to go from Mac to PC... but since its on a network, it should pick up fine.

Assuming you have XP on the PC and the printer has a network card in it:

Just get the IP Address of the printer. Then go to Printers & Faxes on the PC, then Add a Printer. Then uncheck the box that says plug n play and leave local printer checked, then click next.

Now you should see 2 options, one says use the following port (which is probably selected by default), and the other one says create a new port. Select create a new port and click next.

Click next again if needed, you're looking for something that asks for an IP address or server/printer name. There you will put in the IP address of the printer (probably a 192.x.x.x address) and click next. Now you'll need the Windows XP Driver for it. Download it and expand the file if its a zipped file, then point it to the folder the expansion created (easier to expand it to the desktop). It should now install the driver for it and complete the installation.

I would make sure that the printer has a manual IP address so the IP address doesn't change on you. You'll have to look in the manual on how to get a manual IP address in for it. Different printers have different ways of doing so.

 

[Philgr]

Thread hijack

Just purchased a USB > Network box so i can plug my printer into my network router, instead of having to have the printer connected to the PC.

I can get my other PC's to print with this set-up no problems but so far im hitting a brick wall getting my Mac Mini to print

I could print from the Mac when the printer was connected to the PC

Any idea's

 

[cubist]

Thanks, mklos, works perfectly. Wow, that was pretty easy, too!

 

[scan]

It Works!!!

HOT DAMN! You da man! It works now! Ican't believe it! I've been trying to get this to work since I got my pb. Id-Sign, I want to give you a hug!!


Incase anyone is wondering I'm using a CANON PRINTER!!! A Canon i560 to be exact.

 

[id-sign]

your welcome SCAN!

Thanks for the "hug"...

I'm just glad I could save at least 1 Mac user some frustration. It's too bad we have to run into such problems in what I have found to be an otherwise ultra-smooth and impressive computer experience.

I just posted another solution I found today; I couldn't get SMTP/passwords to work with my GoDaddy mail account- post just went up today.

 

[geoffism]

Same boat

Thread hijack

Just purchased a USB > Network box so i can plug my printer into my network router, instead of having to have the printer connected to the PC.

I can get my other PC's to print with this set-up no problems but so far im hitting a brick wall getting my Mac Mini to print

I could print from the Mac when the printer was connected to the PC

Any idea's

I'm going nuts here as well.
I have my printer usb'ed into a wireless router.

 

[ortuno2k]

I've been able to print from my mac to my pc-connected printer for a while, but find it that printing speeds are very slow when printing from the mac.
Must be the generic drivers...