# Vista Laptop Can't Find Network Printer



## stevedenver (Apr 19, 1999)

Other pc's in home network are win2k. New vista laptop connects to router fine and has wifi internet signal, but cannot connect to network printer....nor other shared pc's.

Vista laptop sees other pc's, but asks for a user name and password when none is required...nor even exists.

Network printer cannot even be seen by vista laptop.

Suggestions?


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## webdiva (Dec 31, 2004)

The easiest way to fix this is to 
Click Add Printer
Then add local printer ( I know its not local but its the easiest way around this on Vista)
Create New Port
Local Port
When prompt with a window to type in the local port, just simply put
\\NAMEOFCOMPUTER\nameofprinter 

Ie, the name of the computer that has the printer hooked up to it is SERVER and the name of the printer is DellLaser, then it would be \\SERVER\DellLaser 

Hope this helps out.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

"Vista laptop sees other pc's, but asks for a user name and password when none is required...nor even exists."

Can you create the same user account and password on the other computers that is being used on the Vista one. 

With any NT based operating system, user accounts do exist.


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## plasticman (Feb 22, 2001)

Find out what your printer's IP address is, then enter that address directly in the "Add Printer Wizard" I was able to connect that way, when browsing for it failed. While I can print to it, the HP tools still can not access the printer to give me information on toner levels. The tools work fine on my W2000 machine.

Steve


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## alawrence (May 1, 2007)

A Microsoft software engineer showed me the ropes. If you have a new install with a bunch of crapware such as Nortons or McAfee, uninstall them or go into their firewall settings and allow networking. My new install came with Norton and in the Norton firewall settings, it was not allowing any networking in either direction. Disabled that and now my Vista laptop can see my XP networked computers and vice versa.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Or just learn how to configure the firewall software.


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## lairbo (Jan 14, 2008)

Bob Cerelli said:


> Or just learn how to configure the firewall software.


Or instead of offering any constructive help, just condescendingly offer no help. What a concept! What a douche bag. Thanks but no thanks. I'll move on to another forum where people offer help without the unnecessary step of boosting themselves up by belittling others.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Please read all the posts. 

Actually it is very helpful for people to learn how to configure their firewall software if they want to use it. 

Now to test, it is often beneficial to uninstall any 3rd party software until you get the network functioning. Then at least you can eliminate it as being part of the problem.

Once the network is ok, then if you want you can add in the software firewall. If a problem returns, then you just need to configure the firewall correctly. But at least you know where the problem lies that way.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"Or just learn how to configure the firewall software" is perfectly good, and useful, advice.

Don't know why you, lairbo, went to the trouble to register to promise to go away, but I do appreciate that promise.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Seemed ok to me as well. So many people don't have a software firewall, or make a recommendation to remove it, when all that is needed is to properly configure it. 

But then the personal comments are a bit telling ;-)


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## jmwills (Sep 28, 2005)

and those are the people who are spamming the rest of us because their machines are being controlled by bots!


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