# Can't see shared printer on Win XP machine



## shenrick (Sep 9, 2003)

Hey folks...here's one for ya! ....

I have a win2k pro machine with a local printer attached to it. I have that printer shared over the network. I also have a laptop running winXP pro on the same network. What I'm trying to do is this: I want to share the printer that's physically attached to the win2k machine, with the winXP machine. Here's the problem though. I can't see the shared printer on the XP machine. I can see the 2k machine on the network, but when I open it up, there's no printer. Does anyone know why it is that I'm able to see the win2k machine on the network, but not the shared printer itself? Thanks for any help guys.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You see a 2K machine, and the printer is connected to the XP machine, why do you expect to see the printer on the 2K machine?

If you can't see the XP machine in Network Neighborhood, make sure that in the TCP/IP advanced properties on both machine, NETBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled. The first problem you have to solve is seeing the XP machine before you can find the connected printer. If the previous doesn't work, I'd suggest NETBEUI protocol on both machines.


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## shenrick (Sep 9, 2003)

Sorry...guess that was kind of confusing. The set up is like this:

Win2k (local printer installed)
WinXP (want to connect to printer over network)

I can see both computers on network, but when I go into the win2k machine, there are no printers there. (However, if I go to the printer neighborhood on the win2k machine, the printer DOES show up.)

Sorry again for the confusion....


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## dmsadler (Oct 8, 2004)

I too am having the same problem as the user above . . . I have two computers in my home network (workgroup) and have no problem seeing the PC's on the network. One PC is running W2K, the other is running WinXP. I have a USB printer connected locally to the PC with W2K, but can't network the "shared" printer from the WinXP machine. Please help. Totally frustrated!!!


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

I doubt this will solve your problem, but I had a similar problem accessing a printer connected to my XP machine from my 98SE machine.

What solved my problem was the name I assigned to the printer on the XP machine was over 12 characters in length and the 98SE machine could not see it at all until I changed the name to 12 characters or less.

Hope this helps.


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## mfinnell (Aug 24, 2004)

Is the shared printer installed on the XP as a network share??

Go to Start, Settings,Printers.

If add printer is only Icon then add it.

If it is already there check its properties.


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## dmsadler (Oct 8, 2004)

Thank you Stayfair11. When I renamed my printers (to under 12 characters) then rebooted both PC's on the network, that solved the problem. I was able to see the printers! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

I'm glad it worked out for ya. :up:


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