Installing a Local Printer


Installing a local printer is a bit more complex than connecting to an existing network printer. For starters, unless Windows finds the printer automatically (via Plug and Play), you have to specify the location where the printer is physically connected, what you want to name it, and a few other pieces of information.

The procedures vary, depending on how the printer is connected to your computer:

  • Parallel printer port

  • USB/FireWire (IEEE 1394)

  • Serial port

  • Infrared

Here's the basic game plan, which works with most printers. You must be logged on as a member of the Administrators group to add a local printer to a computer, so you must start by logging on as a Computer Administrator user. Then

  1. Read the printer's installation instructions for specific Windows XP or Windows 2000 instructions. You may be instructed to install software before connecting the printer to your computer for the first time. This is especially important if your printer connects via USB.

  2. Connect the printer to the appropriate port on your computer according to the printer manufacturer's instructions.

  3. Read the description that applies to the kind of connection your printer uses and proceed as directed:

    Parallel Port

    Connect the printer to your computer (typically you don't have to shut down the computer to attach parallel devices, though doing so might be a good idea). Windows might detect and install the printer. If it doesn't, open the Printers and Faxes folder, and select Add New Printer to start the wizard. Now click Next. Click Local Printer, and turn on Automatically Detect My Printer. Then click Next again to start the Found New Hardware Wizard. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish installing the printer. The printer icon is then added to your Printers and Faxes folder.

    USB or FireWire

    Just connect the printer's cable to your computer. Windows will detect it and automatically start the Found New Hardware Wizard. Because USB and FireWire are hot-pluggable, you don't need to shut down or restart your computer. Simply follow the instructions on the screen to finish installing the printer. The printer icon is then added to your Printers and Faxes folder.

    Infrared

    Be sure your printer is turned on and within range of your computer's infrared eye. Also, make sure your infrared service is installed properly. Windows might detect the printer automatically and create an icon for it. If not, see Chapter 18, "Windows Unplugged: Remote and Mobile Networking," for more information on infrared printers.

    Serial Port

    Some antique laser and daisywheel printers use a serial data connection. (If you're still using one of these, I like you already.) Follow the instructions in the next section.


If Windows can't detect the make and model of your printer, it will ask you to assist in selecting the appropriate type. If you can't find your printer's make and model in the list of choices, see step 5 in the next section.

If the Printer Isn't Found or Is on a Serial (COM) Port

If your printer isn't found using the options in the preceding section, or if the printer is connected via a COM port, you have to fake out Plug and Play and go the manual route. To do so, just follow these steps:

1.

Open the Printers and Faxes folder, and run the Add New Printer Wizard.

2.

Click Next.

3.

Click Local Printer, make sure that Automatically Detect My Printer is not checked, and then click Next.

4.

Select the port the printer is connected to in the resulting dialog. Figure 6.2 shows the port dialog box; the options and what they mean are as follows:

Figure 6.2. Choosing the port for a printer.


Options

Notes

LPT1:, LPT2:, LPT3:

The most common setting is LPT1 because most PC-type printers hook up to the LPT1 parallel port.

COM1:, COM2:, COM3:, COM4:

If you know your printer is of the serial variety, it's probably connected to the COM1 port. If COM1 is tied up for use with some other device, such as a modem, use COM2. If you choose a COM port, click Settings to check the communications settings in the resulting dialog box. Set the baud rate, data bits, parity, start and stop bits, and flow control to match those of the printer being attached. Refer to the printer's manual to determine what the settings should be.

File

This is for printing to a disk file instead of to the printer. Later, the file can be sent directly to the printer or sent to someone on floppy disk or over a modem. When you print to this printer name, you are prompted to enter a filename. (See the section "Printing to Disk Option.")

Create a New Port

Create a New Port is used to make connections to printers that are directly connected to your LAN and are to be controlled by your computer. Its use is covered in Chapter 17.


5.

Select the manufacturer and model of your printer in the next dialog, as shown in Figure 6.3. You can quickly jump to a manufacturer's name by pressing the first letter of the name, such as E for Epson. Then use the up- and down-arrow keys to home in on the correct one.

Figure 6.3. Choose the make and model of your printer here.


If you can't find the appropriate model, you have two choices: You can choose a similar compatible model, and risk getting less-than-perfect output, or you can try to get the correct driver. If you have an Internet connection, click Windows Update to see if Microsoft has a driver available (don't hold your breath, though). Otherwise, get the manufacturer's driver on a floppy disk or CD-ROM or download it via the Internet, and then click Have Disk. Locate the driver (look for an INF file, the standard type for driver setup programs) and click OK.

For more information on dealing with unlisted printers,

6.

Name the printer. The name will appear in LAN-based users' browse boxes if you decide to share this printer. Some computers have trouble with names longer than 31 characters, so if you intend to share the printer, keep the name short and sweet.

7.

Set whether you want this printer to be your default printer.

8.

Click Next. Choose whether you want to share the printer on the LAN. If not, skip to step 10. If so, click Share As and enter a name for sharingthis name will also be visible to network users. If you're connected to any old DOS or 16-bit Windows computers, you might want to limit this name to 12 characters because that's the maximum length those users can see.

To learn more about sharing your printer on a network, p. 657.


9.

Click Next. Now you can fill in additional information about the printer that people can see when browsing for a printer over the LAN. Something along the lines of Joe's Laser Printer in Room 23 might be helpful. Although these fields are optional, by filling in the location, you at least let users know where to pick up their documents.

10.

Click Next. You then are asked whether you want to print a test page. Doing so is a good way to confirm that the printer is now operational. Choose Yes or No, and then click Next.

11.

Assuming that everything looks good, be sure your printer is turned on and ready to print and click Finish. Some files will be copied between directories. You might be asked to insert disks again.

12.

If you chose to print a test page, your printer should start up and print a single page. You will be asked whether it printed okay. If it did, click Yes and you're finished. If it didn't print correctly, click Troubleshoot, and follow the wizard's instructions to identify the problem.

When you're finished, the icon for the printer appears in your Printers and Faxes folder.

TIP

If you're going to share the printer with LAN users running Windows 95, 98, Me, or NT 4 on Intel or Alpha platforms, they'll need different printer drivers than Windows XP and 2000 machines do. You can pre-install the drivers needed by other operating systems on your computer so that other users don't have to hunt around for the driver files, and so that they're not prompted to insert disks into their machines when they try to connect to your printer. To do this, open the Properties sheet for the printer, click the Sharing tab, and then click Additional Drivers.


For more details about sharing printers for use by workstations running other operating systems, p. 658.


What to Do If Your Printer Isn't Listed

If your printer isn't detected with Plug and Play, and isn't listed in the selection list, you'll have to find a driver elsewhere.

First of all, your printer probably came with a floppy disk or CD-ROM with driver software. On the printer manufacturer selection dialog (Figure 6.5, shown later), click Have Disk and then click Browse to find the Windows XP or Windows 2000 driver files for your printer. Select the appropriate INF file and click OK.

Figure 6.5. Preparing to print a typical file.


If you can't find the disk or it doesn't contain a Windows XP or 2000 compatible driver, don't worry; there's still hope. Windows XP has been out long enough that all currently manufactured printers have XP-compatible drivers. Even many older printers have Windows XP or 2000 driver support.

Your next step should be to visit the printer manufacturer's Web site. Check out their Product Support section, and look for a way to locate and download drivers. If you can find the appropriate driver, follow the manufacturer's instructions for downloading it. It will probably come as a compressed or executable file that has to be expanded or run, and this will put the installation files into a folder on your hard drive. You can then use the "Have Disk" feature discussed earlier to point Windows to this folder.

If this fails, check Microsoft's download site page at www.microsoft.com/downloads. Click Drivers in the left column, and search from there.

If neither Microsoft nor the manufacturer provides a driver, hope is fading. Still, some off-brand printers or models are designed to be compatible with one of the popular printer types, such as the Apple LaserWriters, Hewlett-Packard LaserJets, or one of the Epson series. Also, many printer models are very similar and can use the same driver. Check the product manual or manufacturer's Web site to see if your printer supports an emulation mode. This might help you identify an alternate printer model, and you can try its driver.

TIP

Use the Internet to see if other people have run into the same problem and have found a solution. For instance, you might use Google to search for Windows XP printer driver manufacturer model, substituting in the manufacturer's name and model number. However, don't download a driver from some random site: It could be infected with a virus. Download drivers only from a credible corporate Web site.


Assuming that you have obtained a printer driver, follow these instructions to install it:

1.

Open the Printers and Faxes folder, and run the Add Printer Wizard.

2.

Click Next, choose Local Printer, and then turn off the check box for autodetect.

3.

Choose the correct port, and click Next.

4.

Click the Have Disk button.

5.

You're now prompted to insert a disk in drive A:. Insert the disk, or click Browse to get to a disk or network volume that contains the driver files. The wizard is looking for a file with an .INF extension, which is the standard file extension the installer setup file provided with all drivers.

6.

Click OK. You might have to choose a printer model from a list if multiple options exist.

7.

Continue through the wizard dialog boxes as explained previously.



Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Professional (3rd Edition)
ISBN: 0789732807
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 450

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