Win XP and Win 7

I used to have a wireless network of 3 machines all running Windows XP. Now
I have 2 machines with XP and one with Windows 7 x64. It has wireless
connection to Internet, but how can I get it into my network?
Thanks for your suggestions (preferably step-by-step)

 

Hi
You have to configure the File and printer sharing on the Win & computer.
Since the other computers are Not Win & when you configure the Sharing you
have to choose the Work Network configuration.
Also upgrade WIN XP to WinXP SP3 (if you did not do it already).
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

 

Hi, Jack,
thanks for your suggestions. As far as I can see and understand it, the
networking between machines running Win 7 and XP is possible. So far so
good. But the rest is way above my technical ability... May you please
provide a step-by-step instructions or refer me to some already available in
writing? Sure, both XP machines are SP3 with all the patches etc.

Ilya

 

Hi
Make sure that the Software Firewall on each computer allows free local
traffic. If you use 3rd party Firewall On, Vista/XP Native Firewall should
be Off, and the active Firewall has to adjusted to your Network IP numbers
on what is some time called the Trusted Zone (consult your 3rd Party
Firewall instructions.
General example, http://www.ezlan.net/faq#trusted
Windows 7 Work Network,
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/windows7/windows7_sharing.htm
Vista File and Printer Sharing-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx
Windows XP File Sharing -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040
Printer Sharing XP -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/honeycutt_july2.mspx
Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357
Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista (Not need for XP-SP3) -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120
When done hard reboot all network computers and the Router.
Jack (MVP-Networking).

 

On my XP machines, I have Windows Live OneCare Firewall etc. On Windows 7
it's the McAfee security. Printer is shared, of course...
I'll look in those links and will try to find my way around. So help me God!

Ilya

 

Well, Jack, thanks to your suggestions, I looked, I tried and I established
a network. Now shared files on all 3 machines are accessible from each
other.
However, I cannot get from my XP machines to my shared printer, connected to
Win 7 machine. Every time I use a wizard and try to connect from one of XP
to Win 7 printer, I'm getting an error "Connect to Printer: Windows cannot
connect to the printer..."
When my network consisted of XP machines with Windows Live OneCare, the
shared printer easily connected to all computers via the option in OneCare.
Now, in Win 7 and McAfee, I could not find a way to do it. The link in your
message is referencing to a procedure with XP, while I need instructions for
Win 7...

Ilya

 

Hi
Not clear to me what One care has to do with printing.
If the printer is shared on the Win 7 computer, and other computer can
print, the problem might be with the printer's drivers on the XP computer.
Make sure that the computer has the correct printer driver when installed as
Network printer.
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

 

Well, Jack and Lem, maybe I wasn't clear enough in the beginning, but we're
talking about different configurations... Let me try again and describe my
situation.
I am the only user of my network, computers and printer. I have no
passwords, and all machines use the same name of the workgroup.
In the recent past, I had a home network of 3 machines, all running Windows
XP Home. A Lexmark Z715 printer was connected to the desktop and was shared
and used from any machine on that network. Which proves to me, that this
printer is OK with Win XP networking.
Now I have a working network (can get to shared folders from each machine)
of one Win 7 and two Win XP machines. Lexmark printer connected to Win 7 and
works fine with it. This printer is listed as default network printer on two
other XP machines. However, when I try to print from any XP machine, the job
goes to the printer, sits there, but is listed as "Deleting". It's never
prints or deletes. Clicking on cancel all documents does not help. Only
reboot clears the queue..
Hope this time I painted a better picture... How to get this printer work on
my network?

Ilya

 

Hi
The printer worked OK under WinXP when it was installed there it is not
installed there any more, thus some of the inside flags might not point
correctly to the Network.
At this point what I would do is delete the printer from all the computers
and reinstalled it first on the Win 7, and then as a Network Printer on the
XP computer.
Maybe this can Help too,
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-7/share-files-and-printers-between-windows-7-and-xp/
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

 

Jack,
thanks for the reference. Yes, I know this article (I'm subscribed to Geek)
and it helped me a lot. However, one thing I could not get - the x86
driver... I searched for it on Lexmark and Microsoft sites, but could not
find it. Any suggestions on where to get it from?

Ilya

 

Do you mean the x86 driver for WinXP? If so:
http://support.lexmark.com/index?pa...48&segment=SUPPORT&userlocale=EN_US&locale=en

If you meant x64 (for your Win 7 box), there is a Vista x64 driver at
http://support.lexmark.com/index?pa...XMARK_Z715&segment=SUPPORT&userlocale=EN_US#2,
and Lexmark claims that the Vista driver will work for Win 7.

Note that Lexmark printer drivers can sometimes be difficult to deal
with. See http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm
particularly about halfway down the page where the discussion of
cleanspl.exe starts.

 

Lem, thanks for the link to x86. I tried it several times, but the site
seems to be down. I tried from Lexmark site too, could not get any result
either. Will try tomorrow again.

Ilya

 

Yes, the site seems a bit underpowered. Keep trying, and you should get
it to display ... although I don't know what will happen if you actually
try to download the file.

 

Finally got through and looked at drivers. Actually, I have a driver for
Windows Vista x64 already installed. Lexmark works fine with this driver on
my Win 7 machine. On the Lexmark site, there is another Driver for Windows
XP and Server 2003. But I do not think that I can have both drivers
installed and printer working.
What do you think?

Ilya

 

Well, just attempted to install x86 driver and got a message from Win 7 that
it's not compatible... The end of the story... Or isn't?

Ilya

 

The Vista x64 driver is the one you want for your Win 7 x64 box ... and
it seems that you have already installed it.

The x86 driver for Win XP and 2003 is for, well, your Win XP boxes
(which are x86). Win 7 x64 properly rejected your attempt to install it.

 

Lem,
sorry for confusion. I know that x86 is for XP and first I attempted to
install x86 on my XP machine. Unfortunately, the wizard could not find the
Lexmark on my network and I ended up with "printing document to a file"...
Only after that I went back to Win 7 and you already know the end of the
story. I think, the easiest solution for my problem would be to install
another printer just for XP machines.

Ilya

 

Hi
Assuming that you are in the USA (I do not know the price structure in other
places).
Many of us have one good photo type of printer connected to the computer
that is used for photo quality work.
On the network we put All in One Network capable computer (there are many of
them for $100 to $150). for general use, some are even Wireless, so No
cables are needed. It does Network Copy/Print/Scan, and more.
Example, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828102430
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

 

Jack,
I'm not as good as you may think... Sure, I'm in sunny Florida, not in the
rest of the frozen USA. Also, I have three (3) printers stowed under the
desk... But I'd like the darn network work as it supposed to work, as it
used to work in the past, when I was happy... You see, from the early 1980s,
when I started to use computers. I worked around them alone. Although it did
not make me the computer wiz, I learned a thing or two. That's why I'd like
to fix whatever is broken (or not!).
Thanks for your help.

Ilya