I have 3 computers that are all connected wirelessly and are able to share files. All have files and printer sharing enabled also.

I have my laptop here that's connected to a USB printer. I shared the printer and just called it Printer. I tried to connect to this printer from one of the other computers and added it via Network->Server option. I typed in \\laptopsComputername\Printer and it automatically changed the shared name to the actual printer name I have on my laptop. I didn't care since it was still detected/seen. So I printed out a document from that other computer. I see it in the queue from that computer and my laptop, but it's not budging. Is there any way to release this job or perhaps I did something wrong? I already tried to restart the print job to no avail.

All 3 computers are using Windows XP.

Thanks.

From the remote computer, have you installed network printer driver?

If a computer A has the USB printer installed, a computer B should have the same printer driver installed as network printer.

using windows xp on all the computers, when you connect to the printer windows should automatically install drivers.

1. Goto My Computer, Click My Network Places (Explorer Bar).
2. Click View Workgroup Computers (Explorer Bar)
3. Find the computer that has the printer physically connected to it, open it
4. Find the printer and right click it!
5 Select Connect... and wait for the drivers to install.

this should install the print drivers and install the printer on your computer. the printer should now be available in print dialogs i.e. word etc etc and from the Control Panel > Printers window.

tell us how it goes
-jimmy

I found the printer in the network and chose Connect. It asked me if I wanted to install the printer drivers. I clicked yes. Everything looks like it went through until I do the printing. Same thing happens...it's stuck in the print queue. I tried restarting the print job to no avail. It prints fine once I print directly on my computer.

I want to try installing the drivers manually on the other computers if that makes any difference. But how to do I network them? Will this work -> \\MyComputerName\SharedPrinter

Have you isolated whether this happens on only one PC or more than one?

what printer is this? what brand and model?

some printer drivers are not designed to be installed from the network but they will work when installed locally. sometimes you need to do some dirty works to make it work specially if you have incompatible drivers with regards to the current OS and patches.

This problem is happening to my other laptop and the desktop. The printer I have here is connected via USB to my laptop.

This is an HP 1018 LaserJet printer.

Have you tried manuually installing the diver on every computer as sudgested above?

Make sure you actually use the assigned shared name of the printer. I always use windows to do that and then it usually says that the host doesn't have the correct print driver installed and then I just browse to the .ini file on my server. If something doesn't work, just go back to the begining. On the remote computer (the one the printer ISN'T connected to), delete the printer. Start using the add printer wizard and then choose network printer and then browse to the location of it. That always works for me.

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