Printing from OS X to Windows Shared Printer

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Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Topic # 114595 25-Feb-2013 05:06

I have a USB printer attached to a Windows 7 PC in the office and want to be able to print to it from my MBP (10.7).

All the computers are connected to the same WiFi network. So I have tried adding it as an LPD printer and also as a Windows printer via spoolss. I have had a look on a few other forums and had a look on the apple communities threads but for the life of me I cannot get it to work.

So any help or ideas at all would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

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Uber Geek
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Trusted

Reply # 768687 25-Feb-2013 07:39

Hi, I have done this many times its quite easy, rather than repeat the process follow this link.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3049

or

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20070916131935539

Cyril

Dairyxox

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Uber Geek
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Reply # 768688 25-Feb-2013 07:49

Its pretty straight forward,

Before you start, make sure you printer is shared in windows the normal windows way. Can you print to it fron another windows machine on your LAN??

Then enable LPD features for windows 7. See this quide (only up to Step 4):
http://homekb.cisco.com/Cisco2/GetArticle.aspx?docid=46cc343ea7304fb0b338d71ae8d3c94b_Setting_up_LPR_Printing_on_Windows_Windows_7.xml&pid=80

Next download the mac version of your printer driver from the net or driver installation CD. You may need to directly plug the printer into your Mac at this stage (I didn't need to when I did this recently but different manufacturer install routines are different). Just unplug it after the install is complete, and remove that local instance of the printer once you're done.

Then follow these instructions and add your shared printer on the mac:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3049

Note: Make sure you input the url with "smb:" at the beginning. It should look something like this: smb://server/sharename
Note also that the slashes go a different direction to regular windows slashes.

That should be about it. You might need to open your firewall if you're using a 3rd party firewall. I didn't need to myself.

Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 769026 25-Feb-2013 17:09

I have tried doing this already and i cant get it to work. Followed all of the steps on the forum and when I go to print it just spools the print job and then pauses the printer and nothing happens.

Is there any other way to do it? Or something I might be doing wrong? Or any other details I can give that might be able to help?

Im really confused at what to do... and its really starting to annoy me! haha.

Thanks

Dairyxox

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Reply # 769031 25-Feb-2013 17:20

What sort of printer is it? Does it currently share nicely with windows computers on your lan?

Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 769033 25-Feb-2013 17:22

If I open up the print list on my mac it says that it is 'connecting to printer' and then 'connection failed/refused' and then it pauses the print list and if you resume it the exact same thing happens. I have tried disabling the firewall on my windows PC, but this hasnt helped.

Dairyxox

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Uber Geek
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Reply # 769034 25-Feb-2013 17:23

you're not answering my questions.

Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 769035 25-Feb-2013 17:25

Dairyxox: What sort of printer is it? Does it currently share nicely with windows computers on your lan?

Its just an EPSON TX400. I dont have another windows PC to share it to. But I can share it from my mac to the windows PC nicely. I just want it the other way around.

All of the other printers in the house are wireless so its not a problem for them. But this is the printer we use the most so it would be nice to get it going.

Thanks :D

Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 769036 25-Feb-2013 17:27

Dairyxox: you're not answering my questions.

?? I must have missed your question. Thought I had.

Dairyxox

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Reply # 769039 25-Feb-2013 17:32

Okay, since you cant test with a windows computer, we're going to have to start at the basics of windows sharing.

Go to the network & sharing center, then advanced sharing settings.

Make sure network discovery is ON
Turn on file and printer sharing ON
Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read & write files in the public folders ON
Enable file sharing for devices that use 40-or-56 bit encryption ON
Turn on password protected sharing ON
Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers ON

Not sure if this is necessary, but it cant hurt to try, make sure your mac username is the same as your windows username, and the same password.

Have you? or have you not enabled LPR & LPD under windows features????

Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 770026 25-Feb-2013 17:56

Okay, went to sharing center and changed to the settings. The only two I had to change were:

Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read & write files in the public folders ON
Enable file sharing for devices that use 40-or-56 bit encryption ON

I also changed my windows username and password to the same as my mac.

And yes, I have enabled LPR & LDP. I had to do that the first time I tried to add it as LPD using the IP address of the Windows PC.

I restarted the Windows and Mac also just to make sure that all the settings applied okay and it still doesnt work. It just says printer paused and wont print.

Thank you so much for your help!

Dairyxox

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Reply # 770029 25-Feb-2013 18:03

okay still a few more steps we can troubleshoot...

Lets see if your network connectivity between the two machines is now working..

open a finder window, then press command+K

type into the prompt smb://computername
where the computername is the name of your windows 7 computer....
click connect

see if you can access the public shared folder in users folder? yes, no?

Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 770069 25-Feb-2013 19:57

Okay... So it lets me connect. But then when it pops up asking for credentials it says that I have the wrong password. They password and username I am putting in are for my windows PC, although I have changed these to the same as my mac anyway. If I use Guest it tells me that access has been denied to the server Shaun.

Dairyxox

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Reply # 770075 25-Feb-2013 20:12

Well this is good and bad news. At least you have connectivity.
However you will need to sort out this SMB authentication.

Have you restarted the windows 7 pc since enabling 40-or-56 bit encryption?

Maybe create a new user on the windows 7 computer with a username and password you can retry in this window. With public folder sharing ON any username thats on the pc should allow access to the public folder.

Starplay

267 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 770079 25-Feb-2013 20:28

Yip, have restarted the computer since making the changes.

Created a new user and tested that logon in that window and it allows me to connect and view the files of that user, but not the public ones.

Progress?? Thanks again for your help. :D

Dairyxox

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+1 received by user: 288

Reply # 770081 25-Feb-2013 20:33

In windows, go to devices and printers, right click on your printer, click properties->sharing
make sure its shared,
give it a simple name, like epsontx400
enable the tickbox "render print jobs on client computers"

Test it out now.

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