Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

NT print server drivers for win95 client

0 helpful
11 replies

by chipw 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

We have a NT4 box acting as print server for one HP printer for one dept, in which there is one person running an old laptop with win95. The rest all run NT and are printing just fine. The win95 laptop does not see the print device, but does see theother shares on the server. When we go into the printer setup, choose other drivers for Win95, a pop-up asks for a cd - "The file '*.inf' on Windows 95 Flat Share is needed". What is Windows 95 Flat Share? I tried an original win95b disk, no good, and a NT disk, also no good.

Any idea what I need? I've never heard of a Win95 Flat Share disk.

11 replies

by nettek

You need to add the Windows 95 print driver to the NT server. See KB article Q142667. However, it never worked properly for me.

The easier way, especially in your situation, is to simply download the appropriate 95 drivers, install the type of printer you are using directly on the 95 machine, and designate it to print to LPT1. Then go into the pritner properties and change the port settings to print to the network printer.

Or you can go into the Printers folder on the 95 machine, add printer, specify the network printer, and then install the drivers directly on the machine.

by markian

I've used NetTek method on both Win95 and 98 O/S's by installing the driver locally and pointing it to LPT1, where LPT1 is redirected to the shared printer.

Worked like a charm.

by bluhippo

I know Win95 can be rough when working with an NT domain. I think this will work it's been awhile since I had to do this. Open network Neighborhood on th Win95 machine. If you can see the print server click on it and see if the print folder shows up. Then click on the print folder and you should see all of the printers listed. Right click on the printer you want to add to the Win95 machine. Now click INSTALL, this will install the drivers needed onto the Win95 machine. All should be happy in mudville tonight.
Good Luck

by shanghai sam

Thanks for the suggestions, I'd already tried those. The problem is that when I browse to the server, all the shares show in net neighborhood EXCEPT the printer share. On the NT workstations, the printer share appears as expected, but not on the win95 box. I also tried with a manual UNC path entered, but it cannot find that printer. Again, this is only happening to the win95 box.

by nettek

I don't know if this is your problem, but Windows 95 cannot see share names that are more than 12 characters long (including spaces). NT workstations can. In other words, if your printer is shared as "2nd flr printer", Windows 95 cannot see it.

by chipw

That was it. I just added a second printer device with a short name and now the win95 box is happily printing to a closer printer. I never realized win95 couldn't see long share names, even though it does see long file names, strange. Thanks for thehelp.

by rrajforu

Hi,

I had something very close to your problem. Win95 Flat Share means that you need to provide Win95 version of drivers for your printer. This has to be installed in the server itself.

Secondly, coming on to the printer not visible in Network Neighborhood. You can try \\servername\printersharename from start->run prompt of win95 laptop computer.

Hope it works, raj :)

This discussion is closed to new replies.