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Updating drivers to existing printers

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by swainner

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We have an NT 4.0 Server (SP3) which has an HP4050 network printer installed. How do you add XP drivers to this printer, (or what do you do) so that XP clients can install and print to the HP4050? Thanks -

7 replies

by curlergirl

Have you tried using the NT 4.0 drivers with the XP machines (i.e., just connect to the printer over the network without installing any additional drivers)? My experience with Win2K and XP (so far, anyway) is that they will use the drivers on the server unless they are not compatible with the OS, in which case you will get a message trying to connect which will prompt you to load drivers for the operating system on the local workstation. To get the drivers, I imagine you would be able to locate and download them from the HP web site. Hope this helps!

by Ryan Boudreaux140

We had a similar issue when we initially installing W2K machines on the network with only WinNT 4.0 servers. The W2K machines had to print from the shared printers on the WinNT 4.0 print servers, so we installed the W2K print drivers on the WinNT 4.0 print servers and this solved the issue. If you are printing from shared network printers you will have to install the drivers on the servers themselves. I would bet that XP is going to follow the same.

Another option you can try is to installthe printers on a new LPR port by specifying the printer name and IP address. You can first install the drivers on the local client and then run the install (see below for driver site). XP may have the driver already available for the HP4050, but ifnot, go to the HP site for the most current driver download.

For LPR printing install:
Start, Settings, Printers, Add Printer, Local printer, Create new port or Add new port, select LPR port, enter the printer name and/or IP address, OK, and then select the proper printer type by choosing Have Disk and pointing to the driver file on the local drive. Select the printer name and you can rename it there.

HP Site: http://www.hp.com

Go to the section for Drivers and Downloads.

Thissite has the current drivers for downloading of virtually every HP printer and for most operating systems.

-RBoudreaux (Elvis Tie)

by bhrdwh

I asssume that you've got Printer Drivers for XP. 1. Now remove the share & printer from your NT Server.
2. Add the Printer again but use XP Drivers. Check printing with NT Server first. If you get junk, install NT Drivers (support for 98/95) as well.
3. Now make printer sharable (the old name) for access to other clients (Win 98/95).
Thats it.
akash

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