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Printer sharing with Windows 2000

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13 replies

by c_m_s

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I have 12 computers on my LAN that are dedicated to training. Each computer is running Windows 2000 and eight of them have printers attached as local printers on LPT1. The printers are of mixed manufacturer and models. There are two login accounts on each computer, "Administrator" and "User".
In order to conserve space and make more efficient use of the printers, I would like to share one printer with two computers.
With the printer on the local computer set up as a share (hand underneath):
1. I log-on the remote computer as "Administrator" and can go through installation of a local printer using the Printer Wizard (create a new port, enter \\computer_name\printer_name, and designating this as the default printer). I can then log-outand back in, shutdown/restart, etc. and the printer remains as the default and is connected (can print without taking any additional steps).
2. When I log-on the remote computer as "User" and follow the same steps, I CANNOT install the printer as outlined above. I must do a search for the local computer, sign-on as administrator, connect the printer, and set it as the default. It then works as desired until I log-off, reboot, etc. Once I reboot and sign-on as "User" again the designated printer IS shown in the Printers Folder, is shown as "Ready", and as the default, but I cannot print to it until I go through the search, administrative sign-on, and connect routine again. When i try to print I get an error "There was an error found when printing the document 'Doc_Name' to \\computer\printer_name. Do you want to retry or cancel the job?"
I desire to have the printer be the default printer when I log on to the remote computer as "User", and available without having to go through the administrative sign on and connect routine each time. All permissions are set.
What am I overlooking?

13 replies

by lmayeda

I'm not sure of your configuration when you say "When I log-on to the REMOTE computer". However, ignoring that, when you log on to the computer as "user", instead of following the same steps, go to your network neighborhood, locate the computer(s) that are sharing printers, double click one of the computers. Their shared printer will then be displayed, right click on the printer and click on "Install". The shared printer will then appear on the User's Printer list. Set it as the default printer for that user.

by c_m_s

When I follow your directions I end up having to "Connect as:" and give my password again and doing it doesn't allow me to access the printer without having to re-initialize. Thanks for the try.

by curlergirl

Ok - The problem is that you are trying to install the printer as a local printer on the remote computer - as if you were using Win9x. This is not the way Win2K works. In Windows 2000 when you install a network printer, you do NOT install local drivers or add ports or do any of that. All you do to install a network printer is:

1. Log on as the user.
2. Go to Start/Settings/Printers/Add Printer. Select Next and then select network printer.
3. Select "Type the printer name or click Next to browse."
4. Browse to the machine that is sharing the printer, then select it and click Next.
5. Select it as the default printer and click Finish to confirm the install.

This connects you to the network printer and automatically installs any files locally if needed. Hope this helps!

by c_m_s

See response to answer #1. I just end up having to "Connect as:" and enter the password again. Thanks.

by r. a. caluste

When you connect to the local computer and sign on as administrator, you were able to add the printer but your identity in the network connection is known as the administrator, not as user. when you log off and reconnect as user, you lose all configuration changes you made as administrator.

Also, is the user password in one pc the same as the the user password in the other pc? You were not able to authenticate with the other machine using your current logged account (user), probably becausethey have different passwords or of different workgroup name, that's why you cannot print.

by c_m_s

Both passwords are the same, no password required, and they are both in the same workgroup. Thanks anyway.

by lmayeda

Will need more information re: your setup. Are the 12 computers on the LAN logging on as remote computers (ie using terminal services)? Or, are those PCs, simply 12 computers in a workgroup. Are you logging on as "administrator" and "user" to thelocal computer or are you logging onto a domain?

by c_m_s

Thanks for the attempt. Going another route to solve the problem. Splitting the points for taking the time to respond.

by curlergirl

Follow up on my previous answer: How are the printing permissions set up on the computer that is sharing the printer? You need to give the users permission to connect and print to the shared printer on the computer that has the printer attached. The easiest way is probably to give the local "Users" group rights to print to the printer. If you're in a workgroup, you will have to add the individual user accounts to the sharing computer and put them in the Users group. If you're in a domain, you can simply add whatever domain group your users belong to, to the local Users group. Hope this helps!

by c_m_s

Thanks for the attempt. Going another route to solve the problem. Splitting the points for taking the time to respond.

by technomancer

Ok, the whole problem is that you don't seem to have the printer shared on the system that has it installed locally. Once you share it, the your User account must be granted access to it. Once that is done, then it should allow you to follow the install procedure and allow you to print. Of course you may also have to install File & Print Sharing in your Network for this to work.

Hope this helps.

by c_m_s

Thanks for the attempt. Going another route to solve the problem. Splitting the points for taking the time to respond.

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