Windows 7 Help with XP/7 networking

TigerJon73

New Member
Hi,

I recently had a new PC built that is running 7 Home Prem. 32-bit. I also have a laptop running XP Home and an HP 1315 all-in-one printer. I have a Linksys WRT54GS wired to my new PC and the printer is wired to the new PC. The new PC is replacing a PC running XP Home and I had a simple home network where i could share files and the printer. Now, since I am running two different OSs and the wireless network setup in 7 being different from XP, I don't know how to do this. Any help or perhaps a link to a tutorial would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully I have provided the necessary info; if not, I can get what is needed to proceed. Thanks.
 
Randy,

You have not been abrupt or discourteous at all; you gave me exactly what I'm looking for, a tutorial. But I have a question. On page 3 (steps for each machine running 7) I am instructed to click on System and Security in my control panel. I don't have an icon that says that, just a tab that is for System. Any ideas? Thanks.

Jon
 
I believe that if you change the control panel view back to "Category" you'll find that Icon/Link that you're looking for.
 
I got to play around with it a little last night. So far, I have not gone through the entire processes yet for setting up file and printer sharing or file and printer access, but I have chosen the read/write option in sharing for several folders such as My Music, My Pictures, My Documents and My Videos. A few observations:

On the 7 machine, when I veiw the map of my workgroup, the XP machine is listed at the bottom of the window, but it says that the machine cannot be added to the map. Huh?

On the XP machine, the 7 machine is listed under workgroup computers, but when I click on it and get a page listing several folders, they are all empty (even though I set several on the 7 machine to be shared). I'll play with it some more tonight.
 
Okay, I printed either the PDF or XPS (can't remember which), brought it home and followed it through. I'm having a few problems:

1. On the machine running 7, I can open up all the preferred shared folders on my laptop running 7. On the laptop I click Desktop(name of machine running 7)>users. After clicking users, I see a folder for one user (my wife), Default and Public. Everything is present in my wife's folder. However, my folder is not present. Since I don't have the option of sharing each of our entire folders but only to share each folder inside (i.e. documents, music, video, etc.), I did this with everything we wanted to share inside of each of our user folders.

2. The printer is shown on the laptop by clicking on the desktop shortcut or My Network Places>View Workgroup Computers>Desktop, however, when I choose to print something I get an error message saying The Doc Failed To Print. I did download the latest driver for the printer onto the laptop but do I need to connect it to the laptop by cable once before it will print wireless from the laptop?

BTW, for some reason the PDF and XPS tutorials cannot be found by Firefox when I click on them from my machine running 7. I am running Foxit reader instead of Adobe Reader. Any ideas on this?
 
Okay, I printed either the PDF or XPS (can't remember which), brought it home and followed it through. I'm having a few problems:

1. On the machine running 7, I can open up all the preferred shared folders on my laptop running 7. On the laptop I click Desktop(name of machine running 7)>users. After clicking users, I see a folder for one user (my wife), Default and Public. Everything is present in my wife's folder. However, my folder is not present. Since I don't have the option of sharing each of our entire folders but only to share each folder inside (i.e. documents, music, video, etc.), I did this with everything we wanted to share inside of each of our user folders.
Not sure exactly what might be going on here. Sounds like there may be something different in either how you shared your folders, or who you shared them with, as compared to what you did with your wife's folders. Possibly re-examined the steps you used when you setup sharing with your wife's folders and use that method for yours.
2. The printer is shown on the laptop by clicking on the desktop shortcut or My Network Places>View Workgroup Computers>Desktop, however, when I choose to print something I get an error message saying The Doc Failed To Print. I did download the latest driver for the printer onto the laptop but do I need to connect it to the laptop by cable once before it will print wireless from the laptop?
What operating system is on this laptop, dosen't sound like Windows 7. What printer, manufacturer, model name and number, how is it connected and to what.
Please clarify your network for us. Your original post was titled XP/7 networking. Is there an XP machine involved here anywhere, it seems obvious that you have a Desktop running Win7, but I'm not clear on the Laptop or Laptops do you have one running windows 7 and one running XP or just one running XP?
Try the following method to add the printer to the problem machine by using this work around
On the Laptop Delete the network printer that you are having trouble with
Now Select add printer
Select add local printer
Choose Create a new port and local port from drop down arrow Click Next
In the enter a port name do one of the following
1. \\MachineNameHostingPrinter\Printer'sShareName or
2. \\ipaddressOfMachineHostingPrinter\Printer'sShareName
In the install printer driver dialog box do one of the following
1. In the left panel select your printer manufacturer and in the right panel select your printer model (to use OS Native Drivers) or
2. Select the have disk button and direct the install process to the folder where you have download and extracted the drivers for your printer for the specific OS you are using.
 
Not sure exactly what might be going on here. Sounds like there may be something different in either how you shared your folders, or who you shared them with, as compared to what you did with your wife's folders. Possibly re-examined the steps you used when you setup sharing with your wife's folders and use that method for yours.

What operating system is on this laptop, dosen't sound like Windows 7. What printer, manufacturer, model name and number, how is it connected and to what.
Please clarify your network for us. Your original post was titled XP/7 networking. Is there an XP machine involved here anywhere, it seems obvious that you have a Desktop running Win7, but I'm not clear on the Laptop or Laptops do you have one running windows 7 and one running XP or just one running XP?
Try the following method to add the printer to the problem machine by using this work around
On the Laptop Delete the network printer that you are having trouble with
Now Select add printer
Select add local printer
Choose Create a new port and local port from drop down arrow Click Next
In the enter a port name do one of the following
1. \\MachineNameHostingPrinter\Printer'sShareName or
2. \\ipaddressOfMachineHostingPrinter\Printer'sShareName
In the install printer driver dialog box do one of the following
1. In the left panel select your printer manufacturer and in the right panel select your printer model (to use OS Native Drivers) or
2. Select the have disk button and direct the install process to the folder where you have download and extracted the drivers for your printer for the specific OS you are using.[/QUOTE

To clarify how I have everything setup:

My PC running 7 is the main computer that my router (Linksys WRT54GS) is wired to. My printer (HP 1315 All-In-One) is also wired to the same PC.

The only device that connects wirelessly (not counting an Xbox 360) is a Dell laptop running XP Media Edition.

I thought I performed the same process with both my wife's folders and mine. Since right-clicking on each user folder would not allow me the option of sharing, I opened each one and right-clicked each folder (i.e. Music, Pics, Video, etc.) I want to share.

I will try deleting the printer and giving it another shot with your method. I'll report back. Thanks.
 
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