Network Printer Issues with Windows Vista

So you bought that new laptop with Windows Vista, set it up, got on the Internet, downloaded some updates, checked YouTube for the latest video of someone miming a boy band song, and bumped your ex-girlfriend from your Top 8. Now you want to print something across your home network through a shared printer. That printer happens to be shared on a Windows XP machine. You never had a problem before, but this new laptop keeps sending you an error message: Windows cannot connect to the printer. Access is denied.

If you are like me, you begin troubleshooting to figure out what is going on and start by downing a caffeinated beverage. You check UAC, permissions, reinstall the printer, and finally REBOOT. None of your tactics worked.

After research and struggling with the same problem, here is what I have come up with. Give thanks to Melonhead on TechNet for inspiring my streamlined solution to this printer problem that will become an issue for many users. I recreated the scenario and 60% of the time the following solution works every time.

    • Install the Windows Vista printer driver on the new Windows Vista computer
    • Open Control Panel and double-click on Printers
    • Remove all of your previous attempts at adding the printer
    • Click on Add a printer and Choose to Add a local printer
    • Select Create a new port and Type of port: Local Port
    • Enter a port name (the port name is in the format of
      “{computer name}{printer name}”)
    • Verify installation by viewing the port settings in the printer properties window

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