set up my mac to print to a windows machine

I am trying to set up my mac to print through the network. This has worked with both linux and windows, so I do not see why it shouldn't work on the mac. I go into the printer settings, add a printer through windows (Navigate through my network, then my PC signing in as the main administrative user on the windows pc, also tried as a guest and as one of the limited users) and I get as far as the printer being added and it saying ready. Then I go to print, and I get an error on the printer queue that says the following before saying idle:

ERRDOS - ERRbadaccess (Invalid open mode.) opening remote spool Google

If I retry I get another error just like it.

So What am I doing wrong here? I chose the right printer driver from the list (EPSON CX5000 Series) What am I doing wrong?

The printer is currently working, both through the host PC running windows xp pro SP3, my remote PC running windows xp home SP3, and the same remote PC running ubuntu 9.04

Sometimes it helps to connect the printer physically first and then try to add a network connection. Give that a shot and let us know how it works out.

cwa107 said:

Sometimes it helps to connect the printer physically first and then try to add a network connection. Give that a shot and let us know how it works out.

Click to expand...

It prints perfectly when it is connected directly, but the printer cannot stay in my bedroom and the mac cannot be moved into the office. What could be causing the problem?

Note afterwards I reconnected it to the pc, still nothing works. It gets stuck with a paused printer and a stopped print job. when I try to start it manually I get a generic client-not-possible or something like that as an error message.

Also, when it connected it said searching for driver updates. Nothing changed when I went in to search for my printer on the windows network setup page, so I assumed it found nothing or it is not given the correct name.

Was the driver pre-installed, or was it something you got from the manufacturer?

cwa107 said:

Was the driver pre-installed, or was it something you got from the manufacturer?

Click to expand...

I tried both, the manufacturer one didn't show up in the search bar when I was setting up the printer, but it was a dmg file so I do not know where it was placed on the HD. However when the printer was connected directly it automatically loaded the correct driver, which was named the same as the first one, EPSON Stylus CX5000 Series was the name that showed up in the details after plugging in the printer manually.

pokeman89 said:

I tried both, the manufacturer one didn't show up in the search bar when I was setting up the printer, but it was a dmg file so I do not know where it was placed on the HD. However when the printer was connected directly it automatically loaded the correct driver, which was named the same as the first one, EPSON Stylus CX5000 Series was the name that showed up in the details after plugging in the printer manually.

Click to expand...

That's the problem with the way the Mac handles (or better said "doesn't handle"), port redirection. In Windows, it's a simple matter of saying "send the output to this network port", but OS X still lacks this simple capability.

Most likely the manufacturer's driver is set up exclusively to operate through USB. So, the only driver is the Gutenprint driver that came with your version of OS X.

Try updating Gutenprint and see if that makes a difference:

Gutenprint for Mac OS X

cwa107 said:

That's the problem with the way the Mac handles (or better said "doesn't handle"), port redirection. In Windows, it's a simple matter of saying "send the output to this network port", but OS X still lacks this simple capability.

Most likely the manufacturer's driver is set up exclusively to operate through USB. So, the only driver is the Gutenprint driver that came with your version of OS X.

Try updating Gutenprint and see if that makes a difference:

Gutenprint for Mac OS X

Click to expand...

Just tried it, it still gives me the same status (Idle) and the same print error (BADACCESS...)

btw: what am I supposed to be putting in the location bar? I tried USB001 which is the port that the printer is connected to on the pc, but that didn't make any difference.

This really appears to be a problem with the connection, not the driver, because it works fine when plugged in directly, and I even have the manufacturer's driver installed and that doesn't work when trying to connect over the network either.

Printing

See these articles:

Share Your PC’s Printer With Your Mac

pjhutch said:

See these articles:

Share Your PC’s Printer With Your Mac

Click to expand...

Everything is set up correctly, the only thing there I did not do is assign the generic postscript driver, I always chose my printer from the drop-down menu. I will try that in a bit when I get home.

I get the same errors with the generic driver as well. Something other than the driver may not be correct.

pokeman89 said:

I get the same errors with the generic driver as well. Something other than the driver may not be correct.

Click to expand...

It needs to be a specific driver, you definitely do not want the generic Postscript driver.

How is the printer hosted on the network? Attached to the Windows machine? Or do you have a standalone print server?

cwa107 said:

It needs to be a specific driver, you definitely do not want the generic Postscript driver.

How is the printer hosted on the network? Attached to the Windows machine? Or do you have a standalone print server?

Click to expand...

It is attached to the windows machine. I am aware that the windows machine must be turned on and connected to the network to broadcast, and the mac does pick up the printer automatically, it just will not print. It always states it is idle, even though the printer is on and ready according to the windows machine.

Hi, I'm still having troubles. Can anyone else help me in any way please? Maybe walking through this will determine the problem?

Is the printer on the Windows machine setup as a shared printer? Make sure you have the printer setup so that everyone can print to it and not just a particular user. One quick software option is to use Network Magic it lets you share just about anything on a network no matter what the OS is. There is a Windows version and a Mac version. You would need both. Here is the link Cisco - Home Networking Software - Set up and Manage Your Network with One Easy Application it has a 7 day trial that should tell you whether you will like it or not. I have it and it works great and makes some things easier. Sometimes when all else fails you have to just bite the bullet and take another approach. Check your firewall settings. I've never had good luck sharing USB printers cross platform, I try to stick to IP type stuff a little easier to work through. You could try to use the same type procedure as you did on the Linux machine since the OSs are similiar.
Another option would be a USB print server like this one from Dlink : DP-301U 10/100 Ethernet USB Print Server or one like it. They start about 40 bucks and up. I see you live in Tampa Area Compusa has 3 stores in your area that carry these. Good Luck.

I had the same problem. It might be the "spool print docs so programs finishes printing faster" option in the Host XP Windows computer is not enabled. Just make sure it is enabled or has the radio button.

1. On your host windows xp, go to "printers and fax"
2. Right click on your shared printer then click properties.
3. Under the advanced tab, enable "spool print docs so programs finishes printing faster."
4. Click apply.

After completing the above steps, check your MAC if your able to print. Make sure to un "Pause" the print job. If your mac doesnt print, you may have to delete the driver from the library/printer/**your printer** then reinstall.

By experience, while doing the above steps, my other windows XP client would not print. If it does print, great...if not, below is the steps to make my XP client computer to print.

1. First, delete the printer in the "printers and fax" dialog box under control panel.
2. After deleting the printer, right click anywhere in the printer and fax dialog box then click "server properties".
3. Click on the driver tab then delete the printer driver.
4. I had to delete the drivers completely by removing the drivers files in the windows/system32/spool/drivers/**your printer driver** then reinstall the driver.

Please let me know if this helps.