Detecting a printer

Hi guys ... Happy New Year!

I need some help, and I hope this makes sense.

I got a new PC, which will replace the old PC, sort of the hub of our household network. When I originally got my iMac, I set it up to see the printer attached to the PC. Now that I will be replacing the old PC, I need to set up the iMac to see the printer attached to the new PC.

I have set up the printer to be shared on the PC, but on the iMac, I cannot figure out how to add a new printer, or get it to see the printer on the new PC.

The iMac: OS X 10.6.8
The PC: Windows 7 - 64-bit

When I set this up before, I had an older operating system on the iMac, and I was able to figure it out. With this new OS, I just cannot figure out how to do this.

Thanks bunches! Jules

which step isn't working:
Mac OS X 10.6 Help: Adding a printer shared by a Windows computer via SMB/CIFS

gsahli said:

which step isn't working:
Mac OS X 10.6 Help: Adding a printer shared by a Windows computer via SMB/CIFS

Click to expand...

"To add a printer shared by a Windows computer via SMB/CIFS:
Select the printer from the browser."

No printer shows up. The window that pops up after I click the 'add printer' button is blank.

Note that I did not get a new printer, just a new computer.

Any ideas?

Thinking out loud here.

Maybe it is not seeing the printer, because it is still 'connected' to or 'seeing' the printer through the old machine?

Maybe I need to delete it first, and then try doing a new add printer?

Thanks!!

Windows sharing is different from Bonjour sharing. You have to click on the Windows button at the top of the browser window after clicking on the + (ie, instead of the default browser window, you will be looking for Windows printers).
If you don't have a Windows button, add it by customizing the add printer dialog - right-click or control-click on the tool bar and add the windows button.

(and yes, you should delete any old printer queue that's not working)

gsahli said:

Windows sharing is different from Bonjour sharing. You have to click on the Windows button at the top of the browser window after clicking on the + (ie, instead of the default browser window, you will be looking for Windows printers).
If you don't have a Windows button, add it by customizing the add printer dialog - right-click or control-click on the tool bar and add the windows button.

(and yes, you should delete any old printer queue that's not working)

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but I'm still lost. First, I don't know what Bonjour sharing is.

When I open the printer dialogue box on the iMac, there is no Windows button. I right clicked everywhere, but can not get the option to add the Windows button.

I have deleted the printer from the iMac ... the one that was attached to the old machine.

I need further help please.

You must first click on "+" - meaning Add print queue.

You can read about this on your Mac. Help > Mac Help menu, search for add windows printer.

gsahli said:

You must first click on "+" - meaning Add print queue.

You can read about this on your Mac. Help > Mac Help menu, search for add windows printer.

Click to expand...

I did click the + add printer first, before I tried right clicking everywhere.

I just tried doing a search in the help for 'add windows printer' and nothing came up.

I'm sorry to be a pain!

Okay, I now have the 'Windows' button.

On the iMac I have deleted the old printer that was connected to the old PC. I then reset the printer system on the iMac, so it would clear everything out ... and then I got the 'Windows' button to add a Windows printer.

On the new PC, I have set up the printer as shared, as well as setting up a homegroup.

On the iMac, when I click on the + to add a printer, and then click on the Windows icon, to add a Windows printer, I get two options. 1. mshome and 2. workgroup.

Mshome shows the name on the old PC, but the new PC does not show up. I have already checked, and the driver for this printer is supported by Lion and the drivers are installed. But, it still is not seeing the new PC. Workgroup is empty.

Can anybody please help me figure this out? Calling Apple is not an option, as I am not under an Apple care plan, and they just tell me to go online and look for help.

iMac 10.6.8
Windows 7

Thanks bunches! Jules

I don't (won't ever) have Windows 7. I don't think I can help further.

One other thing to try - set Windows to have a unix/lpd print port, then use IP Printer > LPD in the Mac add printer dialog.

gsahli said:

I don't (won't ever) have Windows 7. I don't think I can help further.

Click to expand...

It's sort of weird, as we have many computers and devices in the house. I was so unsure about Windows 7 ... but in a lot of way it behaves like a Mac.

One other thing to try - set Windows to have a unix/lpd print port, then use IP Printer > LPD in the Mac add printer dialog.

Click to expand...

I have absolutely no clue what that means or how to do it. Can you do a step by step explain for me?

Thanks! Jules

gsahli said:

Unix print services - Microsoft Answers

Click to expand...

I did as it instructed and then restarted the Windows machine. I also restarted the iMac.

However, I still only see the old computer in the add printer Windows box, and not the new computer.

Any other ideas?

I really do appreciate your help!! <3

You now need to add an LPD printer, not Windows printer, on your Mac.
Share Your Windows 7 Printer with Your Mac - Add an LPD Printer to Your Mac

PS - you haven't told us what model printer yet.

gsahli said:

You now need to add an LPD printer, not Windows printer, on your Mac.
Share Your Windows 7 Printer with Your Mac - Add an LPD Printer to Your Mac

PS - you haven't told us what model printer yet.

Click to expand...

It is an HP Photosmart 2610.

I'll go read the link now.

Thanks bunches! Jules

Okay, I did all that was in there, and something is right, as on the Windows machine, I see that the Mac 'tried' to print a test page ... but it didn't work. Something in the settings just isn't right.

Oh my ... what a headache this is. It should not be this darned hard.

I'm giving up for tonight and will try again tomorrow.

HUGz! Jules

After fiddling with every setting mentioned in the links above, and restarting both computer and Mac, I finally got it working!!

Woot, yahoo, and yippee!! *doing the happy dance*

Thank you so much for your help and direction.

I sure as heck hope I don't have to do that again any time soon. What a PIA!! LOL

HUGz! Jules

Congrats on getting that working. Well are you going to enlighten us or continue to torture us? lol. What finally fixed it.

Slydude said:

Congrats on getting that working. Well are you going to enlighten us or continue to torture us? lol. What finally fixed it.

Click to expand...

I had also written a good friend that I consider to be both a PC and Mac guru. Here is what he wrote back, "We only have the printers hooked up to the macs and that was hard enough but when you figure it out you can market your services as a system administrator good luck!" I wrote back "Well poop!" LOL

Anyhoo ....

I had to add the advanced tab on the Mac printer dialogue, which now I can't remember how I did.

I added the LPD/LPR Host or Printer to the Mac, from the directions in the link.

I found out the address of the PC and its name, and added that info on the Mac.

Once I had everything set up ... I *think* picking the right driver on the Mac, might have been the last step that made it work. I tried the driver for the Photosmart 2600 as well as other generic ones and that didn't work, so I chose the Photosmart Gutenprint driver.

I then shut down both systems, restarted ... then opened the Mac printer and tried a test print, and the page printed.

I honestly wish I could say exactly what made it work.

Thanks again to gsahli for sticking with me and giving me direction!!

HUGz! Jules

I am definitely bookmarking this thread. I've had to do this before with a Minolta laser printer attached to our Time Capsule. Could not for the life of me remember what made it work. Thanks.

Slydude said:

I am definitely bookmarking this thread. I've had to do this before with a Minolta laser printer attached to our Time Capsule. Could not for the life of me remember what made it work. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Well, I sure hope it helps somebody. I have been going after this thing like a dog with a bone for over a week now. I am glad I can get some sleep tonight. LOL