Cable Forum - View Single Post

Anastasis · 28-09-2006, 20:59

I have a printer connected to my main PC via USB. This printer is shared over my wireless network.

I have had problems sometimes printing from my laptop to this printer, an error occurring saying the printer cannot be found. But at other times it does print.

I think I have narrowed this down to not having the printer turned on when initially trying to print to the printer. Of course, in that situation you would expect the printer to "not be found".

However, after the printer is then turned on, the "printer cannot be found" message still appears. The only way for the laptop to "find" the printer is to reboot the laptop, ensure the printer is turned on and then print.

It would seem logical that when trying to print a second time after the printer has been turned on after initially forgetting to turn it on, that XP should look again to find the printer, but it doesn't. It seems to take the attitude that as the printer couldn't be found the first time, it won't be there at all.

Is there anyway, in this situation if forgetting to first turn on the printer that I can force XP to re-find the printer or is a reboot of the laptop the only fix?

Or maybe I have something else which isn't configured correctly.

As always, any help with this would be much appreciated.

28-09-2006, 20:59	#1
Anastasis Inactive Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 102	Cannot print to shared printer I have a printer connected to my main PC via USB. This printer is shared over my wireless network. I have had problems sometimes printing from my laptop to this printer, an error occurring saying the printer cannot be found. But at other times it does print. I think I have narrowed this down to not having the printer turned on when initially trying to print to the printer. Of course, in that situation you would expect the printer to "not be found". However, after the printer is then turned on, the "printer cannot be found" message still appears. The only way for the laptop to "find" the printer is to reboot the laptop, ensure the printer is turned on and then print. It would seem logical that when trying to print a second time after the printer has been turned on after initially forgetting to turn it on, that XP should look again to find the printer, but it doesn't. It seems to take the attitude that as the printer couldn't be found the first time, it won't be there at all. Is there anyway, in this situation if forgetting to first turn on the printer that I can force XP to re-find the printer or is a reboot of the laptop the only fix? Or maybe I have something else which isn't configured correctly. As always, any help with this would be much appreciated.