Can't Access Printer- Access Denied.

Hi Gang,

Here's the scoop, I'm trying to access a Lexmark X1185 from a Vista RC1 box
running 32bit OS. The Printer is attached to a machine running XP Home SP2.
File & Printer Sharing is enabled on both machines and I can access the
shared folder on the XP machine from the Vista box. However when attempting
to add the shared printer on Vista, it keeps popping up with an Äccess
Denied" Error. I Should the I'm Dual Booting Vista and XP MCE2005 and on MCE
the printer shows up just fine. Also when attempt this from the 64bit
version of Vista the printer is able to be seen but I can't install the
driver as it's only 32bit. Both Machines are part of the same workgroup
(MSHOME) and I've checked all the settings on both. This shouldn't be a
problem but Vista just won't let me at that printer. HELP!!!

Jordan

 

This won't make you feel better but you are not alone. This is a problem
for me and many others and there is NO solution. I challenge anyone here to
find a solution. I know you cannot because there is NONE! If I'm wrong,
then prove me wrong PLEASE!

 

I'm guessing because I don't have an XP Home box but here goes. XP Home uses
the guest account for sharing. In Vista the guest account is disabled. Try
creating an administrator account on the XP Home computer with the same user
name and password as you use on the Vista computer. Boot the XP Home
computer into safe mode and logon as administrator. In the security tab of
the printer properties make sure the user you just added has appropriate
permissions.

 

In my Home box there is no security tab in the Printer dialogue box.

This is a common problem that I hope MS will fix in the final build. One
should not have to do the above to make it work.

 

Were you in safe mode logged on to the administrator account? I don't have
XP Home setup so I can't test it but for files and folders you have be
logged in safe mode as an administrator to see the security tab. I assume
printers work the same but I could be wrong.

 

Just an FYI for everyone. Printers don't show up in safe mode at all.
Remember, it's "safe Möde" no external drivers are loaded so the pc doesn't
even recognize that a printer's there. Now, for the latest news, I've
restarted both systems and now the vista rc1 pc can't start the Computer
Browser service as it's already running on the XP Home box. U guessed it,
now even file sharing won't work as the Vista box can't "see"the Xp Machine.
Another dumb question too, why can't you manually add a network place as in
XP?

 

OK, I was brain dead. Of course printers don't show up in safe mode. Have
you tried enabling the guest account on the Vista machine? Simple file
sharing always baffles me. It's anything but simple. As a rule of thumb all
computers have to have the guest account enabled for it to work. I also
usually create all the same accounts and passwords on all computers as well.

Part of the problem might be because of file or registry access problems on
the Vista computer if you don't already have the printer driver installed.
It will be trying to install the drivers from the XP Home computer. Try
temporarily disabling UAC and logging on with an administrator account.
Another option may be to install the printer as a local printer then change
the port to a network port once it's installed.

 

OK, Tried the guest account thing and no joy. Still says Access denied.
This is really starting to p#$%s me off. What's the point in Vista if you
can't do something as simple as install a network printer?? I'm seriously
thinking of going to linux.

 

More info,

Tried Installing the printer Locally and it wouldn't work as the printer is
actually usb and not connected to the Vista box. The InstallShield is looking
for a local usb printer and not finding it. Also tried installing to a
TCP/IP Port and the install actually hangs. gets as far as installing the
driver and won't finish. I've actually had to reboot to clear it. HELP!!!!!!!

 

Did you try temporarily disabling UAC?

 

Yep, I actually don't run UAC at all. I find it EXTREMELY annoying. No
offence intended but, I Build and repair PCs as a side job. I don't need a
computer requiring permission for everything that I do. Granted UAC is
probably a good Idea in that it prevents automatic start up of harmful
software/Drivers etc, but to me it's just an annoyance as I know exactly what
my machine is running. ANywho, slightly offf topic there, sorry. UAC isn't
the problem with the driver, the machine is looking for something that isn't
there, ie. an attached USB printer. The driver install on the add printer
wizard for TCP/IP is trying to install the driver and it doesn't complete as
it's looking for that port that doesn't exist except on the other PC. At
least that's my theory.

Another thought I had was that ICS isn't started in Vista where as it runs
by default on XP because it's also the windows firewall service. Might that
be the problem? ICS was how XP, Regardless of version, shared it's network
connection, Vista doesn't do that so maybe XP is having a hard time with it.

I was looking at installing the printer on the Vista box and sharing it that
way but, unfortunately it's an AIO and my wife needs the scanner, you can't
network scanners worth a hoot.

 

I won't get into the UAC debate again but suffice it to say I have been
building and repairing pc's for a living since before they were called pc's
and I leave UAC enabled.

When you install a network printer the drivers are loaded from the computer
where the printer is shared from. Because the computer with the shared
printer is running XP it will not have Vista drivers. You have to go to the
computer that is sharing the printer and add Vista drivers with the
additional drivers button. Because XP doesn't know about Vista this is not
an option. You will probably have to hook up the printer to the Vista
computer and install the drivers if Vista drivers are even available for it.
Once it is working while connected directly to the Vista computer you can
then re-connect it to the XP computer and change the port for the printer on
the Vista computer to a network port. It is unlikely this will work with
most USB printers. This is not really a Vista issue as much as it is a
printer driver issue. You often run into the same thing when trying to print
to a shared USB printer connected to a Windows 98 computer from a Windows XP
computer. When you want to share a printer in a network with mixed versions
of Windows it is usually best to connect the printer to a computer running
the newest version on the network. Even then a lot of USB printers, and all
in one units in particular, often have problems.

 

When you install a network printer the drivers are loaded from the

So assuming my printer's get Vista drivers when the final is shipped, will
this work when I download and install the vista drivers as I've always had
to do with my printers (even under XP). I download the driver and install
it on the host box and on the client laptop. I then add the network
printer. I tried doing it this way via Vista using the latest XP driver but
I get the access denied. So will this work when I get Vista drivers or will
MS require me to upgrade all the PCs to Vista in order to do this? If the
latter is the case, they can forget getting my business.

 

It will depend on how the printer manufacturer writes the driver. I just
installed two network printers on this computer as a test. It worked
flawlessly. This computer is running Vista Ultimate build 5728. The first
printer is an Epson C68 hooked up to a XP Pro SP2 computer with a USB cable.
The second printer is an IBM 4019 laser hooked up to a SBS 2003 SP2 server
with a parallel cable. I am logged on to Vista a standard local and domain
user (not an administrator locally or in the domain). In both cases I
started the process by pressing the Windows-R key combination to bring up
the Run box. I typed in the name of the computer I wanted to connect to. A
window opened with all the shares, including the printer, on the other
computer. I right clicked on the printer and picked connect. This is
generally the best way to connect to a network printer in XP as well. For
the printer connected to the XP box a UAC prompt popped up. I entered a
password for an administrator user and the printer installed. For the
printer on the server I didn't get the UAC prompt since Vista has a built in
driver for that printer. For the Epson it downloaded the XP driver from the
XP box thus the UAC prompt. The Epson wouldn't have worked in Vista x64 as
the XP driver would have failed. If you have a printer that works in Vista
networking it is no harder than XP. Networking some USB printers especially
all in one units is sometimes hard to impossible in XP as well, especially
if you are running the 64 bit version of Windows XP and the printer is
hooked up to a computer running a 32 bit OS.

 

Just a quick question Kerry,
You said your running Build 5728 right? I can only get a hold of RC1 Build
5600. I won't use those illegal builds that are floating around on P2P
networks and such as i don't trust them. How would I get a copy of 5728? it
may be just the build i'm using as i never had the access denied error on
beta 2 5384 in july there. the only problem i ran into was i was running the
x64 version and the printer was attached to a XP 32bit box. I couldn't
install the driver. Obviously. MAybe a different build of vista might help?

 

But neither of your computers are running Home. It seems to be a Home issue.

 

The public download of 5728 is closed. I don't know where you could get it
now.

 

I finally got a chance to try networking Vista with an XP Home SP2 computer.
I installed a IBM 4019 laser printer on the XP Home computer on LPT1 and
shared it. I was able to connect and print from a Vista Ultimate RC2
computer no problem. When I tried to add a network printer it initially
couldn't find any. I picked specify a printer and typed in the UNC path to
printer. Vista found it installed the driver, and orinted a test page. I
then tested printing some multi-page documents. I didn't change any network
settings from the defaults on either computer. It may be the problems people
are having has to do with printers that have no native drivers in Vista or
USB printers that often have problems being networked.

 

Unitl Vista, I've never had any problem networking any of my USB printers on
XP or Linux.

 

I have had problems networking USB printers especially when there is a mix
of OS's. For example I had a Epson USB printer that worked on both Windows
Me and XP but neither could share it to the other computer. I had a similar
problem with a Lexmark all in one in an office with a mix of Windows 98, XP
Home, and XP Pro computers. Hooked up to Windows 98 the XP computers
wouldn't print. Hooked up to XP Home the Windows 98 computers wouldn't
print. Hooked up to XP Pro all the computers could print. I have also seen
both Lexmark and Canon printers that could not be shared in any fashion.
With some HP USB printers you have to install the software from the CD on
each computer then change the port to get them to network. With parallel
printers I have never had a problem sharing as long as there were native
drivers for all the connected OS's.