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I'm trying to share a printer that's on Windows 7 64-bit with Windows XP 32-bit.

I've tried:

  • Using the Add Printer Wizard on XP
    • Selecting network printer
    • Browsing for the printer and selecting it from the list
    • Attempting to browse manually for the drivers, I receive the error `Windows cannot locate a suitable printer driver. Contact your administrator for help locating and installing a suitable driver.

I would prefer to load the drivers on the Windows 7 PC, much like a print server. I've tried:

  • Opening the printer properties
  • Clicking the Sharing tab
  • Clicking Additional Drivers...
  • Checking the x86 box
    • Attempting to add Windows XP x86 drivers, which generates the error The specified location does not contain the driver for the requested processor architecture

For what it's worth, this is an HP P4014n and I can't run a network cable. I'm using the universal print drivers PCL6.

How does printer sharing work with 64-bit Windows 7 acting as a server for Windows XP 32-bit?

  • What drivers do I need to install under the Additional drivers... dialog?
    • Are they XP drivers or Windows 7 drivers? Why?
    • Do driver versions have to match? Why?
  • Why does adding as a network printer and installing the XP drivers not work?
  • Why does adding a local printer and installing whatever drivers I want work?
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  • 1
    Relevant: theoatmeal.com/comics/printers
    – rtf
    Feb 27, 2013 at 16:29
  • 1
    Your process is correct, it sounds like your not supplying the correct xp driver when prompted, can you confirm thats what you are doing?
    – MDMoore313
    Mar 5, 2013 at 21:13
  • I'm thinking so. Looks like there's some kind of difference between the XP drivers I was downloading and an actual matching version. Installing HP Universal drivers, both 64-bit and 32-bit worked.
    – rtf
    Mar 5, 2013 at 21:25
  • @TannerFaulkner, How's that relevant?
    – Pacerier
    Jun 5, 2015 at 5:32

9 Answers 9

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+300

Install the printer on your Windows 7 machine, with the Windows 7 driver. Share the driver, and get the path name for it (i.e. \\MACHINENAME\PrinterName). On the XP computer, do the following:

  1. Start the Add New Printer wizard
  2. Select a Local Printer, do not auto detect
  3. Choose a New Port->Type is Local Port
  4. In the dialog, type \\MACHINENAME\PrinterName as it appeared above on the Windows 7 machine
  5. On the driver selection page, either use Have Disk to get the driver, or select from the list
  6. Continue with the wizard until finished

You can get the hostname (\\MACHINENAME) either from System Properties, or by running HOSTNAME at the Command Prompt. The Share Name is what the printer is shared as in the Printer Properties->Sharing tab

3
  • I really like this as a workaround in case I can't get the x86 drivers to install on the Win 7 machine, but I do prefer to get the drivers working on Windows 7.
    – rtf
    Feb 27, 2013 at 16:09
  • 1
    Works the other way around too: I was successfully able to share a printer from a Win XP 32bits to a Win 7 64 bits! :D Sep 6, 2014 at 13:35
  • Thanks @thatBrazilianguy for the bounty, and I'm glad it helped you :-) Sep 7, 2014 at 14:40
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The main key for sharing printers is to put the computers to the same workgroup and set the printer as shared printer. There is a great tutorial for the process but it is in hungarian so I translated it.

With this technique the Windows XP PC will connect to the Win 7 one and use it as a server. The printer is connected to the Windows 7 PC and both the PC and (of course) the printer are turned on. In this tutorial we assume that the printer works properly in the Win 7 PC.

Some pictures of this tutorial is in hungarian so follow the instructions or the layout of the windows.

Set workgroup

Windows 7

  1. Click to Start menu.
  2. Right click to Computer.
  3. Click to Properties.
  4. Click to Change settings.
    Win 7 Computer properties
  5. Click to the Change button in the Computer Name tab.
    Win 7 System properties
  6. Set a different workgroup name (like MYGROUP) and click OK.
    Win 7 Computer name change

Windows XP

  1. Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
  2. Click on Computer Name tab and choose the Change button.
    Win XP System properties
  3. Enter the same workgroup name that you entered in the Windows 7 PC and click OK. Win XP Computer name change

Share printer

Windows 7

  1. Click to Devices and Printers in the Start menu.
  2. Select the printer you want to share. You are recommended to set this printer as default. Right click to the printer and select Printer properties not Properties.
    Win 7 Devices and Printers
  3. Check the Share this printer setting in the Sharing tab. You can set a name to the printer here that will be displayed in the network. You are recommended to check the Render print jobs on client computers setting.
    Printer properties

Instal printer

Windows XP

  1. Click to Start menu, Control Panel and Add Printer.
  2. Click to Next and select the A network printer, or printer attached to another computer setting, then click Next.
    Select network printer
  3. Browse the network for a PC, and the PC for the printer you installed before.
    Browse for the printer
  4. If a warning message pops up, just accept it. After this the drivers should be installed.
    Warn message
  5. If you want to set this printer to default than select Yes and click Next, then click Finish.

Use the installed printer

Windows XP

The process is finished, so now you should be able to print anything via clicking File then Print. You can choose the printer, and if the remote PC is turned on (and the printer is powered and not working) the print should start.
Use the installed printer

1
  • Are you hungarian?
    – Pacerier
    Jun 5, 2015 at 5:40
6

Make sure the drivers' versions match. Windows only accepts drivers of another architecture, if they are the same version as the already installed version! Try to remove the already installed version of the driver and get the newest x86 and x64 version.

0
5

This problem was solved on the Microsoft Community, from someone on the Windows Printing Team:

The print driver names must match. You will need to find a 64bit driver that uses the same name as the 32bit XP driver or install the Windows 7 32bit driver onto the x64 machine. You will need the 32bit ntprint files from Windows 7 since the files are not included in flat file format on the 32bit DVD. If the driver names do match then it is possible that coork has a better solution.

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Tanner, x64 Windows will not accept v3 driver of another processor architecture. I tried and my Win7 x64 comp wouldn't take them. I succeeded, however, puting them there using my x86 XP computer! I just tried my HP 1500 drivers:

  • Installed printer on x64 Win7
  • Shared it, under the name, say, Laser
  • Went on a x86 WinXP
  • Windows+R and typed \\<x64computerName>
  • There was Printers and Faxes, i opened it
  • Saw my Laser printer, right-clicked Sharing on it
  • Additional Drivers
  • Checked checkbox Intel - Windows 2000 or XP
  • Downloaded from HP website x86 drivers, unpacked and it took them, uploading them to my x64 machine.

Now i have both of them, as seen here this screenshot
(source: komprogram.pl)

and on XP side:

this screenshot
(source: komprogram.pl)

Also, now with the advent of Windows 8, there are v4 printer drivers (notice Typ 3, or Type 3 on my screenshots). V4 drivers are cross-architecture, so hopefully we won't be having this problem in a couple of years.

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wow many replies here.

I think you connect the printer to XP machine and you want to share it , and any 32 or 64 bit windows OS can use HP P4014n. I have same printer in one of my customer networks, but before any guide, why you are not using "HP Jet-direct internal print servers" that build into this printer? and forget sharing and .....?

anyway, if you want to connect directly to xp machine and share it, here is some steps of doing that. (same steps if you want to install on 7)

0 - for preventing any conflict and driver issue remove any HP HP P4014n driver from add/remove programs.

1 - remove driver from print server properties, if not familiar with this check here or here

2 - download both x64 and x86 PCL6 driver of Hp universal printer driver from here

    *** there is no difference between win xp or 7 driver chose 7 !!! 

3 - extract them using 7zip, each to a specific folder. C:\HUPD\X86, C:\HUPD\x64

4 - install your printer using install.exe in desire folder (x86 for xp)

5 - share it and now you can add x64 folder to addtional drivers in share tAB

3

You probably have and older copy of the UPD, which had an error in the INF files, producing the error you're getting. The simple remedy is to download the newest 32 and 64 bit drivers from HP.

HP Universal Print Driver for Windows PCL6 - 64bit - 5.6.0.14430

HP Universal Print Driver for Windows PCL6 - 32bit - 5.6.0.14430

Once you have those, update the 64-bit driver on your computer. Reboot. Back into the Printer's sharing options and add the 32-bit driver. Make sure you extract the above files to different directories (they do by default) and keep them straight.

2

You need to add the XP drivers onto the server for this to work. In this case the "server" is your Windows 7 machine. You should see an "x86" option which will allow you to import the 32-bit drivers.

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  • "I tried adding the XP 32-bit drivers to the driver sharing dialog on the Windows 7 machine, but it won't take those either."
    – rtf
    Feb 26, 2013 at 23:37
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The driver being offered by the print server is apparently incorrect for XP. Windows 7 might be offering a 64-bit driver that is incompatible with 32-bit Windows XP. If you tell us the printer's make, we might be able to help you with finding a suitable driver for XP.

You could try connecting the printer locally to the XP computer, thus letting it discover and install the correct driver. If XP is incapable of finding a suitable driver, you would need to download and install one from the manufacturer's website, that is if the printer didn't come with a drivers CD.

Once the driver and the printer are both locally installed on XP, the next step is to convert the local printer to a network printer as follows:

  1. Disconnect and return the printer to the Windows 7 computer.
  2. Open the Printers applet from Control Panel.
  3. Right-click on the new printer and choose Properties.
  4. Go to the Ports tab.
  5. Click Add Port…, select Local Port, then click New Port….
  6. For the port name, enter exactly the network path and share name of your printer. For example \\Win7computer\MyPrinter, Click OK, and double-check that this new port is selected with the checkbox next to it.
  7. Click OK to close the printer properties.

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