win 7 unable to find driver on laptop for HP Deskjet 5600 connected to desktop through WLAN

[Rick_L_C]

I have HP Deskjet 5650 color printer connected to Dell Dimension 2400 desktop running Windows XP Home Edition Ver 2002 SP3. I've just bought a Dell Inspiron N4110 laptop running Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit.

I'm trying to connect to the printer through my home network WLAN operating through a Netgear Wireless-N 150 router WNR1000.

When I add a printer on the laptop, it shows on the list of available printers on the select a printer screen, but when it tries to connect, it comes back with a message, "cannot find driver for HP Deskjet 5600 series on the network."

I have tried to locate the driver file manually, but with no success. I have an older HP laptop running Windows XP, which has always connected to the printer through the WLAN just fine.

I can connect the printer directly to the new laptop via a USB port and it recognizes, installs, and works fine.

But, I need it connected permanently to the desktop, and accessible from the laptop when it is connected to the WLAN.

Can anyone tell me how I can get my new laptop to locate the driver files on when connecting through the WLAN, please?

Thanks for your help!

[Cloud_Strider]

Is the printer connected to the desktop computer (with Windows XP) through a USB cable?

Are you installing the printer on the Windows 7 by having the Windows XP system share it?

The only driver download I could find for this printer from HP was for Windows XP.  The product specification sheet does indicate that it will work with Windows 7.  That means the driver for it would only be available through Windows Update.

Temporarily connect the printer to the Windows 7 system with a USB cable.  Wait a few minutes for Windows auto detection to complete.

Run Windows Update.  If there is a driver available, Windows Update should download it accordingly.  Once the driver is installed through Windows Update, reconnect the printer to the Windows XP system.

Try to add the printer again the same way before.  The Windows 7 system should find the driver that was installed previously and continue from there. 

This will result in two printers being installed:  One USB and one over the network.  Feel free to remove the USB printer from the Windows 7 devices and printers section so that only the shared printer over the network is listed.

[Rick_L_C]

Yes, the printer is connected to the desktop computer (with Windows XP) through a USB cable.

Yes, I'm installing the printer on the Windows 7 by having the Windows XP system share it.

I have temporarily connected the printer to the Windows 7 system with a USB cable, and it did auto detect and install it with some driver it found (might have been generic or something), which did work to print a test page. However, I did not run Windows update while it was connected. But then I reconnected it through the network, thinking it would find the same driver, but it didn't (all this before I posted the original request for help).

Unfortunately, now it will not connect to the internet, either. Seems to be some firewall issue. So I have to resolve that problem first, then I can again try connecting it to the Window 7 laptop directly with a USB cable and running Windows update to see if it will update a better driver, as you've suggested.

That sounds like a good idea, and I will let you know how it works. It will likely be tomorrow evening before I can try it.

I greatly appreciate your help.

[Rick_L_C]

ok, I've reconnected the printer to the windows 7 laptop by USB cable, checked the printer works by printing a test page, and ran windows update. It did install some updates, didn't find or install any updated drivers. But i did the restart and checked again for updates, and it didn't find any.

I reconnected the printer back to the windows XP desktop, and attempted again to install through the network. Like before, it sees the printer, but cannot connect to it.

There is a driver on the windows 7 laptop that does work when the printer is connected directly to it by USB cable. Is there a way i can identify that driver and its location, and direct windows to it and make it use that one when attempting to install it through the network? It always says it cannot find a driver for it on the network, as tho it is not looking in the local drive or system.

It will allow me to browse for one manually, and i've tried several different ones in the windows/system32/driverstore/filerepository folder, but it always comes back windows cannot connect to the printer with an error detail of operation failed with error 0x00000214.

I greatly appreciate any and all ideas, help, and/or suggestions!

[Cloud_Strider]

Previous versions of Windows typically would scan the computer for the driver, but that does not appear to be the case in this scenario.

Try installing the printer on the Windows 7 system again through the XP shared connection.

When prompted for a driver, click OK and you should get a window to select a manufacture.  Select HP from this list.

Below the selection list, you should see a button that says Windows Update.  The Windows Update button should scan the update servers for the same driver that was used with the USB connection without having to browse for it.  

[Rick_L_C]

that's what i'm used to seeing with previous versions of windows, but win 7 don't seem to be working that way. Once I choose the printer, the next thing i see is the printer instalatoin window momnetarily, which gives me no choices except to cancel (which of course i never do), followed quickly by the connect to printer window saying no driver found. See screeshot below. Then when I click OK, i get the file needed screen, and when I click browse, i get the folder window where i can choose any folder and/or inf file. Once i do and click open, it takes me back to the file needed window where i can click ok. So far, i havent been able to find a folder with a inf file it likes, so i then get the window saying windows cannot connect to printer. see below. i don't see any place i can choose for it to check windows update like XP used to.

[Rick_L_C · Accepted solution]

alright!!  finally got it!!!

had to go into computor properties, advanced system settings, system properties, device installation settings, and set to install drivers from windows update if not found on my computer.

Then, it would finally search windows update for drivers, but it still wouldn't find a driver even from windows update for the printer when installing it as a network printer.

I had to add printer as a local printer, and choose create a new port, local port, and for the port name, i had to enter the pathname through the network computer to the printer (like "\\desktopname\printername").

Then, and only then, did it let me select from a list of printers, and it found a driver on windows update.

Again, I appreciate all your help! Looks like we both may have learned something from this experience.

[Cloud_Strider]

I am glad it is working for you now!

The local option did not occur to me that it could be used for a network setup.

Thanks for sharing this information with the community.