windows 8 print to networked 5150

[friedchicken]

I have a new HP AIO running Windows 8.1 and want to print to a Deskjet 5150 connected to a XP machine (on the network).

Firstly - If I use the Windows 'Add Printer' dialog it shows the networked printer in plain sight, and then I select it and it hums away for a while and says its "Connecting to HP 5150 on ...",after much checking Windows Update it says "No driver found".

In the same dialg box there is an option to install the driver manually, whereupon it wants an .INF file. So I point it to various HP 5150 driver downloads Windows 8.1, Vista, XP full, XP minimal and it just don't like any of them.

Secondly - If I use the HP Windows 8.1  Deskjet 5150 driver, and tick the 'My printer is already configured for use on the same network as my computer', after much soul searching (and presumably printer hunting), up pops a dialog box to say that "no network devices detected". Well it can't be trying too hard as even dumb little me can see the network shared 5150 printer.

Thirdly I've put some time in searching the internet and to date I've not found anyone trying to do this. I don't want to put the 5150 on the Win8 machine because of the office environment.

Anyone?

[8lives · Accepted solution]

Try setting up the 5150 as a local printer on the Win8 computer.

Add a printer
Add a local printer
Select Create a new port:
Select Local Port for the Type of port:
Enter the network name of the XP computer ie. \\XPcomputername\printerid
Install the 5150 driver when prompted

[friedchicken]

Thanks its working OK now. The actual steps were as follows:

Add Printer - Windows 'searches for available printers' and finds the 5150 networked printer. Ignore this misleading attempt at helpfulness, and click the big letters below "The printer that I want isn't listed".

Add a local printer

Create a new port - select 'Local Port'

Enter port name "\\PCnetworkname\printername"

Select printer driver - I suppose one could try and use the suggested HP driver, I chose to 'Have Disk...'

Navigate to your downloaded driver - the Windows 8 (.1) driver does not have an .INF file, so I used the Vista driver .INF - this worked just fine.

Thanks again and mucho-kudoso for steering me in the right direction and preventing me from spending hard earned dosh on a new printer (I still need a good reason to buy a wireless colour laser!).