# XP to join a W 7 home group



## Jetster (Jul 13, 2012)

Someone I know wants to use a wireless printer on a home group created with W 7. I believe you have to change the home group to Work network but not sure Ive never used a wireless printer or used XP with 7 on a home group. I would upgrade her XP to 7 but she is a couple thousand miles away


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## ThE_MaD_ShOt (Jul 13, 2012)

Can't you just rename the network on the win xp machine to "home group"? Instead of "workgroup" or "home" ?


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2012)

as long as the wireless printer is getting an IP address she should be able to find it using that. also windows 7 defaults to WORKGROUP


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## Jetster (Jul 13, 2012)

Nope ...


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2012)

Jetster said:


> Nope ...



You should be able to go onto the wireless printer and print a test configuration page which has the IP then see if the PC can ping it. If it cannot then the problem is a connection issue.


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## Jetster (Jul 13, 2012)

She is using the internet on there network. She just cant nee the printer or there home group. What good would knowing the IP do?


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## INSTG8R (Jul 13, 2012)

XP won't "talk" to Win 7 at all when it comes to Homegroups. Heck they don't want to talk to each other at all when it comes to networking.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2012)

INSTG8R said:


> XP won't "talk" to Win 7 at all when it comes to Homegroups. Heck they don't want to talk to each other at all when it comes to networking.



I have to call BS on that. I use windows 7 and windows XP at home with all PCs able to talk to each other out of the box. At work we run a windows domain server and those STILL can talk to windows 7 based machines. The issue lies in the configuration of the network or firewall.


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## Jetster (Jul 13, 2012)

Like I said I know you have to switch from "home" to "Work" network on the 7 machines. And I know it can be done. Has anyone actually done this


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## Mussels (Jul 13, 2012)

Jetster said:


> She is using the internet on there network. She just cant nee the printer or there home group. What good would knowing the IP do?



if its a network printer, you can connect directly to it.


if they're just sharing a USB printer, then the only option is for them to ditch homegroup and go back to the traditional network style. (with workgroups)


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2012)

Mussels said:


> if its a network printer, you can connect directly to it.
> 
> 
> if they're just sharing a USB printer, then the only option is for them to ditch homegroup and go back to the traditional network style. (with workgroups)



Its a wireless printer, its should have a direct connection via Router/IP NOT windows like I mentioned before.

The wireless printer is NOT apart of ANY work group. If it has a IP address assigned to it and the host PC can see it then it should be accessible.


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## INSTG8R (Jul 13, 2012)

brandonwh64 said:


> I have to call BS on that. I use windows 7 and windows XP at home with all PCs able to talk to each other out of the box. At work we run a windows domain server and those STILL can talk to windows 7 based machines. The issue lies in the configuration of the network or firewall.



I can only go from my own experience when I had my laptop on Win 7 and still running XP on my desktop. I couldn't get the 2 to share with each other even under the same Workgroup. If I'm wrong then I digress.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2012)

I am a network technician for career and have to deal with windows domain/print server on a daily basis. Unless it was setup by a print server (which in this case no) then it will not matter what "Group" this printer is apart of


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## Mussels (Jul 13, 2012)

brandonwh64 said:


> I am a network technician for career and have to deal with windows domain/print server on a daily basis. Unless it was setup by a print server (which in this case no) then it will not matter what "Group" this printer is apart of



assuming its a truly networked printer. he could be calling it a wireless printer, when its a regular USB printer shared 'over wireless'

lots of people make that mistake when describing their networks to me. they describe the link between the laptop and the printer, and not the printer and the network.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2012)

Mussels said:


> assuming its a truly networked printer. he could be calling it a wireless printer, when its a regular USB printer shared 'over wireless'
> 
> lots of people make that mistake when describing their networks to me. they describe the link between the laptop and the printer, and not the printer and the network.



This also is true. We really don't know what it is unless we had the model number of the printer.


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## Jetster (Jul 13, 2012)

Ok so Ill get more information. We just talked over the phone so it could be anything. She said it was a wireless printer. So Ill confirm by getting the model # 

I wasn't sure if a wireless printer was part on a workgroup

Thanks


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## Jetster (Jul 16, 2012)

The printer is an HP Office Jet 4500. The problem is she goes to add a printer / network printer and nothing shows up. So as I she it she needs to join the W 7 work-group. But Ive never had to do this. In fact the one time i had a chance to I just formatted and installed W 7. So please dont guess Ive done that. If you have accomplished this (Xp to W 7 network group) then explain thank you


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## Mussels (Jul 16, 2012)

this has nothing to do with homegroup then. she needs to get and install the XP drivers for the printer, and manually add its IP address.


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## Jetster (Jul 16, 2012)

Like this Mussels? 
http://uis.georgetown.edu/software/documentation/winxp/winxp.network.printer.html

And to print a test page:
Step four: Print a network configuration page
The Network Configuration page shows the network or wireless settings for the product. Follow these steps to print a network configuration page from the HP product.

    On the product control panel, press the Setup button ( ).
    Press the Right Arrow button ( ) to select Print Report , and then press OK .
    Press the Right Arrow button ( ) to select Network Config , and then press OK . The network configuration page prints, which includes the IP address.


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## Mussels (Jul 16, 2012)

network printers just need the software, and to detect the printer. odds are the software itself will find the printer, if not, then use the IP address. adding through windows isnt likely to work.


my wireless HP printer has a webpage on its IP, with a 'download' link that lets me grab the drivers straight from it.


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## Jetster (Jul 16, 2012)

So she could connect to it from a URL like a router. Or install the printer software to connect to it?

Type the IP in the URL?


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## scaminatrix (Jul 16, 2012)

My head just exploded 

Subbed, same problem with a mate's printer.


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## johnspack (Jul 17, 2012)

I get this issue all the time with xp/win7 sharing... just set a darn password for the user and or admin account on the xp box.  Now it will prompt for a logon,  and you can access it!  It's quite simple actually.....
for the xp box to connect to the win7 box,  create a user account,  or just give admin details.  Again,  easy...


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## Mussels (Jul 17, 2012)

johnspack said:


> I get this issue all the time with xp/win7 sharing... just set a darn password for the user and or admin account on the xp box.  Now it will prompt for a logon,  and you can access it!  It's quite simple actually.....
> for the xp box to connect to the win7 box,  create a user account,  or just give admin details.  Again,  easy...



... that has nothing to do with his actual question. good job on reading past the thread title.


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## johnspack (Jul 17, 2012)

Yes,  okay,  oh well,  I stopped using XP quite a while ago for just these reasons.  I can manage mapped network drives ect between xp and 7,  but it's really pointless.  A stripped down copy of 7 will run on at least as little resources as xp.  Now where's my new router?.....


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## puma99dk| (Jul 17, 2012)

erm if i remember correctly u need to go in to "Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings" in Windows 7 and under "Password protected sharing" set it to "Turn off password protected sharing" and "File sharing connections" set it to "Enable file sharing for devices that use 40-or 56- bit encryption"

if u disable both above u should be able to communicate with XP and Windows 7 from both machines.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 17, 2012)

This has nothing to do with windows domain. AGAIN this is a wireless printer and does not need any domain. below is the setup I could find in the get started manual. In defense of jester, they put the wireless setup buried deep in the get started page ONLY none of the other documents had wireless setup.



> While you are installing the software,
> you will be prompted to enter the network
> name (also called an “SSID”) and a
> security passkey:
> ...



http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01991120.pdf


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## johnspack (Jul 17, 2012)

wow,  I'm out....  I'd like a newer easier to install printer please?


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## Jetster (Jul 17, 2012)

Well thank for the information. I passed what I could find on to her as well as the HP software and diagnostic tool. If she can't get it connected she can just save to a flash drive and print at another location. But I think the driver and software for XP will do the trick

@ johnspack. If it was here with me it would have 7 on it in 20 min. But she is along way from here so Im not about to go through a format and install over the phone. No thanks


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