Windows – Add network printer as a local printer

network-printerprinterprintingwindows 7

I want to add a network printer as a shared printer. I am following the following instructions:

  1. Click Start > Devices and Printers.
  2. Click Add a Printer on the top.
  3. Select Add a local printer.
  4. Select Create a new port, select Local Port for the Port Type, and click Next.
  5. For Port Name, enter the network path to the printer by entering two slashes, the computer name or local IP address of the PC sharing the printer, and then the share name of the printer. For example “\\dellpc\hpprinter” or “\\192.168.1.100\hpprinter
  6. Select the printer and click Next. If the exact model isn’t listed, try the closest model number or a generic printer.
  7. Follow the rest of the wizard.

I am getting stuck on step 5. I enter the name of my printer as \\10.1.11.43\Color Konica Minolta and get the error "The specified network name is no longer available". The network location comes right out of the printer properties (Ports tab) and is a valid working printer.

Best Answer

I have solved the problem by creating a TCP/IP port. Although the steps in the question do work on a generic system, our LAN has group policies preventing named access to a printer in the way specified.

An alternative way which does work, as the commenter "Louis" said, is to use a TCP/IP port. So the correct steps are:

  1. Select "Create a New Port" and choose "Standard TCP/IP Port"

  2. Enter the IP address of the printer. (The IP address of your printer can be determined by right clicking on your printer in the Devices control panel and selecting "Printer Properties" and the tab "Ports".)

  3. Select a driver from the ones offered. (If you are sending data directly to the printer like me, then the driver is irrelevant because it gets bypassed anyway.)

  4. Follow the rest of the wizard which gives you the option to set the added printer as the default printer.

You can then verify that the printer has been added locally by using the command:

wmic printer get caption,name,deviceid,drivername,portname

The local printers will be listed first in the resulting list.

Related Question