Pixma ip1800 Win 7 install for printer shared on Win Vista?

[NormAtHome]

This is the setup, a Canon Pixma ip1800 installed on a Windows Vista computer and shared; works fine on another Windows Vista computer but I can't install it to print on a Windows 7 computer.

First, when I try and install it on Windows 7; I browse for the network printer and when I select it Windows says something like "Checking windows update" and eventually says it can't find a driver and gives me the option to browse for a driver. I downloaded the Windows 7 driver installer (aomwin200ca24us.exe) but it complains that the printer is not attached via USB. I tried extracting the installer exe and browsing for .inf files in the extracted directories and I've searched and there are no inf files anywhere in the directories or subdirectories of the unzipped installer. So I was unable to install it that way.

Next I tried attaching the printer by USB and installing the printer locally, then detaching the printer and reattaching it to the Windows Vista machine; then trying to install as a network printer but Windows 7 still complains that it can;t find drivers for the printer even though the drivers have been installed on the Windows 7 computer.

I just can't seem to find a way to get this printer installed if it's attached and shared on the Vista computer; is there something I'm missing or an alternate method? Why can't I point the dialog that asks for a driver location to the extracted drivers from the Windows 7 driver file? If the printer has been installed on this computer as a USB printer, why can't the printer installer find drivers for this printer on the local computer as they should be installed?

Thanks,

- Norm

[Ramona]

Hi Norm,

To share your printer between your Windows Vista computer and your Windows 7 computer, please follow these steps:

1. On the Windows Vista computer, click on START.

2. Right click over COMPUTER and left click on PROPERTIES.

3. In the "Computer name, domain and workgroup settings" section, copy down the name of your computer. Close this window.

4. Please click on START and then CONTROL PANEL.

5. Click on PRINTERS (you may have to click on HARDWARE AND SOUND first).

6. Right click on your Canon printer and left click on PROPERTIES.

7. Click on the SHARING tab.

8. Select "SHARE THIS PRINTER" and enter "PrinterVista" as the Share name.

9. Click APPLY and then OK.

10. On the Windows 7 computer, click on START and then DEVICES AND PRINTERS.

11. Click on ADD A PRINTER.

12. Choose LOCAL PRINTER..

13. Create a new port which will be a local port.

14. In the ENTER A PORT NAME field, enter \\NAME_OF_VISTA_COMPUTER\PrinterVista, where NAME_OF_VISTA_COMPUTER is the name of your Windows Vista computer that you copied in step 3, then press the OK button. If prompted to install the printer driver from a list of printers, if your Canon printer is not listed, click the WINDOWS UPDATE button to update the driver list. Once your printer is selected, press the NEXT button.

15. On the next screen, please name the printer, then press the NEXT button.

16. Windows 7 should then install the driver and installation will be complete.

Hope this helps!

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