Win7 can't find network printer

1911Shootist

[H]ard|Gawd
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Nov 15, 2012
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I'm having a printer problem I hope you all can help me with...

This computer is a recent build, and at one time I was able to print from it, as I had the driver installed and the default printer selected, but Windows was saying it was offline, when in fact it wasn't. I tried to resetup/reinstall that printer, and now Windows can't find it...

Setup: Hardwired printer & computer to router. Printer resides at 192.168.1.2, which I can navigate to and putz with in a browser, and can see via my router's web interface.

When I tell the setup wizard to look there (192.168.1.2) for the printer (find by TCP/IP address), it cannot find the device.

My wife's laptop (wireless) can find & use the printer just fine. My wired HTPC has the same problem as my desktop... All are running Win7 Home 64bit. Router is Netgear WNDR3700v2, printer is Canon MP620c.

Any ideas?
 
Satisfy my curiosity and try disabling Windows Firewall and see if there is any change.
 
Check if the guest account is enabled, if so, disable it.

I had a similar problem and that's how I solved it. hope it helps.
 
Check if the guest account is enabled, if so, disable it.

I had a similar problem and that's how I solved it. hope it helps.
Will do when I get home. Thanks

Canons are weird and don't work unless you install the canon driver and search using it.

Have you already installed them from here? http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/suppo...ixma_mp_series/pixma_mp620#DriversAndSoftware
I've had ~5 other systems (win7), and all have been able to find this printer over the network and automatically install drivers w/o issue. It doesn't appear to be a driver issue, rather a port or discovery problem... I will try to install the driver first... Thanks!
 
Do you have any other printers installed on that computer? Which version of Win7 do you have?
 
Check if the guest account is enabled, if so, disable it.

I had a similar problem and that's how I solved it. hope it helps.
Guest account is & was always off.

Canons are weird and don't work unless you install the canon driver and search using it.

Have you already installed them from here? http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/suppo...ixma_mp_series/pixma_mp620#DriversAndSoftware
Tried that, still couldn't find it. Set up the printer USB and it works, but when I go back to wired network connection, it can't find it again.

Do you have any other printers installed on that computer? Which version of Win7 do you have?
Home 64bit.

This problem is really baffling me. Getting quite frustrated too. Any help is really appreciated!
 
Guest account is & was always off.


Tried that, still couldn't find it. Set up the printer USB and it works, but when I go back to wired network connection, it can't find it again.


Home 64bit.

This problem is really baffling me. Getting quite frustrated too. Any help is really appreciated!

This is a long shot. In Control Panel, select the Administrative Tools cpl. Open that up, and select Print Management from the icons on the right side of that window. Open up Print Management and review all the different actions. You might need to delete the USB-installed printer first.

How does the printer get an IP address when it's on the network. Is there a built-in server that you can log into?
 
Is the printer getting an IP via DHCP? Has the printer and/or router been power cycled recently? It could have been reassigned a new IP.

Have you tried deleting the printer from Windows and then re-adding it?
 
Guest account is & was always off.


Tried that, still couldn't find it. Set up the printer USB and it works, but when I go back to wired network connection, it can't find it again.


Home 64bit.

This problem is really baffling me. Getting quite frustrated too. Any help is really appreciated!
When you're trying to install the printer on the network, are you using the canon utility itself? Not just have drivers installed, but using the installer to find the network printer.
 
This is a long shot. In Control Panel, select the Administrative Tools cpl. Open that up, and select Print Management from the icons on the right side of that window. Open up Print Management and review all the different actions. You might need to delete the USB-installed printer first.

How does the printer get an IP address when it's on the network. Is there a built-in server that you can log into?
I have no "Print Management" in that window, and when I run it from the start menu, I see a DOS window popup and disappear... nothing more.

IP has always been 192.168.1.2 for the printer, assigned by my router. The printer has an interface I can access through a browser at that IP addy.

Is the printer getting an IP via DHCP? Has the printer and/or router been power cycled recently? It could have been reassigned a new IP.

Have you tried deleting the printer from Windows and then re-adding it?
See above re: IP. I have installed (via USB) and deleted the printer multiple times trying to get it to recognize it over the LAN.

When you're trying to install the printer on the network, are you using the canon utility itself? Not just have drivers installed, but using the installer to find the network printer.
I've just been using the Windows 'Add a Printer' wizard, didn't know there was a Cannon util, I will give that a shot.

Thanks all! Keep the tips coming!
 
I have no "Print Management" in that window, and when I run it from the start menu, I see a DOS window popup and disappear... nothing more.

Try this cmd path to get to print management:

%systemroot%\system32\printmanagement.msc
 
I've just been using the Windows 'Add a Printer' wizard, didn't know there was a Cannon util, I will give that a shot.

Have you tried to connect using a "local" tcp/ip connection?

Try the following:

1) Open "Printers" screen (or Devices and Printers - depending on whether you go through control panel)
2) Click "Add a Printer" to start the Windows 7 wizard
3) Click "The printer that I want isn't listed"
4) Select the bottom option: "Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings" then click "Next"
5) Select "Create a new port" from the 2 radial options
6) Under "Type of Port" select "Standard TCP/IP Port" from the drop-down menu then click "Next"
7) Under "Hostname or IP Address" type in the IP Address that the router has assigned the printer (192.168.1.2 I believe you said it was), make sure that the Check Box for "Query the Printer etc..." is selected/checked, then click "Next"
8) Follow the rest of the directions (That's all the steps I can remember from memory)

It will search that IP address specifically for the printer and create a local connection for it. It should be able to automatically detect the model and install the Driver. If it can't find the driver, it will allow you to manually specify a location, or select from the list. If you've already installed the driver before, it should have no problems.

If this doesn't work, then I'd suggest that there is something wrong with your computer itself. Corrupt Windows install, bad TCP/IP stack, or any of numerous other issues that could interfere with this. I believe the printer itself is fully functional, since you mentioned that something like 5 other computers can still use it without any issues.

Good luck, I hope this works! If it doesn't, I suggest formatting and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 7.
 
I feel that if you started everything from ZERO, it would just work. Stupid problems like this occur from time to time. Uninstall all instances of the printer from windows(Make it as if your OS haven't seen your printer before), reset your router and then connect your computer to it. If everything is okay, hook your printer to a free Ethernet port in your router and start the add printer wizard (Choose network printer of course). I have a strong feeling that it will just work if you do this.

Note: Connect the printer to a different ethernet port, and make sure you know all the settings of the router before resetting it.
 
Problem solved... well not really, just a workaround... "Solution" posted below, but I am very grateful for all of the help and detailed replies, and for the sake of others future troubleshooting, I'll post my findings to the specific posts below.


Try this cmd path to get to print management:

%systemroot%\system32\printmanagement.msc
Still no go - I can't find it even browsing for it in the system32 folder, on either of my machines. Perhaps a legacy interface that has been removed (via updates)?

Have you tried to connect using a "local" tcp/ip connection?

Try the following:

1) Open "Printers" screen (or Devices and Printers - depending on whether you go through control panel)
2) Click "Add a Printer" to start the Windows 7 wizard
3) Click "The printer that I want isn't listed"
4) Select the bottom option: "Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings" then click "Next"
5) Select "Create a new port" from the 2 radial options
6) Under "Type of Port" select "Standard TCP/IP Port" from the drop-down menu then click "Next"
7) Under "Hostname or IP Address" type in the IP Address that the router has assigned the printer (192.168.1.2 I believe you said it was), make sure that the Check Box for "Query the Printer etc..." is selected/checked, then click "Next"
8) Follow the rest of the directions (That's all the steps I can remember from memory)

It will search that IP address specifically for the printer and create a local connection for it. It should be able to automatically detect the model and install the Driver. If it can't find the driver, it will allow you to manually specify a location, or select from the list. If you've already installed the driver before, it should have no problems.

If this doesn't work, then I'd suggest that there is something wrong with your computer itself. Corrupt Windows install, bad TCP/IP stack, or any of numerous other issues that could interfere with this. I believe the printer itself is fully functional, since you mentioned that something like 5 other computers can still use it without any issues.

Good luck, I hope this works! If it doesn't, I suggest formatting and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 7.
I did try that route via the dialogue with not luck. Thank you very much for the detailed reply! I would lean towards a corrupt install, but the problem is happening across multiple machines, which led me to believe it was a problem with the router or printer itself...

I feel that if you started everything from ZERO, it would just work. Stupid problems like this occur from time to time. Uninstall all instances of the printer from windows(Make it as if your OS haven't seen your printer before), reset your router and then connect your computer to it. If everything is okay, hook your printer to a free Ethernet port in your router and start the add printer wizard (Choose network printer of course). I have a strong feeling that it will just work if you do this.

Note: Connect the printer to a different ethernet port, and make sure you know all the settings of the router before resetting it.
See comment above about problem spanning multiple machines. Once I started looking at the router, I first tried a different ethernet port, then reset the router, all to no avail.

had same issue with different printer i gave up and just use it usb lol
I was damn near getting to this point and had already started shopping for a 25ft USB cable, lol...

Workaround:
Since my wife's laptop was printing fine with the main difference being her laptop is on the wireless network, I decided to revisit setting up the printer wirelessly. The UI on the printer was so convoluted I quickly gave up on it years ago when I bought the printer. Putzing around with the printer's interface via a browser, I set all the settings up and gave it a go - it connected w/o issue. The 'add a printer' wizard still didn't find it, but it was visible as a network device via the Computer GUI - right click & install and now everything is running smoothly on both machines!

I'm still dismayed I didn't find an actual solution to the problem at hand, but at least I'm not begrudgingly running out to buy a too-long USB cable or upsetting my wife by using this as an excuse to build a print/media server :rolleyes:

Thanks again for all the help everybody!
 
Could you be a little more explicit on your workaround? You logged into your printer and somehow installed it on your laptop from there? Step by step, please.
 
Are you on a domain? There is a GPO that you need to set if you're on a domain.
Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Printers
 
The last post to this thread was over 10 months ago.....

What's your point? If the person who resurrected it was looking for a more detailed explanation on how the problem was solved, then what is the issue here? Maybe the OP can supply more detail, and help another out in the process?
 
Could you be a little more explicit on your workaround? You logged into your printer and somehow installed it on your laptop from there? Step by step, please.

OP mentions he found the printer via the "computer GUI"
My guess is that it was found via Window's Network menu, or My Network Places as it were called in XP.
 
What's your point? If the person who resurrected it was looking for a more detailed explanation on how the problem was solved, then what is the issue here? Maybe the OP can supply more detail, and help another out in the process?

Point was, who keeps track of a thread they finished with over 10 months ago.
I would not expect to hear from the OP on a thread that old. Thanks for asking.
 
Point was, who keeps track of a thread they finished with over 10 months ago.
I would not expect to hear from the OP on a thread that old. Thanks for asking.

While you might be right, the answer of who keeps track of a thread that old is quite simple. Anyone with default forum setting - the same way I did. I got an email notification saying there was a new post.

Anyway, you're likely right about not hearing from the OP!
 
Point was, who keeps track of a thread they finished with over 10 months ago.
I would not expect to hear from the OP on a thread that old. Thanks for asking.

Anybody that browses the forums might look at an old thread without realizing it's old, kinda like I did.

Besides, OP was last online yesterday evening. There's definitely a chance he will see the thread and chime in.
 
Anybody that browses the forums might look at an old thread without realizing it's old, kinda like I did.

Besides, OP was last online yesterday evening. There's definitely a chance he will see the thread and chime in.

I hope he does.
 
We had the same problem with an HP CP3525 laser printer. After the unsuccessful search, we went the "Printer is not listed" route, etc. as some have suggested. However, entering the IP address did not work in our case. Instead, entering the "Host Name" did. You find the host name by printing out the Printer Settings using the physical controls and display on the printer. Check your manual for the exact method. The host name is listed on the Settings page.
Happy printing
 
I was having a very similar problem: I re-imaged my Win7 laptop and then it was unable to find my networked printer and it had always been able to find it before. The problem turned out to be the setting for the Wi-Fi network. When I provided the Wi-Fi credentials after the re-image, I did not specify that this was part of my "Home" network and so the OS defaulted to marking it as a "Public" network. As soon as I changed this setting back to "Home" network, the laptop was able to discover the printer right away. I did have to download the driver from HP to actually add the printer, though.
 
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