Windows 7 can't find driver for shared printer hp LaserJet 3380

Anonymous

When I try to add a shared printer to my Windows 7 laptop, as a network printer, Windows 7 successfully locates it on the network, but I get the following error messages:

Windows can't find a driver for hp LaserJet 3380 PCL 6.

The file '*.INF' on (Unknown) is needed.

The printer is attached to an XP desktop pc on my home network.

I tried attaching the printer locally via USB to the Windows 7 laptop and successfully loaded the printer drivers and I printed to it. But when I reconnected the printer to the XP computer I got the error messages again.

This is shared, not a network, printer, so attempting to set it up with the TCP-IP option does not work.

Printing to this printer was successful under Vista. I did a clean install of Windows 7.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Jim

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Anonymous

The 32bit driver name is different than the 64bit driver name. You will need to create a Local Port which will basically copy the print formated data to the xpmachine share.

Here's the KB how to perform this task

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/282842

on Windows 7

Add Printer

Local Printer

Add Local Port

\XPMACHINE\printersharename (Make the share name one word or you have to "" quote the whole thing)

Select the driver installed when you connected the device to USB

complete the wizard

print test page.

Alan Morris Windows Printing Team; Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here: http://support.microsoft.com/search/Default.aspx?adv=1

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59 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-01-22T19:47:47+00:00

This also worked for me for a Brother MFC-8840D. (I chose the MFC-8640D from the list of options since 8840D wasn't listed. The 8640D drivers are working thus far.) Thank you!
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Anonymous

2012-12-04T09:20:18+00:00

Thank you this I think will answer my problem.

I seem to have tried every thing else

Bernard
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Anonymous

2012-11-06T19:07:16+00:00

Thanks Allan, your solution worked like a charm. Who would ever have thought that you would need to set up a network printer as a local machine? Anyhow it works like a champ. This seems to be a problem with only the 64 bit versions of Windows 7.
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