[needaspot]

I have 3 computers at home, one running W XP and 2 W98. I bought me a printer server pretending to have only one printer available to all computers at all times. I installed the printer server (netgear ps121) and printer (HP photosmart 8150) from my XP computer and everything worked fine. The problem started when I tried to add the printer port to my W98s. I couldn't install it and now I get a spool32 error every time windows starts up (on both computers). I tried to install a local printer in the mean time but now it won't even let me do it. The add printer wizard says that it couldn't find any printer ports on the computer.

Please I need help here . My wife wants to kill me, just kidding.

Upgrading the W98s computers to XP is not an option since we run a software for work that doesn't run on anything older that W98.

Thanks...

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You have to install the printer drivers on each 98 machine as a "Local Printer". Specify the connection it is using (parallel, usb, or ethernet). Then plug in the cables to the pc's and reboot, let windows find the drivers that you just installed locally. First I would recommend unplugging it from the 2 pc's and removing all the printer drivers and printers you installed. Then reboot, and follow the steps above.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

You have to install the printer drivers on each 98 machine as a "Local Printer". Specify the connection it is using (parallel, usb, or ethernet). Then plug in the cables to the pc's and reboot, let windows find the drivers that you just installed locally. First I would recommend unplugging it from the 2 pc's and removing all the printer drivers and printers you installed. Then reboot, and follow the steps above.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[needaspot]

Thanks, jonnyrotten, for your advice, but I already tried that and didn't work. Windows won't let me install the drivers. It gives me an error and says the drivers could not be installed. I also tried removing the ports on the device manager and having windows reinstall then but that didn't help either.

Any other suggestions?

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Quite possible the printer doesn't work with Win 98 or maybe the print server.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[needaspot]

The printer was already installed and working on my Win 98 computer, the problem started when I tried to install the printer server on my Win 98. It didn't let me saying that the printer port could not be added. Then, when I checked the printers folder, the local printer was gone, I started getting the spool32 error every time I boot the computer, and it won't let me reinstall the printer drivers as local or whatever I try. I also uninstalled the printer server.

[needaspot]

Well, I finally solved the problem. This is how I did it, just in case someone experiences the same problem in the future: I removed from the registry all references to printers and ports, made sure all drivers and software from the printers were uninstalled and removed the ports on the device manager. I restarted the computer and the spool32 error was gone. Then I was able to add a local printer again. I was not able to install the printer server, but I guess it doesn't work well with Win 98, although the specs say it does.

I did the same procedure with my other Win 98 comp and was also able to eliminate the spool32 error, but now when I open "my network places" I get the looking message and the flashlight thing and I can't see the network. When I look on my 1st Win 98 comp I can see the 2nd Win 98 comp, but from the 2nd I can't see the network. I know it is connected to the router since my Internet and e-mail are working on it and I can see it on my other comp. I went to control panel, network and everything looks file. I removed and reinstalled the client, micosoft network (I don't remember exactly how it is called) but that didn't help at all.

I need to have it working since I want to install the local printer from my 1st Win 98 comp as a network printer on my 2nd Win 98 comp. I know that could be done with my comps sice that's how it was before I started this print server thing.

Any clues?

[job0107]

Go into control panel, double click on network, click on the identification tab and check the workgroup name. Change it to match the name on your other computer.


job0107

[needaspot]

Thanks! That wasn't the problem but it led me to the solution.

[mpshook]

Well, I finally solved the problem. This is how I did it, just in case someone experiences the same problem in the future: I removed from the registry all references to printers and ports, made sure all drivers and software from the printers were uninstalled and removed the ports on the device manager. I restarted the computer and the spool32 error was gone. Then I was able to add a local printer again. I was not able to install the printer server, but I guess it doesn't work well with Win 98, although the specs say it does.

How did you remove all references to printers and ports in the registry?  I have a problem that smells a lot like this one.

I did the same procedure with my other Win 98 comp and was also able to eliminate the spool32 error, but now when I open "my network places" I get the looking message and the flashlight thing and I can't see the network. When I look on my 1st Win 98 comp I can see the 2nd Win 98 comp, but from the 2nd I can't see the network. I know it is connected to the router since my Internet and e-mail are working on it and I can see it on my other comp. I went to control panel, network and everything looks file. I removed and reinstalled the client, micosoft network (I don't remember exactly how it is called) but that didn't help at all.

I need to have it working since I want to install the local printer from my 1st Win 98 comp as a network printer on my 2nd Win 98 comp. I know that could be done with my comps sice that's how it was before I started this print server thing.

Any clues? 

[needaspot]

Click Start, then Run, type regedit, click OK. You'll be in the system registry editor, browse it and remove all references to printers and printer port.

Special care should be taken when manipulating the Windows registry.

Changes made to the Windows registry happen immediately, and no backup is automatically made. Do not edit the Windows registry unless you are confident about doing so.

Before you edit the registry, you should make a backup. On the Registry menu, click 'Export Registry File'. In the Export range panel, click 'All', then save your registry as Backup.