LPT Port Printer:
If your printer attaches to your computer via the parallel port (LPT port), connect the printer to your computer with the printer cable.Click Start, Settings, Printers (Figure 1) to open your Printers folder.Be sure you are using the type of printer cable that your new printer requires.The type of cable required is usually listed in the getting started or connecting your printer sections of any documentation that comes with the printer.
Figure 1
Double-click Add Printer (Figure 2) to start the Add Printer wizard (Figure 3), and then click Next.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Click Local Printer (Figure 4), make sure the Automatically detect my printer check box is selected, and then click Next. Depending on the printer you are installing, a Found New Hardware message or the Found New Hardware wizard appears to notify you that the printer has been detected and that installation has begun. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the printer installation.
Figure 4
Alternatively, after connecting your printer, you can restart your computer to allow Windows 2000 to automatically start the Found New Hardware wizard. The printer icon will be added to your Printers folder.
USB or IEEE 1394 Printer:
If you install a USB (universal serial bus) or IEEE 1394 printer, Windows 2000 detects it and automatically starts the Found New Hardware wizard. You do not need to shut down or restart your computer. Simply follow the instructions on the screen to finish installing the printer.
The printer icon will be added to your Printers folder.
If your printer is not Plug-and-Play, and you can not install your printer using the Found New Hardware wizard (ie the wizard does not automatically start on detection), or if the printer is attached to your computer with a serial (COM) port, then open the Printers window by clicking Start, Settings, Printers. Double-click Add Printer to start the Add Printer wizard, and then click Next. Click Local Printer, make sure that the Automatically detect my printer check box is cleared, and then click Next.
Follow the instructions on the screen to finish setting up the local printer selecting the correct printer port (Figure 5), selecting the manufacturer and model of your printer, and typing a name for your printer.
When you are finished, the icon for the printer appears in your Printers folder.
Figure 5
If you add and set up a Plug-and-Play printer (for example, USB, IEEE 1394, or LPT), you do not need to have administrative privileges. However, to add and set up a non Plug-and-Play printer connected directly to your computer, you must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group.
When you add a printer using the Add Printer wizard, you normally select one of the parallel (LPT) ports from the existing list when prompted to Select the Printer Port in Figure 5 above. For some printers, however, you may need to select one of the serial (COM) ports.
Once you have set up the printer, you may want to share it with other users on the network. If you intend to share the printer with users running other versions of Windows (Windows 95 and 98, and Windows NT 3.5 and 4.0), you can install the appropriate printer drivers on your computer so those users can connect to the printer without being prompted to install the drivers missing from their systems.
To add a network printer:
- Open the Printers window by clicking Start, Settings, Printers.
- Double-click Add Printer to start the Add Printer wizard, and then click Next.
- Click Network printer (Figure 6), and then click Next.
Figure 6
- Connect to the desired printer by keying in the network path to the printer (\\computername\printershare_name ) or by searching for it on the network.
- The
icon for the printer appears in your Printers folder.
- You can also connect to a printer by dragging the printer from the Printers folder on the print server and dropping it into your Printers folder, or by simply right-clicking the icon and then clicking Connect.
- After you have connected to a shared printer on the network, you can use it as if it were attached to your computer.
To install new or updated printer drivers:
- Open the Printers window by clicking Start, Settings, Printers.
- Right-click the printer for which you want to change drivers, and then click Properties.
- On the Advanced tab, click New Driver to install a new or updated version of the printer driver using the Add Printer Driver wizard.
- Click Next, and then do one of the following:
- Click the appropriate printer manufacturer and printer model if the new or updated driver is on the list.
- Click Have Disk if the printer driver is not included in the list. If you have downloaded a newer driver from the manufacturer’s website or received a new or updated driver on CD or diskette from the printer manufacturer, type the path where the driver is located, and then click OK. Ex: if driver is on CD in a folder called Disk1, type the path as X:\Disk1 (substitute the drive letter of your Cdrom
- Click Next, and then follow the instructions on the screen to finish installing the printer driver.
Remember, to install new or updated printer drivers, you must be logged on to your computer as a member of the Administrators group.
As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Desktop Support helpdesk at x5470, menu option #2, or via email at SHV PC HELPDESK.