How to connect to shared local network printer without installing drivers?

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On my old windows 7 pc I can print to my 'virtual' network printer Brother HL-1660 - virtual, because the printer is connected to the local network via some Print Server hardware (AXIS 5400+ Network Print Server) that is plugged in in the parallel interface of the printer. Because Windows 7 is not longer supported, I 've bought a Windows 10 pc. The biggest problem is that there is no valid printerdriver available in Windows 10, nor via Brother itself. Via Windows 10 I can detect the 'network' printer, but I can't find the right driver! I thought that sharing the printer on my Windows 7 pc should solve this problem, but it doesn't. When adding the new printer in Windows 10, I'm always asked to select a valid printer driver.

So my question is: isn 't it possible to add a shared printer WITHOUT installing the driver, so that the computer where the printer is shared from, takes all rendering activities on his account?

Raf

Posted 2020-02-16T17:47:12.283

Reputation: 3

Answers

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Without installing a driver there can be no printer so the short answer would be no. There are several things you can try:

1) If it is asking for a driver when you are sharing it from the Windows 7 it might be because the Windows 7 is 32-but and the Windows 10 is 64-bit (or visa versa). I that is the case there you will need to install both 32-bit and 64-bit drivers on the Windows 7 computer.

2) If you are trying to do it via the Axis then when it asks you for a driver select "Windows Update". It will take forever but when it is all said and done it should let you select a Brother HL-1660 BR-Script2 printer

3) Try selecting a "close" brother driver like a "HL-2030 Series"

Ziggy32

Posted 2020-02-16T17:47:12.283

Reputation: 71

Win7 was 32-bit and Win10 is 64-bit indeed. Meanwhile I've received an answer of Brother itself, telling me that my printer is compatible with driver HP Laserjet 4. A common PCL5 driver could also been used.

But the most important solution - and that 's the first thing I was supposed to do - is installing the printer on the Axis Print Server again AFTER RESET! To select the right driver was no problem any more. And when I installed the printer on my Win10 pc afterwards, I could select driver HP Laserjet 4 without any problem. So problem solved!

Thanks Ziggy for your help! – Raf – 2020-02-17T21:58:59.170

Asked: 2020-02-16T17:47:12.283

Viewed: 20 times

Active: 2020-02-16T19:54:29.493