WARNING: Technical content ahead! (My apologies for not including this statement in other recent posts!)
As you have probably figured out by now, I get asked to work on people's computers pretty often. I had one yesterday that was giving me fits. It was a Vista-based machine that would not connect to the network - any network. So, I did some troubleshooting, eventually giving the machine a static IP address because it would not pick one up through DHCP.
Even an assigned address did not work. During a PING test, the machine kept reporting "General Failure." That has got to be one of the most useless messages I've seen in a while. Naturally, I fire up Google on a working machine and poke around for a bit.
One suggestion had to do with repairing Norton Internet Security on a machine. Well, this computer did not have that, but did have references to something called "Norton 360." I tired uninstalling it, repairing it, you name it. More errors. I did a System Restore to about a week ago and while that didn't fix the network problem, it did let me re-install Norton 360. Once that was done, everything ran smoothly again.
There is obviously something happening between Symantec (Norton) products and Vista's networking! I just got lucky in that the Norton 360 installation file was still available to me on the mahcine. Otherwise, I would have had to back up data and reformat the hard drive back to factory specs.
So, if you encounter a "General Failure" when you try to run a PING test, or you have trouble getting connected at all, you may want to check to see if you have a Symantec product on your machine. If you do, try re-installing it (or even better UNinstalling!).
Showing posts with label vista. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vista. Show all posts
Sep 29, 2009
Sep 22, 2009
Add XP shared printer to a Vista machine - Access Denied Error
This post focuses on a scenario in which a Windows XP machine is sharing a printer over the local area network and a Vista machine is trying to add that shared printer but is receiving an "Access Denied" error message.
First, make sure the printer works for other machines on the network. If other machines cannot print to the shared printer, there is most likely a network-related issue or a sharing problem on the XP machine itself.
If there are no network issues and other XP machines can print to the shared printer, try the following:
First, make sure the printer works for other machines on the network. If other machines cannot print to the shared printer, there is most likely a network-related issue or a sharing problem on the XP machine itself.
If there are no network issues and other XP machines can print to the shared printer, try the following:
- Install the Vista drivers for the printer on the Vista machine, using the "local LPT1:" port as the default. Do NOT try to detect the printer. Alternately, you can download the driver from the manufacturer web site and extract the files to your hard drive (Ex: C:\Dell\Drivers\Printers\A12345\Winxp2k)
- After the driver is installed, use Control Panel to ADD PRINTER.
- Select "Local Printer" (Again, do NOT detect), click "NEXT"
- Select "Create a new port" and then choose "Local Port" and click "NEXT"
- In the box, type the UNC path to the shared printer (Ex: \\xpmachinename\printshare) and click "OK"
- When prompted for the driver, look to see if your installed driver is in the list. If not, choose "HAVE DISK..." and browse to the location of your printer driver.
- When installation is complete, PRINT A TEST PAGE! I know a lot of techs don't like to/want to do that, but it shows the USER that the printing is working.
Hope this helps someone else out there! I had to look far and wide to find this info. I post it here in hopes others will not have to search so hard to find the answer.
(note: this article initially appears at http://techblog.k12.ar.us/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=65)
Apr 23, 2007
Dreamweavin.... and stuff....
This week, I am learning Dreamweaver at work. It's a web page design and authoring program. It is totally (so far as we can tell, anyway) incompatible with the Sharepoint we use for 3/4's of the sites we manage... One site will be fine with it... What do I plan on doing with it? I have no idea yet... It won't be wasted or lost on me, I just don't have an immediate application for it... Oh well, any learnin' is good learnin', right?
As I mentioned before, I have been working with one of Shan's friend's computer (the one with Vista). Tonight, we had trouble getting an updated driver. During the process of troubleshooting and copying old mail into the new mail program for Vista, Janette served me a concoction of Sierra Mist and Orange-Tangerine tea. My grandmother on my Dad's side used to drink "high balls" which (from what I remember) were basically 7-up and whiskey in a glass with ice. For whatever reason, when I was handed a glass of the Mist/tea drink, it instantly smelled like Grandma's High Balls... I was assured there was no alcohol in the drink, but Bill (Janette's husband) offered to put some in... Well, he only did that figuring it would help get me through the evening of listening to Shan and Janette talking while I worked on the computer.. :-) I declined the offer... :-)
We have been playing baseball with the kids the past few days. Do you have any idea how much energy two kids can have!? Good heavens! Emily is doing really well, learning how to hold the bat, swing at the ball, and run the bases (which consist of the van (1st), a tree (2nd), a patch of dirt on the ground (3rd), and the general vicinity of the bat (home). Now, since we live on a farm, we had to institute a rule that you won't find in most rulebooks.... If the ball goes through the fence to where the cows are, you're out. At first, we said it would be a ground-rule double, but those came too frequently for our liking, so we added the challenge of NOT hitting one out of the park... :-) Oh, and if the ball rolls under the van or the truck, it's an automatic one-base rule... After all, it wouldn't be fair for the runner to score a home run when the other team was trying to get the ball from under said obstacles..... :-) Really, things haven't changed much since I was a kid playing ball in the apartment complex where we lived... Sure, the hazards are different, but we still made up goofy rules to deal them back then, too....
Okay, have you heard about the 'texting wizard?' This girl texted the phrase: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidoucious! Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious. If you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious." So what you say?? How about doing it in FIFTEEN SECONDS! Granted, she has a keyboard-type phone, but I sure in the heck couldn't type it on a regular keyboard, let alone a thumb-driven one! Plus, she pocketed $25000 for her 'trouble...'
Now, here's a story I had not of until today... Evidently, "way back" in 1982 (when Michael Jackson was between "Off the Wall" and "Thriller"), a couple of guys decided to go out shooting... They picked on a cactus or two, and one seemingly took offense to having its parts blown off, so it reached out and killed one of the guys by falling on him and impaling him with FOUR-FOOT long needles! Ouch... You know me, I "scopes-ed" it, and, jinkies, Scooby, it's REAL!
Dad sent some pictures of yet ANOTHER rocket attack near where he lives and works in Iraq... This time, the rocket hit a warehouse and no one was injured....
And, I have to thank my Aunt for a very humorous email... If you do a Google Map and ask for directions from New York, NY to Plymouth, UK, you'll see a very funny step in there (around step 24). Plus, if you switch to the 'printer-friendly' version, it even tells you how long step 24 should take! :-) Try it!
As I mentioned before, I have been working with one of Shan's friend's computer (the one with Vista). Tonight, we had trouble getting an updated driver. During the process of troubleshooting and copying old mail into the new mail program for Vista, Janette served me a concoction of Sierra Mist and Orange-Tangerine tea. My grandmother on my Dad's side used to drink "high balls" which (from what I remember) were basically 7-up and whiskey in a glass with ice. For whatever reason, when I was handed a glass of the Mist/tea drink, it instantly smelled like Grandma's High Balls... I was assured there was no alcohol in the drink, but Bill (Janette's husband) offered to put some in... Well, he only did that figuring it would help get me through the evening of listening to Shan and Janette talking while I worked on the computer.. :-) I declined the offer... :-)
We have been playing baseball with the kids the past few days. Do you have any idea how much energy two kids can have!? Good heavens! Emily is doing really well, learning how to hold the bat, swing at the ball, and run the bases (which consist of the van (1st), a tree (2nd), a patch of dirt on the ground (3rd), and the general vicinity of the bat (home). Now, since we live on a farm, we had to institute a rule that you won't find in most rulebooks.... If the ball goes through the fence to where the cows are, you're out. At first, we said it would be a ground-rule double, but those came too frequently for our liking, so we added the challenge of NOT hitting one out of the park... :-) Oh, and if the ball rolls under the van or the truck, it's an automatic one-base rule... After all, it wouldn't be fair for the runner to score a home run when the other team was trying to get the ball from under said obstacles..... :-) Really, things haven't changed much since I was a kid playing ball in the apartment complex where we lived... Sure, the hazards are different, but we still made up goofy rules to deal them back then, too....
Okay, have you heard about the 'texting wizard?' This girl texted the phrase: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidoucious! Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious. If you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious." So what you say?? How about doing it in FIFTEEN SECONDS! Granted, she has a keyboard-type phone, but I sure in the heck couldn't type it on a regular keyboard, let alone a thumb-driven one! Plus, she pocketed $25000 for her 'trouble...'
Now, here's a story I had not of until today... Evidently, "way back" in 1982 (when Michael Jackson was between "Off the Wall" and "Thriller"), a couple of guys decided to go out shooting... They picked on a cactus or two, and one seemingly took offense to having its parts blown off, so it reached out and killed one of the guys by falling on him and impaling him with FOUR-FOOT long needles! Ouch... You know me, I "scopes-ed" it, and, jinkies, Scooby, it's REAL!
Dad sent some pictures of yet ANOTHER rocket attack near where he lives and works in Iraq... This time, the rocket hit a warehouse and no one was injured....
And, I have to thank my Aunt for a very humorous email... If you do a Google Map and ask for directions from New York, NY to Plymouth, UK, you'll see a very funny step in there (around step 24). Plus, if you switch to the 'printer-friendly' version, it even tells you how long step 24 should take! :-) Try it!
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