Chris
April 14th 04, 11:49 PM
I Recently ran into the same problem. From what I can
understand, Brother and Microsoft have "built in" drivers
in Windows XP for many Brother Printers. I have the MFC-
8300.
At first I was like "cool" this will be easy to install
my MFC-8300 on a Print Server. However, when I went
through the process of Adding the port, I ran into the
situation that the driver is not "signed", or it was not
in the list, and Brother had no drivers I could download.
BUT BROTHER CLAIMS THEY ARE BUILT IN ????
So, what I figured out, was to plug the printer into the
computer (in my case the USB cable, in your case the
parallel cable) and let the Plug and Play take over.
This installed the Driver into the printer "Server
Properties". (IE do a Control Panel - Printers and Faxes -
File - Server Properties)
I was dumb founded to see a MFC-8600 in the list. (I am
not sure why MFC-8600 was there versus MFC-8300, but who
cares, I was able to print.)
Then what I did, was unplugged the USB cable, plugged the
Printer back into the Print Server, installed the port,
then somehow was able to keep the existing driver. (I did
this by somehow hitting the back button during the
install.)
Anyway, now my printer is on the Print Server, and it
works. I TOTALLY do not understand WHY Microsoft would
have "Built In" drivers, but NOT allow people to pick
from the list.
Hope this helped some, but I have a post out to see if I
can get an offical answer from Microsoft on this squirley
functionality.
Chris
>-----Original Message-----
>I have an older MFC-4600 which I'm trying to network in
a
>home network. I'm using a printserver.
>
>The MFC-4600 has only parallel port access and I find
>that only computer that have been connected directly to
>the printer before, which activates plug and play, loads
>the driver when I add the printer.
>
>Unfortunately, I have a computer that has no parallel
>port and the MFC-4600 does not come up as having a
signed
>driver in the 'add printer' although XP seems happy to
>recognize it on the other machines that had been
>connected.
>
>The CD does not list XP as one of the options and the
>Brother site only offers suggestions for plug and play
>activation of inbox drivers.
>
>Any suggestions on how I can add this printer to this
>computer which lacks a parallel port and therefore
cannot
>be connected to the printer to activate plug and play?
>
>Cavin
>.
>
understand, Brother and Microsoft have "built in" drivers
in Windows XP for many Brother Printers. I have the MFC-
8300.
At first I was like "cool" this will be easy to install
my MFC-8300 on a Print Server. However, when I went
through the process of Adding the port, I ran into the
situation that the driver is not "signed", or it was not
in the list, and Brother had no drivers I could download.
BUT BROTHER CLAIMS THEY ARE BUILT IN ????
So, what I figured out, was to plug the printer into the
computer (in my case the USB cable, in your case the
parallel cable) and let the Plug and Play take over.
This installed the Driver into the printer "Server
Properties". (IE do a Control Panel - Printers and Faxes -
File - Server Properties)
I was dumb founded to see a MFC-8600 in the list. (I am
not sure why MFC-8600 was there versus MFC-8300, but who
cares, I was able to print.)
Then what I did, was unplugged the USB cable, plugged the
Printer back into the Print Server, installed the port,
then somehow was able to keep the existing driver. (I did
this by somehow hitting the back button during the
install.)
Anyway, now my printer is on the Print Server, and it
works. I TOTALLY do not understand WHY Microsoft would
have "Built In" drivers, but NOT allow people to pick
from the list.
Hope this helped some, but I have a post out to see if I
can get an offical answer from Microsoft on this squirley
functionality.
Chris
>-----Original Message-----
>I have an older MFC-4600 which I'm trying to network in
a
>home network. I'm using a printserver.
>
>The MFC-4600 has only parallel port access and I find
>that only computer that have been connected directly to
>the printer before, which activates plug and play, loads
>the driver when I add the printer.
>
>Unfortunately, I have a computer that has no parallel
>port and the MFC-4600 does not come up as having a
signed
>driver in the 'add printer' although XP seems happy to
>recognize it on the other machines that had been
>connected.
>
>The CD does not list XP as one of the options and the
>Brother site only offers suggestions for plug and play
>activation of inbox drivers.
>
>Any suggestions on how I can add this printer to this
>computer which lacks a parallel port and therefore
cannot
>be connected to the printer to activate plug and play?
>
>Cavin
>.
>