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Problems Printing in Windows XP Mode Applications

Problems Printing in Windows XP Mode Applications

Postby bbarry » Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:37 am

I am running 64-bit Windows 7, and I successfully installed Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. I then installed several XP Mode applications that I can access from the Windows 7 Start Menu.

I have an HP printer conected to my PC via USB, and I installed the drivers in both Windows 7 and XP. When I am running in the XP Mode, I "attach" the printer and everything prints OK. When I leave XP to return to Windows 7, I "release" the printer and I can then print in Windows 7.

My problem is that when I launch my XP Mode Applications from the Windows 7 Start Menu, I can run the application but I can't print anything from the application. For example, I run an old calendar program in XP Mode, but I can't print the calendar unless I return to the XP Mode environment.

So being able to launch Windows XP Mode Applications from Windows Start doesn't do me much good if I can't print anything from the application.

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Am I missing something? :bashhead Thanks........
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Re: Problems Printing in Windows XP Mode Applications

Postby shreader » Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:47 pm

bbarry wrote:
I have an HP printer conected to my PC via USB, and I installed the drivers in both Windows 7 and XP. When I am running in the XP Mode, I "attach" the printer and everything prints OK. When I leave XP to return to Windows 7, I "release" the printer and I can then print in Windows 7.


How are starting XPMode when the printer does work then?
Or are you just trying to get around having to attach the printer every time you want to print in XPMode?
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Re: Problems Printing in Windows XP Mode Applications

Postby bbarry » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:39 pm

shreader wrote:
How are starting XPMode when the printer does work then?
Or are you just trying to get around having to attach the printer every time you want to print in XPMode?

There are two ways I can start XP Mode to run my applications:

(1) From Start Menu I click on Windows Virtual PC, All Programs and then Windows XP Mode. This starts the VM and I can then run my XP applications. If I want to print anything, I must "attach" the USB printer. Then before I leave XP, I must "release" the USB printer so that I can later print in Win 7.

(2) From Start Menu I click on Windows Virtual PC, All Programs and then Windows XP Mode Applications. A submenu drops down listing all my XP applications. I click the one I want and the application launches. However, it goes directly into the application without ever opening the XP window..........so I have no means of ever "attaching" the printer to print from my application. That's the problem I am trying to solve, else it doesn't do me much good to open my application directly from the Win 7 Start Menu if I can't print from the application.

Method 1 above is always a means of printing from my XP application. However, Microsoft advertises that you can run your XP applications directly from the Win 7 Start Menu, which I can do..........I just can't print from the application on a printer that is being shared between Win 7 and XP Mode.

Thanks for your interest in trying to help me............
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Re: Problems Printing in Windows XP Mode Applications

Postby egkenny » Tue Dec 15, 2009 2:24 am

bbarry wrote:
shreader wrote:
..........so I have no means of ever "attaching" the printer to print from my application. That's the problem I am trying to solve, else it doesn't do me much good to open my application directly from the Win 7 Start Menu if I can't print from the application...

There is a way.
1) Run application from start menu in Windows 7
2) Wait for application to start
3) Right-click on "XP Mode" in task bar
4) Select "Manage USB Devices"
5) Select required USB device in list
6) Click on Attach
7) Wait for status to change from Available to Attached
8) Do not close "Manage USB Devices" (this leaves "XP Mode" running)
9) Use application with USB device
10) When finished close application
11) Close "Manage USB Devices"

If application still does find USB device
1) Close application
2) Right-click on "XP Mode" in task bar
3) Select application to run again

I had to manually attach my HP 5370cse scanner this way. My HP 970cse printer automatically attached itself and had a Shared status. Note both devices are about 9 year old.
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Re: Problems Printing in Windows XP Mode Applications

Postby bbarry » Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:22 am

shreader - Your way worked great, so problem solved.............thanks much.

I don't know why I never thought to right-click on XP Mode in the task bar after I opened the application. But again there are a lot of things I never think to do, lol.
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Re: Problems Printing in Windows XP Mode Applications

Postby bbarry » Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:27 am

I guess my thanks for the solution should actually have gone to egkenny (Mister Ed). I get a little confused sometime with all the quotes.
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