Technical Note - Printing From a Windows Laptop (or Desktop)

Summary

The CUPS printing system now in use at ECS provides an improved interface to Windows systems. This document details the process of adding a printer to a Windows system.

Details

Adding Printers

1. If you are using the VUW wireless network, authenticate to it first.
2. Go to the Printers and Faxes Control panel and click on "Add a printer". Note there may be a significant pause before the next windows appears.
3. Follow the instructions below according to your Operating System.

Windows XP

1. Click "Next" then select "A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer" and click "Next".
2. Select "Connect to a printer on the Internet..." and type in the URL: field: http://printers.ecs.vuw.ac.nz:631/printers/printername where printername is the name of the printer queue, such as "press". Click "Next". [For desktops or laptops on the ECS network, use: http://printers:631/printers/printername]
3. A new window will pop up enabling you to select the type of printer. Click HP in the left pane, then find the appropriate printer in the right pane (we use "HP Universal Printing PS"). You may need assistance with this as our printers are too new to be available by default in Windows XP.
4. Click "OK" and wait as the driver is installed, then click "Next", then click "Finish".
5. Configure the printer by right clicking on its icon and selecting "Properties". You may need assistance with this step also. In general you should configure "Device Settings" (all our printers have a Tray 3) and "Advanced/Printing Defaults..." (to specify duplex printing).

Windows 7

1. Select "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer".
2. Ignore any printers that show up in the pane, and click "The printer I want isn't listed".
3. Select "Select a shared printer by name" and type in the address field: http://printers.ecs.vuw.ac.nz:631/printers/printername where printername is the name of the printer queue, such as "press". Click "Next". [For desktops on the ECS network, use: http://printers:631/printers/printername]
4. A new window will pop up enabling you to select the type of printer. Click HP in the left pane, then find the appropriate printer in the right pane (we use "HP Universal Printing PS"). You may need assistance with this as our printers are too new to be available by default in Windows 7.
5. Click "OK" and wait as the driver is installed, then click "Next", then (perhaps after selecting or unselecting "Set as the default printer") click "Finish" .
6. Configure the printer by right clicking on its icon and selecting "Printer Properties". You may need assistance with this step also. In general you should configure "Device Settings" (all our printers have a Tray 3) and "Advanced/Printing Defaults..." (to specify duplex printing and Postscript Options to "optimize for portability").

Note:

• Administrator privilege is necessary to add network printers.
• More general printing information can be found in the printing tech note.

Printing To Added Printers

• If your ECS username is the same as that on your laptop printing should "just work".
• If your Windows username does not match a valid ECS username, you will need to request a mapping to be set up. Send a message to jobs@ecs.vuw.ac.nz specifying your valid ECS username, and the laptop username that you wish to map to it. We will not map the user "Administrator".

Note:

• ECS usernames are always all lowercase, but Windows often uses usernames which have an initial capital letter. Such a Windows username will not match a similar ECS username.