Can't connect to my Windows XP computer

If we could get some more information on the following:

Windows XP ??(pro or home?)
Anti Virus or Firewall applications installed (McAfee, Zone alarm, Norton, etc?)

Your goal: File and printer sharing? Having the new Macbook Pro access the Windows XP computers files and printer.

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With Windows you have to setup the file and printer sharing wizard, so that it opens the ports on the computer to accept incoming commands from other computers.

To accomplish that, you do the following:

*Open up My Networking Places (by going to Start, then clicking My Networking Places)

*On the left hand panel (Network Tasks), click where it says "Set up a home or small office network"

*Follow the steps, hitting next
For the first option, you could select Other, then....
Select the option at the top "this computer connects thru network port, hub..."

*click next

*now, for the Workgroup name, you could put what you want for this. I'd prefer to have it named WORKGROUP, then click next

*then choose the option to turn on file and printer sharing, click next, and let it do its thing

*You might have to reboot after its done.

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After doing that, now, on your Macbook:

*Open up Your Hard Drive -> Applications -> Utilities -> and open Directory Access

*Make sure the Lock is unlocked

*Double Click on SMB/CIFS

*In the Workgroup: type in the name of the workgroup you choose. In this case it was WORKGROUP

*Hit okay, and close out the program.

Now you should be able to click on your Network Icon, and you will see the windows xp computer name, and you will be able to click on it do what you wish.

As far as the printing, I am going to look into it. I know that the printer requires some drivers to print thru the different operating system.

What type of printer is it?

If it has to be connected locally to install the driver, can't you just connect it to the Mac temporarily?

If you go to the driver download page for this model at HP, they have a driver installation troubleshooting guide. There is also a disk image for a driver install CD in addition to the software install CD, so that image may have the installer you're looking for.

How are you trying to connect to the printer?

If you're trying to share this printer on a network, you might want to take a look at the Keyspan USB server. It's like a 4 port USB hub you can connect to an ethernet network, and it makes all the USB devices you plug into it available on the network. This will allow you to not only print from every computer on your network, but can too. I have a deskjet 6110, and I can scan, print and fax from any computer on my network, even wirelessly. I can also mount flash drives and access them from anyplace on the network. I love this thing.

No, you should be able to connect it to the PC and share it. You could also connect it to the Mac and share it or use a network print server. I just mentioned the USB server because it allows you to do more than print.