Mac OS X 10.3.6 Special Report: Problems with networked Windows printers, workaround

MacFixIt reader Michael Durbin is among the many users reporting problems recognizing networked Windows printers (printers on the network attached to Windows systems) after the Mac OS X 10.3.6 update:

"We have encountered with the install of 10.3.6 that windows printing doesn't work. We have at our school a Windows 2003 server with 30 or so shared printers. In 10.3.5 we could select windows printing / Network Neighborhood / select our server and all printers would show up. Now we can go through all of the steps but no printers appear."

Apple Discussions poster Tom Whitmore has found a workaround that involves adding the problematic printer with a SAMBA address:

"I've found a temporary work-around to the problem of not being able to detect a shared Windows printer.

"In Printer Setup Utility, Option-Click the 'Add' button - this will give you an extra printer option - 'Advanced'.

"Set Device to Windows Printer via SAMBA, Printer Model to the correct driver, and Device URI to the complete smb:// address of your printer, i.e.:

• smb://user:password@WORKGROUP/HOST/PRINTER

Resources