Windows 10: Cannot find network printer (aka Where is \\winprint in Windows 10?)

Hi everybody! Sorry for crossposting this from the Drivers and Hardware forum, but after a bit of investigation I found out that this forum could be more appropriate for the question.

I remember with Windows 7 and 8 I used to be able to discover network printers going on \\winprint, and then double-clicking on them so that they would install (fetching the drivers from the network) and then appear in the control panel under "Devices and printers".

I can't seem to be able to do the same in Windows 10 anymore. If I type "\\winprint" in the explorer search bar, I get the error: "Windows cannot access \\winprint" (Error code 0x80004005, Unspecified error), as if the location doesn't exist. I guess \\winprint got removed in Windows 10, and the only way of adding network printers is via "Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Devices and Printers" -> "Add a printer", which unfortunately cannot find any network printer. The printer is there up and running as other computers in the network can regularly print.

The printer is a relatively new Canon iR-5255i for which Windows 10 drivers exist, and are installed on my machine. Hence, I don't think this is a driver-related issue.

When I was using Windows 8 some time back, I used to be able to discover the printer via \\winprint. When I upgraded windows from 8.1 to 10, the printer was still visible in Device and Printers and correctly working. Now I removed it by mistake, and cannot add it anymore.

Ideas?

:)

 

Printing from an old DOS accounting program to a UNC network printer

I am working on an old office network that has an Okidata Microline 420 attached to a Linksys EPSX3 parallel print server. They are using an old DOS based accounting program that prints to the printer through the network (peer to peer). The program sees
the printer as \\Printserver\printer and works fine on computers running Windows XP, but I am unable to print from a computer running 32bit Windows 10. The DOS program runs fine otherwise on Windows 10. Just cannot print to that print server or any printer
outside of the Winprint system. Any help?

***Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.***

 

Win 10 Network Printer Connection Problem

When connected to a network that has a printer connected to it I can see and use the network but cannot see or use the printer. The printer is on the network from a Win 7 system and I have a Win 10 system

Other pc's can see the printer and use it. I cannot even find the printer in Devices or searching for it.

I have other networks where I can see my printers and use them on the PC with Win 10

 

The option to add printers on a network is still there:





Select "The printer that I want isn't listed"





then let Windows search and connect....

 

Yes, that's the issue. "Add a Bluetooth, wireless or network discoverable printer" cannot find the printer. By the way, is this functionality different at all from that saying "Add a device"/"Add a printer"? It doesn't look so.

Moreover, are you sure this functionality exactly equivalent to the old \\winprint? I remember having trouble with this automatic discovery in the past, while \\winprint always used to work fine.

 

OK, you are right the Add device does the same type of check but doesn't have the link that says The printer that I want isn't listed. By using the link you also get the options to try a manual setup. I'm not sure what the old winprint did that was different.

Is the printer wireless only or can you connect via a cable? Can you verify that the wireless printer is turned on and discoverable via the settings on the printer? If it is new and in warranty can you call Canon support?

Sorry but I am not able to help any further.

 

So, after a lot of testing I found out it was a problem in the wireless network (that didn't have anything to do with my configuration). Apparently, \\winprint (which is still working in Windows 10) wasn't connecting because of a DNS configuration problem in my network.

Thank you anyway!