Apple Software Fixes Windows Print Headache

Windows printing subsystem can be a real challenge to make work in an IP printer environment. Luckily Apple makes zero configuration IP printer setup plug and play in a Windows world.

Anyone that has dealt with setting up IP based printers in Windows XP or Windows 2000 knows that manually specifying an TCP/IP port can really be a headache. Often times, you have to completely delete these IP ports when installing updated printer drivers. And when you have to change out an old printer for a newer printer and you want to reuse the IP address, well Windows just does not handle those IP ports in an intelligent manner.

So this morning, I ran into this headache and tried for 15 minutes to beat my head against the Windows print subsystem. We had changed out our Gestetner 10502 for a newer dsm660 printer/copier unit. I deleted the old printer in Windows XP Pro and downloaded the printer driver for the new machine. I went through the standard installation process for the new Gestetner dsm660 unit with the PCL5e driver, picking the IP port used by the old Gestetner 10502. 

The test printer page would not print and showed an error in printing. Windows XP is not known for intelligent error messages. I tried the PCL 6 and PS3 drivers with no positive results. I had little time and wanted to leave the printshop with a functional print environment, so I turned to Apple, Inc. for the solution.

Apple produces a zero configuration IP product called Bonjour (used to be called Rendezvous). Apple also has a free Windows XP / Vista version of Bonjour for printing configuration purposes. I had used it at home with my Canon inkjet on my Airport router and it worked great in connecting my HP xw4600 running Vista.

So I downloaded the 2 MB Bonjour for Windows and installed it in 1 minute flat. A Bonjour Printer Wizard was deposited on my desktop and I ran the program wizard. Bonjour presented a search window and went out and found 4 printers on our ArrowQuick network, including the Ricoh 2016 machine. Gestetner and Ricoh, along with Savin are all part of the same copier company with interchangeable models. So our dms660 is the same as the Richoh 2016 unit in functionality.

I picked the Richoh 2016 and clicked next. Bonjour for Windows asked me to pick a driver from the standard Windows printer selection box; I picked the Gestetner dms660 PCL 5 driver. In less than 15 seconds, the driver files were installed and a printer test page was whirring out the copier unit. Problem solved with Apple software. Even the Apple software written for Windows is “plug and play”, while Windows printing subsystem is “plug and pray”!

Thank you to Apple for getting its Windows software right!

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