Microsoft Vista - HP Color Laser Jet 1500L

I got Microsoft Vista to print to an HP Color Laser Jet 1500L.
It was not easy but I got it to work.

For those interested, I will print the receipe I used.

It's not perfect, it's slow but it does print. If someone can figure out how to make it better, please share it.

The ingredients :

  • A Linksys Network Storage Unit (commonly called a NSLU2) and a USB Key (of at least 512 Megs) You can get one from amazon here

  • You will need to modify the NSLU2 with the Linux UnSlung OS : http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/Main/HomePage

  • Then you will need to configure SAMBA and add the printer : http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/HowTo/AddPrinter

  • Then you need a computer running XP or 2000.

    What the setup looks like :

    What did I do ?

    1. I connected the Printer to the USB of the machine running Vista
    2. I installed the drivers using the original Printer CD on Vista
    3. Try to print and crashed explorer.
    4. Erased the printer without erasing the drivers from the Vista Machine

    5. I connected the printer to an XP laptop with an fixed IP.
    6. I shared the printer on XP giving it a name without spaces : HPCLJ1500L
    7. I Setup Window VISTA to use the printer on the shared XP :

    \\\HPCLJ1500L
    (Windows VISTA asked me to install the printer and to load the existing drivers)
    8. Print tested and it worked.

    9. Removed the Laptop runing XP from the network.
    10. Replaced the NSLU2 device with the IP of the Laptop.
    11. Configured SAMBA to use the same name as the XP shared Printer.
    12. Print tested, it was slow but it worked.

    It is a draft, but if you are insterested, let me know and I will write better documentation. Send me an email to : msvistahp@theochino.com

    To do: Reinstall everything from scratch using a better IP space and document the step by step.

    Printer Test Pages (PDF Format)

    Written after a 15 hours fight against VISTA on July 24, 2007 at 9 am.

    PS: I also tried using the Netgear USB Mini Print Server (PS121) but to no avail.
    From Amazon Web Site Netgears configures the printer as Local Port which seems to be what cause the Explorer to crash.