My current set up is XP pro and a design jet 430. So when I upgrade to a "7" machine, how do a keep the XP and "print through" or share the old XP? is there some specific software for a "master/slave" set up?
Printing through XP involves keeping and older computer on your network that still runs XP. You have to set the printer up on the XP machine, then share the printer with other computers on the network.
And to follow up with Stephen, your Win 7 will identify the XP machine on the network. You then may need to "install" the printer on your Win 7, but it will print through the XP.
By installing a second hard drive in your new computer, you can mirror your old system over to the new hardware. I believe that you can see both hard drives for file transfer purposes, but would have to re-boot and tell the bios to boot off the "older" hard drive if you wanted to actually run Windows XP, or any of the programs on the older hard drive.
As far as printing goes, each drive could have it's own printer drivers loaded.
It's a great way to preserve older software that may not be supported any longer.
I'm not sure if you have to have different drive aliases.
Dad had a computer with Windows 2000, but if he re-booted, it looked and operated like his old DOS computer with all of his old programs.
the only caveat here is...
Disclainer: I am not a network/computer guru, but not a hack either. I spent several days researching this setup and could not get it to work. Your experience may vary.
You would have to have Win 7 drivers for the plotter on your Win 7 machine, to run the plotter through the XP machine.
I recently turned down an HP 120nr because HP did not offer Win 7 drivers for the printer. I attempted to set it up through my XP machine on my wireless network. I could "see" the printer after sharing, but I could not print to it since I did not have Win 7 drivers. I had to plot to pdf, copy/move pdf file to the thumb drive, then print the pdf file from the thumb drive through the XP machine.
I decided the obsolete printer, with an obsolete OS (XP), was just to much to contend with.
> My current set up is XP pro and a design jet 430. So when I upgrade to a "7" machine, how do a keep the XP and "print through" or share the old XP? is there some specific software for a "master/slave" set up?
I have a computer running Win 7 Pro 64 bit OS. Tried what you describe with my HP 430. I tried and tried. Never did succeed. I did eventually get it to print through the network. Hooked up the 430 to another machine in the office running XP.
That worked but not all that well. I got the opportunity to get an HP t120 from a company that was shutting down. Have never looked back at the HP 430. It was a good machine. But nothing lasts forever.
Larry P
