Cannot connec to a printer

[Harry1980]

I am trying to connect to a network printer with a Windows 8.1 Pro laptop. When I try to connect the laptop as a network printer I get the following message: "Windows cannot connect to the printer. Operation failed with error 0x00000006". I am trying to connect to a Ricoh Aficio MP301spf printer. I have another same laptop but it installs fine on that.

 

When I try to connect printer to laptop via USB I get the following error: "Unable to install printer. The handle is invalid".

 

I have checked online and none of the solutions I have come across work.

 

I would appreciate any help.

 

Thanks

[Patrick]

I have had something similar adding a network printer. Try browsing the server you are sharing the printer from, so in explorer type \\server1\ or what ever the server is called, and right click the printer you want and click connect, and see if that adds the printer.

[LiamH]

Sounds like a driver issue, have you tried purge all the existing drivers and reinstall the one you know is working?

[Harry1980]

It was that driver the laptop doesn't like so I have used a universal driver and it works now. Thanks for that anyway.

[william_tropico]

Did you install both 32bit and 64bit drivers on the server for the printer? Also is it PostScript or PCL? I found PCL works best with Ricoh printers. I know you have the universal driver working but this might cause you problems later down the line.