Problem (bug?) printing to non-default Mac printer (5582)

Hi,

I'm running build 5582 on Leopard, Windows XP Pro Guest OS. There seems to be an issue when trying to print in Windows to a network printer in the host Mac OS that's not marked as the default printer. I have 2 network printers set up in Leopard. I set up a parallel port in the Guest OS and pointed it to a specific printer, but the print jobs just seem to ignore the printer that is specified and just go to whichever of the 2 is set to the default printer in Leopard.

This used to work properly in 5160 on Tiger. Is anyone else seeing the same issue, or am I setting it up incorrectly? Is this a known bug?

Thanks,
Mighty Ferguson

 

Can anyone duplicate this behavior on their Mac? It would be good to know if it's just happening for me, and if I might just have a configuration problem.

-Mighty

 

I have the same problem.
I have a laser printer connected via Wifi to an airport express and an inkjet connected by USB.
The laser printer is the mac default printer, and parallels now always prints to the laser printer irrespective of which printer is chosen in the print menu.

 

Hello Mighty_Ferguson and Gasmanuk,

Please make sure that the right printer is selected in your Virtual Machine Configuration (you can check and edit the Configuration when the VM is started but the Guest OS is not running). On Windows side you should print using "HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS" (it's generic driver that's being used for printing from the VM to any Mac OS compatible printer).

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Xenos,

Thanks for your reply. My Guest Windows OS is configured the way you describe. With build 5582, the print job goes to whatever is set as default in Leopard, regardless of which printer is set as the printer to use in the Guest OS Parallel Port printer selection.

Ideally I would like to have two printers installed in the Guest Windows, with each one pointing at one of the two printers configured in Leopard. I'm hoping that's possible, but it's definitely not at the moment with the way the printer setting is ignored.

Thanks,
-Mighty

 

I have exactly the same problem. The desired printer is correctly set in the VM but the print job goes to whichever is set as the default printer in MacOS. This did work before upgrading to 5582.

 

Hello Mighty and Gasmanuk,

The issue needs investigating. What if you remove the printer set in your Virtual Machine Configuration Editor and then add it again? Click Add Parallel Port -> Use a printer.

When you are asked to select a physical printer which should be connected to this Parallel port, choose the printer that you would like to use to print from Windows.

Please let me know if this will change anything.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Printer removed and then added again - symptoms unchanged.

 

Same with me. I had done some experimenting before I made the original post, going as far as completely deleting the printers within Windows and removing the parallel port from the guest config and re-adding it all. The print jobs follow the default printer in Leopard no matter what. Again, this worked fine in 5160 on Tiger.

-Mighty

 

Seeing the reverse...

I'm actually encountering the reverse of this problem.

I have 2 printers connected directly to my Mac... a Canon MP830 and a Dell 1700. Since, for some reason, the Dell printouts through Parallels always come out with funky text, I prefer to use the MP830 (also because it does color).

Thus, I have the MP830 as my default printer in OS X and also the chosen printer in the Parallels setup. However, any printouts within Parallels using the PS driver ALWAYS go to the Dell 1700. I am at a loss as to how to fix this.

 

Hello all,

Please try setting the printers in the following way:

In Mac System Preferences open Print & Fax and make sure that the printer you want to use is enabled and you can print from it. Check Share this Printer.

Launch your Virtual Machine, start Windows. On Control Panel choose Printers & Faxes. Add a printer.

On the second page of the Add Printer Wizard choose A network printer.
Then check Connect to this printer and type \\your computer IP address\your printer name.

To find out your computer IP address open Terminal on your Mac side (Applications -> Utilities) and run ifconfig command. Copy the address you get in en0 section, inet line. The printer name you type should be exactly the same as the name indicated in Printing tab of Print & Fax window. The Wizard window will look like Picture1 attached beneath.

Click Next. The message preventing you about the printer driver installation will appear (Picture2). Click OK. For the next message (Picture 3) click OK again. Then Add Printer Wizard will ask you to select the manufacturer and model of your printer (Picture 4).

If you can not find the right model in the list, download the driver for your printer from Inet or find the drivers on the disk delivered with the printer. When the driver is downloaded, click Have Disk... button in the Wizard and browse for the driver. Click OK.

When the Wizard has done the work, you will have the printer added and will be able to print using this exact printer.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Xenos,

I would think that many of us are running Parallels on MacBook/MacBook Pros and use DHCP, changing our locations frequently. As such our laptop IP address is constantly changing. This is not a good solution for us, as we'd have to change the printer properties every time we get a new IP. We need the printer functionality to work as it used to.

-Mighty

 

I agree.
If we are using workarounds, it's simpler to change the MacOS default printer if you want to use the other printer, but I would also rather it worked as it used to.

 

Thank you for the quick feedback
Let me think again.
I will be able to give your the answer tomorrow.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Xenos,

Are you able to confirm this is a bug that will be fixed in a future build?

-Mighty

 

Dear all,

Thank you for the reports. I have delivered them to Parallels developers.

We can only propose you currently to remove from Mac all printers except for the one you wish to print from.

The issue will be reviewed in January.
I hope it will be fixed in a next build.

With best wishes for a Happy New Year,
Xenos

 

Thanks Xenos, please keep us posted about a fix.

-Mighty

 

Hello all,

Coming back to the printers issue. There is one more question I would like to ask you to have a full appreciation of the problem.

If you choose the printer in Devices menu on Parallels Desktop menu bar right before printing, do you still get the document printed to another printer, set as default in Mac?

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Xenos,

I have tested again by removing the printer assignment on the Parallel port in the Guest OS and tried to print by switching printers in the devices menu as you suggest above. It makes no difference, the print jobs still go to whatever is set as the default printer in Leopard.

Also, I don't know if this will help diagnose the problem, but changing the default printer in Leopard while the guest OS is running seems to make no difference to where the print jobs go. They'll go to whatever was the default when the Guest starts. It's like Parallels notes the default printer upon startup, then keeps it as long as the Guest is running. Hope that helps.

-Mighty

 

Mighty, thank you very much for these details. The fix of the issue is put on our roadmap.

Best regards,
Xenos