MANAGING PRINT SERVER DEVICES WITH "WINDOWS XP" VIRTUAL MACHINES

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1 MANAGING PRINT SERVER DEVICES WITH "WINDOWS XP" VIRTUAL MACHINES Summary: You can install and configure older print server devices by running the "Windows XP"-only proprietary configuration software utilities that are bundled with them in one of the following virtual machine systems: a "Windows XP 32-bit" virtual machine running inside of "Windows Virtual PC" as "Windows XP Mode" or "Windows XP 32-bit" virtual machine running inside "Oracle VM VirtualBox" or "Windows XP 320bit" virtual machine running inside "VMware Player". All three of the above-mentioned methods for creating a "Windows XP" virtual machine are free. The host computer that you use to run the virtual machine software application is not important. BASIC RATIONALE Most older print server devices (that are more than 5 years old) were bundled with proprietary software utilities which will not run in "Windows 7" or "Windows Vista". Most of these proprietary software utilities will only run in the 32-bit versions of "Windows XP". Many of these print server devices were designed to last 10 to 15 years so there are plenty of these legacy units around and they can be purchased for less than $10 as "used" or "refurbished" equipment. However, if you run "Windows 7", "Windows Vista", "Linux", or "Macintosh" computers, you will not be able to run the proprietary "printer management" software utilities that are required for installing and configuring these legacy print servers. Since these bundled software utilities only run in "Windows XP", you can run them in a

2 "Windows XP" virtual machine in one of the three virtual machine systems listed above. HOST OPERATING SYSTEM OPTIONS The host operating system (where the "Windows XP 32-bit" virtual machine resides) can be running any 32-bit or 64-bit version of "Windows..", "Macintosh OS X" (which is only available in a 64-bit version) or any 32-bit or 64-bit version of "Linux". If you have a "Windows Vista" or "Windows 7" computer, you can run the bundled print server software application in a "Windows XP" virtual machine inside any of the three above-mentioned virtual machine systems. If you have a "Macintosh" computer that is operating with "OS X", you can run the bundled print server software application inside the free "Oracle VM VirtualBox" virtual machine system. (If you have a "Macintosh" computer that is operating with "OS X", you also run the bundled print server software application inside of the not-free "Parallels" virtual machine system or the non-free "VMware Fusion" virtual machine system.) If you have a "Linux" computer, you can run the bundled print server software application inside the free "Oracle VM VirtualBox" virtual machine system or the free "VMware Player" virtual machine system. MORE TECHNICAL DETAILS Most of the less-expensive print server devices that were sold between 2001 and 2006 have firmware that simulates a Microsoft "LAN Manager" print server that uses "Server Message Blocks" to share a printer with Windows or MS-DOS computers. "Server Message Blocks" are also known as "SAMBA". All of these print server devices were shipped with a data CD that had a proprietary software utility for "installing" and "configuring" the printers that they "serve". References: and and

3 and nected_to_another_samba_server PREPARING A "WINDOWS XP" VIRTUAL MACHINE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PRINT SERVERS A virtual machine that is running "Windows XP" and that is used to configure a print server device must act like it is connected directly to your real, physical local area network. In order to make this happen, the virtual network adapter of the virtual machine must be connected to the virtual "Bridged" bridge network. All three of the free virtual machine systems offer a virtual "Bridged" bridge network. EXAMPLE 1: USING A VIRTUAL MACHINE IN "ORACLE VM VIRTUALBOX" TO MANAGE A "HAWKING TECHNICAL" PRINT SERVER In order to communicate over a local area network between a virtual machine and the network-attached print server device, the virtual wired network adapter of the virtual machine has to be set in "Bridged" mode.

4 *** Click on the "Next" button:

5 *** The IP address of the print server for the HP LaserJet 2100se printer will be displayed. To be sure that it is the correct one, click once on the "Refresh" button:

6 EXAMPLE 2: USING A VIRTUAL MACHINE IN "ORACLE VM VIRTUALBOX" TO MANAGE A "NETGEAR" PRINT SERVER In order to communicate over a local area network between a virtual machine running "Windows XP" and the network-attached print server device, the virtual wired network adapter of the virtual machine has to be set in "Bridged" mode. *

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8 * Click on the "+" to the left of "TCP/IP" to see the IP address that the Netgear router has assigned to the Netgear print server for the HP LaserJet 2600n printer:

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