Printing From a Windows XP Machine

If you are having trouble printing from a Windows machine, here are a few things you should try.

Check that you are printing files in the correct format -- our PostScript printers won't print dvi files.

  1. If you have trouble printing a Microsoft Word document, try opening a new document and copying the contents of your old document into it. Sometimes the header information in old Word documents prevents printing.
  2. Add a printer by following the procedure described below. If this solves the problem, delete the old printer that didn't work.
  3. Send email to consult@math.uic.edu describing your problem in detail.

NOTICE: You must have an account on the math.uic.edu network in order to print on the department printers from your office Windows computer. Your userid on the math network must match your userid on your PC. Please request an account from a systems administrator as soon as possible if you don't already have one. If you have an account already, please make sure the name you use to log on to your office computer is the same as the one you use to log on to math.uic.edu. You may also have to contact consult@math.uic.edu to be registered in the samba database.

Adding a printer to your PC

LPR is recommended for connecting a Windows XP computer to a Unix based print server printer in the department.

Use the printer wizard to add a printer as follows:

  1. Choose Printers and Faxes from the Start Menu.
    Click on Add Printer

  2. Answer the questions in the wizard as follows:
    Choose "Local Printer"
    De-select "Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer".


  3. Then select "Standard TCP/IP Port".


  4. Then select the "Printer Name" from following. "Port Name" is same as "Printer Name".

    Printer Name Number Printer Location Printer description Timings
    seo1200 1
    		 SEO 1200 HP LaserJet 8150 Series 8:00AM-6:00PM
    seo736 1 SEO 736 Lexmark Optra T614 8:00AM-6:00PM
    seo308 2 SEO 308 hp LaserJet 4250 & Lexmark Optra T612 available 24 hours
    seo430 1 Mathematical Sciences Learning Center hp LaserJet 8000 8:00AM-6:00PM


  5. Then select "Custom" & press "Settings".


  6. Then put:-
    "Printer Name or Printer IP Address" as lpd.math.uic.edu
    Select "LPR" under "Protocol"
    Put "Queue Name" from above table, e.g seo736 in this case
    Select "LPR Byte Counting Enabled"


  7. Then press Finish.


  8. Then choose "HP LaserJet 4000 Series PCL".


  9. Then select "Keep existing driver".


  10. Name your new printer anything you like -- we suggest using informative names like "308 simplex" or "736 duplex".


  11. Agree to print a test page, and see if it worked. IF YOU HAVE NOT LOGGED ON TO WINDOWS, IT WILL NOT WORK.


To be a good citizen and save paper by printing on both sides, follow the instructions at http://www.math.uic.edu/Docs/Printing/duplex.html. If the instructions above don't work, try the following:

Select your printer's icon.
From the menu select:
File -> Properties -> Paper -> More Options ... -> flip on long side

Deleting a printer from your PC

WARNING. If your computer tells you that some files are no longer needed after you delete a printer, do not agree to delete those files. If you accidentally delete a printer you wished to keep, you can restore it by following the steps above unless you've deleted the drivers for it.
  1. Choose Printers and Faxes from the Start Menu :
  2. For each printer you wish to remove:
    select the printer, then use the menu to select File->Delete.
For information about printer installation for older versions of Windows click here.

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