If you are like me, you begin troubleshooting to figure out what is going on and start by downing a caffeinated beverage. You check UAC, permissions, reinstall the printer, and finally REBOOT. None of your tactics worked.

After research and struggling with the same problem, here is what I have come up with. Give thanks to Melonhead on TechNet for inspiring my streamlined solution to this printer problem that will become an issue for many users. I recreated the scenario and 60% of the time the following solution works every time.

• Install the Windows Vista printer driver on the new Windows Vista computer
• Open Control Panel and double-click on Printers
• Remove all of your previous attempts at adding the printer
• Click on Add a printer and Choose to Add a local printer
• Select Create a new port and Type of port: Local Port
• Enter a port name (the port name is in the format of
  “\\{computer name}\{printer name}”)

  

• Verify installation by viewing the port settings in the printer properties window