Using Linksys PrintServer PSUS4 with Vista

imageTonight I tried to configure my Linksys PrintServer PSUS4 with Vista.  The other computers in my household run XP, and the user installation for creating the printing port ran smoothly.  When I attempted to do this in Vista, I kept getting an error: 
"Add port failed".

I have UAC enabled (which is recommended) and I was suspicious that this was contributing to the problem.  Thus, I was able to get everything to install correctly when I disabled UAC.  Out of curiosity, I uninstalled the PrintServer software and enabled UAC again.  This time, I installed everything with administrative privileges.  Again, it worked. 

I can print.  Yippie.  Hooray.  So if you are reading this post, and need to get your Linksys PrintServer software to install properly, either disable UAC and run the installation or run everything as administrator.  You need not read any further...

Wait a minute.  I don't like my own findings.  A part of me feels wrong for suggesting either solution.  Will those reading the answer to my problem above try to run everything as administrator just to make sure anything works?  Will others disable UAC and keep it off?  What should a Vista user do?

I am not expecting perfection from my operating system.  When I hear that some Vista users have gone back to XP, it frustrates me.  When I hear some XP users refuse to upgrade to Vista, it frustrates me.  I am a Microsoft enthusiast.  I evangelize and teach about solutions based on Microsoft products.  I want Microsoft products to flourish and succeed.  That said,  I don't want to feel guilty when I nod with a chuckle at the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials.  I would rather feel outraged at these commercials and naturally defend Vista with conviction.

Note:  Macs are not perfect.  Just search on "Mac problems" and you will see what I mean.

5 Comments

  • I think the main issue is some apps don't request admin privileges when they need them. If a program only works running as admin, you are not less secure by running it as admin. It just means it isn't requesting admin privileges properly. Running an app as admin requires a UAC "OK" from an admin.

    People don't like Vista because the applications don't run properly on it. This isn't the fault of Microsoft. The security model changes require the software vendors to change there code.

    If a software vendor doesn't bother to care, why should a consumer use that vendors product? It's been at least a year since Vista's RC... Even longer since beta. What does it say about a company that doesn't put the time into something as simple as requesting admin rights? Do they really care about security?

  • Try Linux, this works as windows should do

  • No matter how many times I tried to install the print server driver, it did not work, regardless of whether I used the setup wizard or "user install." In the end, I did get it to work through the control panel installation of a "local" printer with a tcp-ip address.

    The good news is that by trying the install disk, you do see the tcp-ip address and LK8DC947 (apparently case sensitive), the two pieces of information you need beside the Vista compatible printer drivers. Entering those two pieces of information got me to the printer driver selection menu and then all went well.

  • Thanks a bunch for this information, it helped me tremendously.

  • I cn't seem to get this working, what is "UAC" and how to I get to it to disable it

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