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Resolving an issue with printing from a Windows 11 guest running in Parallels Desktop on macOS Sonoma after installing a replacement device

Published on 24th October 2024 Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Recently, I ran into trouble with a Brother multi-function printer while using it with my iMac. It had worked fine with Windows machines before then, so I decided to see it there was a compatibility issue. Since the output was no better, I decided to replace it. After all, it was nearly thirteen years old.

Having not got on well with inkjet printers over the years, I decided on an HP multifunction printer based around a colour laser system. The Brother had been connected using a USB cable, but the HP allowed for Wi-Fi printing, so I opted for that instead. The connection between the device and the network was sorted using the available app on an Android phone.

Then, there was setting the device up on the iMac. Doing that on macOS worked well; going to Printers & Scanners in the System Settings app and clicking on the add button was enough to start that. The crux came when getting the same done on a Windows 11 Home guest that I have running within Parallels Desktop.

While the printer appeared under Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners already, attempt to print resulted in errors. The solution was to go back to macOS and open the System Settings app. Going into General > Sharing took me to the Printer Sharing setting. Turning this on, I set it so that it allowed everyone to print. That resolved the issue.

All of this was on macOS Sonoma, where postscript printing is not supported any more; Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) is what it uses instead. That does mean that printing with older versions of Parallels Desktop may not work any more. Thankfully, my software is the latest version, so I got things to work for me as I needed.

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