yes, I tried to enable printer and file sharing in Networking and the config tab. I was able to activate the "file and printer sharing" button but I cannot load the client and drivers without the CD.
Basically, I am looking for an alternative to having a physical CD. I have all of the instructions to execute printer sharing, just missing the CD.
Here are the instructions for anyone who sees this thread and needs them:
Network Printer Sharing In Windows 98
Windows 98 users often encounter roadblocks when setting up a printer to share across a network. Although newer versions of Windows largely automate the configuration of your home network, Win98’s tools are comparatively primitive in this department. We’ll guide you through the Win98 configuration process and show you how to share a printer on your home network.
Configure Your Win98 Network Settings
First of all, it’s a good idea to put a Network icon on your Desktop. To do so, click Start, Settings, and Control Panel. Right-click and drag the Network icon from the Control Panel to the Desktop and select Create Shortcut Here. Double-click the new Desktop Network icon to access your configuration. You’ll also need your Win98 and network adapter software CDs because you’ll use them to install the network settings.
Make sure that File And Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks is listed on the Network Configuration tab.
Sharing your printer in Win98 means you’ll have to configure your network settings. On the Configuration tab of the Network dialog box, you’ll find a menu on the right side. Client will allow you to access remote files, printers, and other shared resources on the network. All computers running a version of Windows must install the Client For Microsoft Networks to have remote access to files and printers, but newer versions of Windows automatically configure it for you. To configure the Client, click Add, and when the Select Network Component Type window appears, click Client and then click Add again. Click Microsoft and choose Client For Microsoft Networks. You’ll need to insert your Win98 CD to install the Client drivers. When Win98 prompts you for the location of the drivers, select the drive containing your Win98 CD. Your PC will pull the necessary files from your CD and prompt you to restart your computer.
When the Restart window appears, click Restart Later. Win98 will encourage you to restart your PC after every added service, but it’s best to wait until you’re finished configuring all of the settings before you restart. IPX/SPX-Compatible Protocol allows network exchanges between computers and will help automatically detect your network address and configuration settings. On the Configuration tab, click Add. Click Protocol and then click Add again. Select Microsoft and then click the IPX/SPX-Compatible Protocol.
Adapt Your Adapter
You won’t be able to connect to your local network without a network adapter. A network adapter, or NIC (network interface card), is the physical device that connects your computer to the network, and if your computer doesn’t have one, you can purchase a NIC for less than $15 at your local electronics retailer. Remember to follow all directions in the accompanying network adapter user’s guide when you install the card. You need to add your adapter so that Win98 can apply the IPX/SPX-Compatible Protocol settings to your network adapter. In the Network dialog box, click Add and then double-click Adapter. The Network Adapter menu will display a list of adapter models. If you see your adapter brand and model number in the list, select it and then click OK. If you don’t see it, don’t worry; you can install its drivers by clicking the Have Disk button. When you click Have Disk, Win98 will request the location of the software. Click the Browse button and select the CD drive in which you have inserted the network adapter software. The computer will search the adapter software CD for the files it needs. Once Win98 completes the configuration of your new settings, in the Network Configuration tab you should see services listed for Client For Microsoft Networks, your network adapter, and IPX/SPX protocol listed as IPX/SPX -> [the name of your network adapter]. Restart your computer.
Put Your Computer & Printer In The Right Network
In Win98, your Network Neighborhood is where you access the other computers in your network. To share your printer with other computers in your Network Neighborhood, your computer needs to be set up in the same Workgroup as those computers. Double-click the Network icon we placed on the Desktop. On the Configuration tab, select Windows Logon from the Primary Network Logon drop-down menu. Click the Identification tab. The Identification tab lets you set your Computer Name, Network Workgroup, and Computer Description. Your computer needs to have a unique name to distinguish it from the rest of the computers in the Network Workgroup, and the Network Workgroup name needs to be the same as the other computers on your network. To find the name of the Network Workgroup and computers already on your network, double-click your Desktop’s Network Neighborhood icon. Double-click Entire Network to find the Network Workgroup. Write down the Workgroup name exactly as it appears on the screen. Take note of the other computer names within the Workgroup and choose a unique name for your PC. It’s a good idea to choose a name that indicates the location of the computer in your house, such as Office Computer. Return to your Network settings and enter the unique computer name in the Computer Name field. For the Workgroup Name, enter the name you wrote down earlier and click OK.
Sharing The Printer
Share other useful file folders for other computers on your network. You can share a folder the same way you shared the printer: Right-click the folder and click Shared As in the ensuing dialog box.
File And Print Sharing is the setting that lets you to share your printer on the network. On the Configuration tab of the Network dialog box, click the File And Print Sharing button. You will see two options: I Want To Be Able To Give Others Access To My Files and I Want To Be Able To Allow Others To Print To My Printer(s). Select both boxes if you want to share both files and printers. Click OK and insert your Windows CD; Windows will need to install the drivers for File And Print Sharing. Once the File And Print Sharing drivers finish installing, restart your PC.
Even though you have enabled Print Sharing, your printer is not yet shared on the network. To share the printer, click Start, Settings, and then click Printers. The printer connected to the Win98 computer should be listed. Right-click the printer icon and then click the Sharing tab. Change the printer from Not Shared to Shared As and then enter a Share Name. A Share Name is the name of the printer as it will appear on the network, and you can use the Comment field below the Share Name to indicate where the printer is located or the primary use of the printer. You can prevent unauthorized network users from using the printer with the Password field. If you don’t feel you need a password, leave the field blank. You will know a printer is shared because a small hand will appear under your printer’s icon in the Printers window. All shared files and printers have this same icon.
Check that your printer is available on the network by double-clicking the Network Neighborhood icon on your Desktop. Look for the shared printer in the Workgroup and Computer Name you chose.
Print Over The Network
From a different network computer, you can add the printer we shared on the network to that computer's list of available printers. In Windows XP, click Start and Settings. Click Printers And Faxes. Click Add A Printer and click Next. Click A Network Printer, Or Printer Attached To Another Computer and click Next. Select Find A Printer In The Directory and click Next. Click Find Now; the printers in your Network will be listed at the bottom of the window. Find the shared network printer you want to add and click OK. In Windows 2000, click Start and Settings. Click Printers and then double-click Add Printer. In the Add Printer Wizard, click Next, select Network Printer, and click Next. Select Type The Printer Name, Or Click Next To Browse For A Printer and click Next. Find the shared network printer you want to add and click Next. Click Finish, and the network printer will be in your Printers folder. Use another computer on the network to print a test page to the Win98 computer’s printer and thereby ensure you can print via the network.
When you share multiple printers over the network you can use each printer for a specific purpose. For example, use an older printer only for drafts and low-quality print jobs. You can save the ink on your newer printer for important documents and pictures. Also, if one of your printers happens to break, you don’t have to move any equipment or reinstall any software.
