8.1 Found Workgroup printer. I'm not on Workgroup. Need new Printer?

Thanks for the replies.

dodger, I uninstalled the previous Epson 580 printer's driver in device manager and the printer disappeared from the list. Ok. Then, I right clicked the driver.exe and did Troubleshoot Compatibility. After 'changes applies' (and I tried every combination), it said 'I need to test the program to make sure the new settings fixed the problem before hitting next'. When I tested it, It successfully unzipped all the files but then gave 'error 0 running command setup\setup.exe.' It still won't print. When I try to print something, it says I need to install a printer, I hit yes and it just tries to install the printer in the other room again. Does that mean this printer is just too incompatible with Windows 8? This printer: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?oid=14389&BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Downloads&platform=OSF_W_XP-32

What bothers me too is how my PC found the printer in the other room even though I have everything set to private. (I checked how you said and everything's always been disabled and private. I think it was like that by default, but if not, I made sure everything was private right after I installed W8.1 a few days ago). But when I read it more closely, I have it blocked to let OTHER computers find MY printer, so I guess I have no way of blocking MY computer from finding the OTHER printer in the other room because I know it's a shared printer that prints from multiple computers here (and apparently mine if I want to). So there's no way of disabling that? I never noticed anything like this in XP, but then again, MY printer always worked in XP. And there's nothing for me to worry about having my files etc shared on the network that I don't want to and I can go ahead and retrieve the data I saved from XP to my external drive and get on with computing? In file explorer, all the folders (that I checked so far) are also set to private/unshared. I suppose my desktop isn't also shared since I have everything in settings set to private?? Smorizio, I'm not on wi-fi or anything wireless, my computer doesn't have wireless hardware.

Ok, I'll try to find my computer files from other computers on the router. I don't think I will though, just skeptical since I found the other printer with everything set to private.

I edited my previous post about the printer problem in case you can help more with that. thanks again.

It made the sound when i plugged the printer back in but nothing popped up and it still tried to install printer in other room when I attempted to print.

I also Troubleshooted it in control Panel's Devices and Printers and it said it fixed something but still didn't work.

So I tried your other method of unzipping the files and doing Troubleshoot Compatibility for the Setup file (instead of Troubleshoot Compatibility for the main downloaded file which didn't work before). When it told me I need to test the program before hitting next, when I clicked the [test] box, nothing happened (the previous method of Troubleshoot compatibility on the initial D'loaded file before unzipping it allowed me to test it but gave an error anyway). I hit next anyway to complete the process but it didn't print, it keeps trying to install the printer in the other room. I tried the OEMINF also with same results. When it tries to install the other printer, I can stop it and select 'The printer that I want isn't listed" shown in the first image posted here (edit, sorry, you''ll have to see it here..
http://s157.photobucket.com/user/toms4333/library/?sort=9&page=1

Then I follow the images shown but when I try to select 'Have Disc', it doesn't find the disc in the optical. The only other Cds/DVDs I have are DBAN (HDD wiping .iso), XP OS DVD, and W8.1 OS. Even though I just formatted with the W8.1 disc, none of these are found when in the optical drive. But that's another problem I'm not worried about now because I downloaded the printer driver anyway. Instead of 'Have Disc', there are Epson printers listed but only about 12 and I don't see mine and highly doubt it's on the list under a different name. As a last resort, I selected one of the provided Epson printers shown in the last image on photobucket (standard 1 V4 class driver) and tried to print a test page afterwards. The printer made noises for 10 minutes as if it's trying to print but won't. So I uninstalled the driver in device manager and disabled the printer in Devices and Printers. Rebooted and plugged the printer back in, it made the sound again but this time a pop up actually said it was installing the printer, but, when I tried to print the only printer shown was the random one I chose in the drop down menu when I couldn't use 'have disc", it showed the Standard 1 V4 Class Driver printer (and not the one in the other room), but it still wouldn't print. I thought I completely erased the Standard 1 V4 Class Driver already but that's what it keeps installing it as.



Even if it means my data's private, I don't want to use the other room's printer...

edit: It might not be possible:
https://epson.custhelp.com/app/answers/preview_detail/a_id/28948

but i'm waiting on reply from epson just in case.

thanks for your help. Yup, in the market for a new printer now. Some good refurb deals on ebay, hopefully with refillable cartridges, but probably nothing like the $2.99 cartridges I was getting for this one which lasted like 3 months each. Will be nice to also have a scanner though instead of scanning on the other PC and transfering the file via thumbdrive since the other PC doesn't even have email and I won't log into a temp email and save a draft with the files and log into it with this computer to get it. I'm anal about anything touching my computer even a thumbdrive to transfer data from the other PC, so it'll be nice to have a scanner every once in a while.

I'm still baffled how I keep finding the printer in the other room though. I made a simpler thread here titled just for that question.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2028142/windows-finds-printer-room-sharing-disabled.html