Teaching Windows XP to speak AppleTalk

AppleTalk protocol support on Windows XP

Windows 2000, which I still consider Microsoft's zenith, shipped with native support for AppleTalk. This made it possible to seamlessly share files and printers between Macintoshes and Windows 2000 PCs over AppleTalk networks.

When Windows XP came along it was sadly missing AppleTalk protocol support - Microsoft had decided to take it out of the package. But discerning Windows users soon found a trick. One can simply copy over just six files from an existing Windows 2000 installation configured with AppleTalk into the Windows directory of XP. After copying over the six files and rebooting, XP offers AppleTalk as an additional protocol that can be installed on any network adapter.

This makes a nice addition to my little but diverse AppleTalk network consisting of MacOS 9 and Linux (via netatalk) by now letting Windows XP support AppleTalk printers. To connect an AppleTalk printer to Windows XP, use the usual "Add Printer" wizard from the "Printers and Faxes" control panel. You can create a new port for "AppleTalk Printing Devices" type of port.

Add AppleTalk Printer Port on Windows XP

Windows XP will go and look for connected AppleTalk printers and make them available. Unfortunately, this is where my test ends, since I do not have an AppleTalk printer to test with!

Connecting Windows XP to AppleTalk Printer

The six Windows 2000 files that provide AppleTalk support and can be copied from Windows 2000 to Windows XP are:

1. C:\WINDOWS\INF\netatlk.inf
2. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\sfmatmsg.dll
3. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\sfmmon.dll
4. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\sfmwshat.dll
5. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\sfmatalk.sys
6. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SPOOL\PRTPROCS\W32X86\sfmpsprt.dll

A copy of these six Windows 2000 AppleTalk files for Windows XP can be downloaded from my google drive. If you are more interested in Neko the mouse-chasing cat who lives on desktops, you can adopt Neko for your desktop from here.