It can be very helpful to know how to share a printer in Windows 10. Without printer sharing, multiple people who want to print from the same device would have to connect their own computers. We’ll show you a much easier way in this guide.

By sharing a printer over a network, you only need to connect one PC or laptop. Anyone on the same network can use the printer without having to set it up on their own computer as long as it stays connected.

Again, you need to fully set up your printer and connect it to at least one computer before you can share it. This is also the computer you will use to share.

Below, we’ve broken the process down into easy steps. Windows 10 has printer sharing built in, so you don’t need any special software or even anything complicated. Before you start, make sure your printer is turned on and connected.

How to share a printer in Windows 10

1. Open the “Start” menu and type “Printers & Scanners” into it. When the Printers & scanners settings page is highlighted, press the Enter key to open it.

2. Click the printer you want to share, and then click “Manage.”

3. Click on “Printer properties.”

4. Click the “Sharing” tab and then check the “Share this printer” box.

5. You can change the printer’s name, which other people on the network will see when they are looking for a printer to use.

In either case, make sure that the box next to “Render print jobs on client computers” is still checked, and then click “OK.”

That’s everything you need to do to share the printer. Other users who want to use the shared printer can now use the “Add a printer or scanner” tool in the Printers & scanners section of the Settings app in Windows 10 to connect to it.

 

How to connect to a network printer

Below are the steps required to connect to a working printer on a network, and use it to print.

Connect network printer in Windows 10

1. Turn on your printer and make sure it is connected to the network.

1. Start the Control Panel.
2. Depending on how you have the Control Panel set up, click the Devices and Printers icon or the View devices and printers link.
3. Click the Add a printer link in the menu bar at the top of the Devices and Printers window.
4. Make sure that your printer is connected to the network, and then turn it on.

5. Let Windows scan for the printer. If detected, select the printer and click Next. If the printer is not listed, click The printer that I want isn’t listed and skip to add the printer by name or TCP/IP address.

If you know the printer’s name, choose Select a shared printer by name and enter the path to the printer. For example, with a network named hope and a printer named hp, the network path would be: \\hope\hp.

Choose Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname if you don’t know the printer’s path but do know its IP address.

Click Next.

7. During the installation, if Windows asks where the drivers are, point to where they are. If you don’t have drivers, you can find links to all printer drivers in our printer drivers section.

Connect network printer in Windows 8

1. Make sure your printer is connected to the network and then turn it on.

    

2. Start the Control Panel.

    

3. Hardware and Sound will come up.

    

4. Double-click the icon that looks like a printer.

    

5. Select

    

6. Click Next after adding a network, wireless, or Bluetooth printer.

    

7. Windows should try to find the printer. If the printer is found, choose it and click Next.

    

8. If the printer you want isn’t listed, click “The printer I want isn’t listed” and move on to “Add the printer by name or TCP/IP address.”

If you know the printer’s name, choose Select a shared printer by name and type in the path to the printer. For instance, if a network is called hope  and a printer is called  hp, the network path would be:\\hope\hp

Choose Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname if you don’t know the printer’s path but do know its IP address.

Click Next.

7. During the installation, if Windows asks where your printer drivers are, point it to where they are. If you don’t have drivers, you can find links to all printer drivers in our printer drivers section.

Connect network printer in Windows Vista and 7

Make sure your printer is connected to the network and then turn it on.

1. Start the Control Panel.

    

2. Hardware and Sound will come up.

    

3. Double-click the icon that looks like a printer.

    

4. Select

    

5. Click Next after adding a network, wireless, or Bluetooth printer.

    

6. Windows should try to find the printer. If the printer is found, choose it and click Next.

    

7. If the printer you want isn’t listed, click “The printer I want isn’t listed” and move on to “Add the printer by name or TCP/IP address.”

If you know the printer’s name, choose Select a shared printer by name and type in the path to the printer. For instance, if a network is called “hope” and a printer is called “hp,” the network path would be: “hopehp.”

Choose Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname if you don’t know the printer’s path but do know its IP address.

Click Next.

7. During the installation, if Windows asks where your printer drivers are, point it to where they are. If you don’t have drivers, you can find links to all printer drivers in our printer drivers section.

Connect network printer in Windows 2000 and XP

1. Make sure your printer is connected to the network and then turn it on.
2. Start the Control Panel.
3. Double-click the icon that says Printers or Printers and Fax.
4. Double-click the icon that looks like a printer.
5. Click the Next button in the printer wizard to get started.
6. Choose either “A network printer” or “A printer connected to another computer” and click “Next.” The choice depends on what version of Windows you are using.
7. Type the name of the network address of the printer. The name of the computer and the name of the printer make up the address. For instance, if a network is called “hope” and a printer is called “hp,” the network path would be: “hopehp.”
8. If you are adding the printer to a computer with Windows XP, click the Browse icon to look through your network and find the printer. If you can’t connect to the printer or see it when you browse, make sure you have network access and that any firewalls you have installed are temporarily turned off.
9. After typing in the network path to the printer, click Next.
10. If the computer doesn’t already have the printer drivers, you’ll need to install them from a driver’s disc or a download from the Internet. If you don’t have the software or drivers for your printer anymore, you can find the drivers for your printer in our section for printer drivers.

Connect printer in Windows 95, 98, or ME

1. Make sure your printer is connected to the network and then turn it on.

    

2. Start the Control Panel.

    

3. Double-click the Printers icon.

    

4. Double-click the icon that looks like a printer.

    

5. Click Next to start the wizard for adding a printer.

    

6. Click Next after you have chosen Network Printer.

    

7. Type in the path to the printer on the network. For instance, if a network is called “hope” and a printer is called “hp,” the network path would be: “hopehp.”

    

8. If the computer doesn’t already have the printer drivers, you’ll need to install them from a driver’s disc or a download from the Internet. If you don’t have the software or drivers for your printer anymore, you can find the drivers for your printer in our section for printer drivers.

Connect printer in macOS

1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar to open the Apple menu.
2. Click System Preferences in the Apple menu.

3. Click the shortcut icon for Printers & Scanners.

4. Click the plus sign at the bottom left of the window.

5. In the next window, click the IP tab (A), type in your printer’s IP address (B), and then click the Add button (C).

6. Once you’ve added the printer, you’ll be able to see it in the Printers & Scanners window.

How to Find the IP Address of Your Printer ?

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