How can I set up my Printer to share on PC Desktop and my Laptop?

Question

My PC Desktop is in the piano room on it is a HP printer. In my kitchen I have my Sony vasio Laptop. How can I communicate and share my printer? Is it complicated?
I have Windows XP

Answer 1

It is not too complicated. First, you need to set up a wireless netowrk if you dont already have one. This will allow you to share your internet connection.

Second, you need to set up file and printer sharing. If both machines are XP, then this is easy. Go to the desktop computer in the piano room and right click the my computer icon, pick properties, and not the computer name. You could even rename it to somethig logical liek piano.

Now do the same to the laptop.

We will call the desktop piano, and the laptop laptop.

On piano, go to your start pinters and faxes. Pick on the printer you want to share and right click on it. Pick on share and pick on share this printer,. There will be a place to give it a logical name, we will call it piano printer.

Now go tot he laptop and go to my computer, int the address bar, type \\piano

This will connect your laptop to the shared resources (ie. printer) on the computer named piano.

In my computer, the printer that is shared will appear. Just ddouble click on it to connect to it. It will even download the driver to your laptop.

Now when you print from the laptop, the piano printer will be one of the options.

do the same thing to share folders on each of the computers. Right click on the folder and share it. If you do not want others on the network to see that a folder is shared, put s $ after the share name, this will make it hidden.

To connect to a hidden folder, type in the address bar \\piano\sharename$

You can also make permanent mappings by picking the tools menu in my computer and pick map network drive.

Good luck.

Answer 2

I assume both computers are running through a router?
Go to network neighborhood and run the network setup wizard (create a home or small office network)
Allow print and file sharing.
Go to Printers and Faxes.
Right click on your printer and share it.
Run the network setup wizard on your Sony.
Allow print and file sharing.
Go to printers and faxes and add a network printer.
That's the barebones version. There's all the info you need in Windows help.

Answer 3

I agree with the above advice, also want to mention, make sure both computers are part of the same work group, or else you wont see anything. Start->Control Panel->System->Network Identification. Make sure both computers have the same WorkGroup listed..for example Workgroup: MSHOME.
Or whatever, they both have to be the same in order for file sharing and print sharing.