How can I add a printer to my computer and be able to print?

Why can I not access a printer connected to another networked computer, even though I can access its documents?

• I have a desktop that has two printers connected to it via USB. The desktop IS configured for network access, and is accessible by every computer in the house. I have three laptops with a wireless connection. All three can successfully connect to the desktop and see it's documents and connected printers. Only TWO of these three laptops can access the printer and print on it. The two laptops that can print have Windows 7 and Vista. The third laptop that cannot print has Vista. It can see the desktop, it can connect to the desktop, it can see files, read files, and create files on the desktop. However, when I try to add the printer from the desktop to the list of printers on the laptop, it says Access Denied - however the other two laptops added the printer fine and can print without any trouble. Again, this one laptop that can't print seemes to have full access to the desktop's files. Any idea how to get this third laptop to add and send print jobs to the printer connected to the desktop "hub" computer? Because "Add a new printer" button isn't working and continues to give me errors.

• Answer:

  I think you need to reset your printer and follow this instruction for you to print again. Many times, you may need to connect more than one computer to a single printer. This can happen either in the case of home based businesses with various groups or even in regular offices with many users involved. Tips to connect 2 computers to one printer While going about connecting 2 computers to one printer, you need to follow a few steps to ensure the process is smooth and hassle-free. Here we outline some of these basic steps. Connection: To be able to connect both computers to a single printer you need to setup printer on "client" PC: * Connect printer to "client" PC and install it. This way all required software and drivers are installed. * Reconnect to "host" PC * Select "Properties" by right clicking * Select "shared" * In "client" PC: * Select "My Network Places" or "Network Neighborhood" * Printer appears as "shared" * Double click on the printer to install it * The same printer is now installed twice - as local and network printer * If always using network printer, set it as "default" Set up a LAN: * To be able to perform a 2 pc 1 printer connection, you first need to set up a LAN or a Local Area Network. To do this, follow these instructions: * You could either use a network adapter in your home office OR * To view the status of the network connection, you need to * Double click on Network Connections * Right click on the particular LAN * Select Status option * You could also right click on the LAN, click on Properties and then select the "Show icon in taskbar notification area when connected" checkbox. This will enable you to automatically view the status in the taskbar area Get a printer switch: Printer switches enable you to connect 2 computers to one printer. They come in a variety of types such as auto printer switch and parallel printer switch. There are several vendors available online who provide these switches at good discounts. Crossover cable: You can easily get a crossover cable from your local computer store to connect your computers to your printer. After that you can network and open the desired printer and enable it to be shared between both computers. Print server: A print server enables you to print simultaneously from two computers at the same time. However you need to ensure you have a router (which will act as a DHCP server). You also need to make sure that it's not a multifunctional printer you're working with since most print servers are not able to work with such kinds of printers. In case you do not have a router, you could purchase a PSUS4 print server, then assign static IP on the network cards and print server. No network ports present: In case there are no network ports present, then you can use either USB or parallel port adapters for your purpose.