A+ Certification / Beginners

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Sharing Printer Resources

You share printers in much the same way that you share folders on your system. After you have installed the printer and configured the settings so that the printer is functioning properly, it is time to share it.

Sharing a printer in Windows 2000/XP/2003

To share a printer, follow these steps:

1. Choose Start → Printers and Faxes.
2. Right-click the printer you want to share and choose Sharing.
3. Select Share This Printer and type the name of the share.
4. Click OK.

When sharing printers, all the same rules for sharing folders apply as far as the share name goes and how to create hidden shares.

Installing a network printer in Windows 2000/XP/2003

To print, or connect, to a shared printer out on the network, you have to install a network printer on your Windows client that points to the UNC path of the shared printer. A network printer in Windows is a printer installed that refers to a shared printer on the network. When you print to a network printer the print job is sent to the computer that has the printer installed and prints from the print device connected to that system.

You can install a network printer in a number of ways. The two most popular methods are through the Add Printer Wizard and through the Run command, depending on the network setup. To install a network printer using the Add Printer Wizard you will run the Add Printer Wizard from the Printers folder. The wizard starts up and walks you through connecting to a shared printer. The following section shows you how to install a printer that points to a network location.

Installing a network printer is very similar in all Microsoft operating systems today. To install a network printer in Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Choose Start → Printer and Faxes.
2. Click the Add a Printer link.
3. Read the welcome message and click Next.
4. Select the network printer option and click Next.
5. Choose Connect to This Printer and type the UNC path to the printer.
6. Click Next.
7. Click Finish.

Installing a network printer by using Point and Print

One of my favorite ways to install a network printer on a client is by taking advantage of Point and Print within Windows. Point and Print is a feature that copies the printer driver from one system to another as soon as you connect to the printer - no matter how you connect to the printer! What method is quickest to connect to the printer? Using the UNC path in the Run command!

After you type the UNC path of the shared printer you wish to connect to, Windows asks whether you want to install the printer on your system. When you choose Yes, a new printer is created in the Printers folder without your needing to run through the wizard. The printer driver is automatically copied from the system sharing the printer to your local system.

To install a printer by using Point and Print, follow these steps:

1. Choose Start → Run.
2. Type \\computername\PrinterShareName, where computername is the name of the system that is sharing the printer, and PrinterShare Name is the name of the shared printer.
3. When asked if you wish to install the printer, click Yes.
   The printer is now installed and ready to print to.