Sharing printers between 2 computers with different operating systems

The use of Windows 7 and Windows XP operating systems is still the most popular in the office environment today. Sharing printers for computers using these two operating systems is also extremely simple.

Sharing printers among 2 or more computers with different operating systems

Firstly, to share a printer between 2 computers, we need to connect the two computers to each other as a LAN (local network), by having both computers connect to a Modem or Switch. The printer will be connected to one of the two computers. Mytour advises users to connect the printer to the most frequently used computer, while the less used computer will only print when the main computer is activated. Finally, install printer drivers for all computers in the network.

Sharing printers between 2 computers with different operating systems

I. Sharing a printer on a computer
1. Sharing a printer on Windows XP
Step 1: From the user interface, click on the Start menu in the bottom-left corner of the screen and select Printers and Faxes

Step 2: The Printers and Faxes interface appears, right-click on the printer name you wish to share between two computers and select Sharing.

Step 3: In Printer Properties, switch to the Sharing tab, click on Share this printer, and press OK to complete the printer sharing between two computers on Windows XP.

Read more: Guide to sharing printers in LAN network windows 10, 7, XP

2. Sharing a printer on Windows 7, 8.1, 10
Step 1: Use the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog box and type control panel, then press Enter.

Step 2: The Control Panel dialog appears, click on View devices and printers under the Hardware and Sound section.

Step 3: Here, to share the printer, click on the printer name you want to share, then right-click and select Printer properties.

Step 4: The Printer properties dialog box appears, switch to the Sharing tab and check the Share this printer option, then click OK.

Step 5: Next, on the system tray, right-click on the network icon in the bottom right corner of the screen and select Open Network and Sharing Center.

Step 6: In the next interface, click on the Change advanced sharing settings section.

Step 7: Scroll down to the bottom and find the Password protected sharing section, then check the option Turn off password protected sharing.

Since Windows 7 onwards, to share anything from the server, you must perform this step; otherwise, each time a client machine accesses it, it will prompt for login information.

II. Connecting the printer from different Windows versions

Method 1: Directly Connect the Printer via IP Address

With this method, users can apply it to most Windows versions including XP, 7, 8.1, 10 nowadays. You just need to know the exact IP address of the printer server, and you can easily execute it. If you don't know how to find a computer's IP address, you can refer to our guide on how to check IP addresses that we shared earlier. Once you have identified the IP address of the printer server, follow these steps:

Step 1: From the user interface, press the Windows + R key combination and enter '\' along with the IP address of the printer server, then press Enter or OK. For example, if your printer server has the IP address 192.168.1.29, you would do the following:

Step 2: The shared list of the printer server appears, right-click on the printer and select Connect, or double-click on it.

Step 3: The connection process from the workstation to the printer server will occur, and a small dialog box will appear prompting the installation of the printer's driver. Press Install driver to begin the installation process.

Don't worry about downloading or searching for the printer's driver because this step will automatically add the installation package from the printer server. However, if the two operating systems being used are different, such as one being 32-bit and the other 64-bit, you'll need to access the printer's official website and download the corresponding printer driver installation package for the workstation's operating system.

Method 2: Connect the Printer via Add Printer Tool
2.1. For Windows XP
Step 1: Access Printers and Faxes by clicking on the Start icon in the bottom left corner of the screen and selecting Printers and Faxes.

Step 2: Here, click on Add a printer as shown in the image below

Step 3: Click Next on the additional printer dialog box interface

Step 4: Next, check the box labeled A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer to find printers on the local network and click Next to proceed.

Step 5: Choose Browse for a printer and then click Next to start searching for printers on the local network.

Step 6: A list of printers on the LAN will appear, select the printer you want to connect to and click Next. Then, click Yes to confirm.

Step 7: Click Yes to install the printer driver.

Step 8: If the operating system doesn't automatically install the driver, you need to click Next in the prompt to manually select the driver.

Step 9: Select the connection standard for the printer, with newer printers often using USB 2.0 connections.

Step 10: Choose the printer name for the system to install the driver.

Step 11: If the driver is already installed, you can click Next to proceed to the next step.

Step 12: Select Yes to use this printer as default and click Next to finish connecting the printer on Windows XP.

2.2. For Windows 7
Step 1: Click on the Start menu at the bottom left corner of the screen and choose Devices and Printers

Step 2: In the next interface, click on Add a printer

Step 3: The Add Printer window appears, choose Add a network, wireless, or Bluetooth printer to search for printers on the network.

Step 4: Wait for a moment as the system searches, you will see the printers available on the network, simply select the printer you want to connect to and click Next.

Step 5: Successfully connected to the printer, click Next to proceed to the next step.

Step 6: Check the box next to Set as default printer to select the newly connected printer as the default when in use.

2.3. For Windows 10
Step 1: Access Control Panel by pressing the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog, then type control panel and press Enter or OK.

Step 2: The Control Panel dialog appears, click on View devices and printers under Hardware and Sound.

Step 3: Next, click on the option Add a printer as shown below.

Step 4: The system will automatically search for shared printers on the LAN and display a list of printers here. Simply click on the printer you want to connect to and select Next.

Step 5: The computer begins installing the driver and connecting to the printer.

Step 6: The printer connection process in Windows 10 is complete, and you can start using the printer on the workstation.