How do I share a printer on my network?

Q I have a home network set up with a desktop computer running Windows XP and a laptop running Vista – both connected by network cables to a BT Home Hub router. The desktop computer has a printer attached on a USB port. Is it possible for the laptop and the desktop to share files or printing facilities?

Alan J Foxall

A It certainly is and since you’ve already got both connected to the same network you’ve done some of the hard work. Each computer has some shared folders (for documents, music and so on) which you should be able to see from the other computer – select the My Network Places icon in XP or in Vista click on Network (both will be in the Start menu).

In each case you should see the other computer as an icon – double-click this and you’ll see the shared folders, into which you can drag and drop files as though they were on the same computer.

If you have any problems, follow Computeractive's instructions on how to share a printer, where we cover using the Network setup wizard to make sure everything’s connected correctly. That also covers how to share the printer.