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CompTIA A+ Core 1: How Can a Laptop Print to a Shared Office Printer Connected to Another Computer?

By: Author Alex Lim

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Learn how to configure a laptop to print to a shared office printer connected to another computer. Discover how network printer sharing works in Windows and why configuring the printer as a network printer is the best solution for multi-device access.

Table of Contents

Question

A user needs to print from a laptop to a shared office printer, but the printer is connected to another computer. What is the best solution?

A. Move the printer closer to the laptop
B. Use a USB-to-Ethernet adapter
C. Reinstall the printer driver
D. Restart the printer spooler service
E. Configure the printer as a network printer

Answer

E. Configure the printer as a network printer

Explanation

Network printers allow multiple devices to print without direct physical connections.

When a printer is physically connected to one computer but needs to be accessible from another device—such as a laptop—the best solution is to configure the printer as a network (shared) printer. This process allows multiple devices on the same network to send print jobs to the printer, even if it is not directly attached to them.

Steps to Configure a Shared Network Printer:

Enable Printer Sharing on the Host Computer:

  1. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
  2. Right-click the printer, select Printer properties, and open the Sharing tab.
  3. Check Share this printer, assign a share name, and apply the changes.

Connect the Laptop to the Shared Printer:

  1. On the laptop, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Click Add a printer or scanner. If the shared printer does not appear, select The printer that I want isn’t listed.
  3. Enter the network path (e.g., \\ComputerName\PrinterName) or browse for the printer on the network.
  4. Windows will install the necessary drivers and add the printer to the laptop’s list of available printers.

Print from the Laptop:

Select the shared printer from the print dialog in any application.

Why This Is the Best Solution:

  • No need to move hardware: The printer remains connected to its host computer.
  • Multi-device access: Any authorized device on the same network can print.
  • Centralized management: Printer settings and drivers are managed on the host, simplifying updates and troubleshooting.

This method is supported by Windows 10 and 11 and is widely recommended in official documentation and technical tutorials. It is the most efficient and scalable way to enable printing from multiple devices to a single shared printer.

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