Do you have a printer connected to a PC via a USB cable? Then it is really not necessary to do all your printing via this one computer. In Windows 7, the printer can easily be shared with the other PCs in the home network. You can then print on it wirelessly.
1. Homegroup printing
The easiest way to print to a printer connected to another PC is to set up a HomeGroup in Windows 7. All PCs in the homegroup can easily share printers (and files) with each other. You do not have to enter a username and password every time to access it. This means you can print wirelessly, regardless of where you are working: at home, on the balcony or in the garden. We start on the PC to which the printer is connected. Go to Start / Control Panel / Network & Internet / HomeGroup. Now three things can happen. If this PC isn't already a member of the homegroup, you still need to join. You can do that with a click on Join now. You do need a one-time password for this, which can be found on the PC mentioned in this window via Start / Control Panel / Network & Internet / HomeGroup / View and Print the HomeGroup Password.
The PC must join the Windows 7 homegroup.
2. Share Printer
The second possibility is that there is no homegroup at all, although this is quite rare. In that case, you can start one from this screen in the blink of an eye. The third possibility is that there is already a homegroup that this PC is neatly a member of. You will then immediately see the screen Change homegroup settings to see. Click at the bottom of this screen Change advanced sharing settings. Put a check in Enable network discovery and with Enable file and printer sharing. click on Saving Changes to return to the previous screen. Put a check under the heading Libraries and printers sharing Printers and click here too Saving Changes. Now we just have to share the printer. Go to Home / Devices and Printers, right click on the printer and choose Printer properties. Put on the tab To share a checkmark Share this printer and enter a recognizable name at Share name. click on OK to save the changes.
A printer can easily be shared with all PCs in the homegroup.
3. Add Printer
Now that the printer is shared, we can make it available wirelessly on one or more other PCs on the home network. You therefore perform the following actions on every PC from which you want to be able to print wirelessly, except the one to which the printer is connected via USB, of course. On such a PC you go to Start / Control Panel / Network & Internet / HomeGroup. If the PC is already a member of the homegroup, you can leave this screen immediately, otherwise make this computer a member first. Then go to Home / Devices and Printers and click on the top Add a printer. Choose Add network printer, wireless printer, or Bluetooth printer, select the shared printer in the overview and click Next one. The necessary drivers will now be automatically retrieved and installed for you. After that, the shared printer can be seen in the device list at Home / Devices and Printers and you can print to it wirelessly from any program. Note: the PC to which the printer is connected via USB must be turned on.
Add the shared printer as a wireless printer. Necessary drivers will be retrieved automatically.
