Share a Printer Between Windows 7 Machines Not in the Same Homegroup

Sometimes you need to use a printer connected to another Windows 7 machine and they’re not part of a Homegroup, but are on the same network. Today we show you how to share a printer between two Windows 7 computers on a home network.

Note: In this example we’re connecting a Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit computer to an HP PSC 1500 printer on a Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit bit machine. They are on the same home network, but not part of the same Homegroup. Keep in mind every printer is different so finding and installing the correct drivers will vary.

Share Printer

On the computer with the printer you want to share, open Advanced Sharing Settings and make sure File and Printer Sharing is turned on.

Next open Devices and Printers from the Start menu, right-click on the printer you want to share, and select Printer Properties.

In the Properties window click on the Sharing tab. Check the box to Share this printer and give it a name…in this example we used the location of where it is. You can name it whatever you want, it’s best to keep the name short and not use spaces.

 

Connect Printer

Now on the Windows 7 machine you want to connect, click on Start and select Devices and Printers.

In the Devices and Printers window click on Add a printer.

Next select Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer…

Wait a moment while Windows finds the printer then click Next.

The printer has been successfully added so click Next.

Now you can print a test page to make sure everything is working successfully or click Finish.

 

If you want to make it your default printer, go back into Devices and Printers, right-click on the printer and select Set as default printer.

 

If that doesn’t work, make sure the correct drivers are installed for the printer and try again. If that still doesn’t work you can select The printer that I want isn’t listed…

Then browse directly to the printer on the other machine or just type in the path if you know it.

Conclusion

If you have an older printer, sometimes it can be tricky getting it to be recognized and you’ll want to make sure you have the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s website. If your printer is too old and you can’t find drivers that will work with Windows 7, you might want to consider buying a new one as they are pretty cheap these days. If both machines are connected to a Homegroup check out our article on Sharing Printers and Files in Windows 7 with Homegroup – it makes the sharing process much easier.