Before the Internet became so popular, the main reason for connecting computers to each other on a network was to share files and printers. Maybe you have a home or office network that shares an Internet connection but you haven't connected your computers to a shared printer yet. If you're not sharing your printer, it's time to do it now! Here's how:

1. On the computer that's connected to the printer, click the Start button and then click on Printers and Faxes.
2. In the Printers and Faxes window, right click on your printer and click the Sharing command.
3. The default setting is to not share the printer. Select the Share this printer option. In the Share name text box, type in the name for the printer. Other people will use this name to connect to your printer.
4. Click the Additional Drivers button. You can install printer drivers to support other operating systems used by remote computers that will print to your printer. Just put a checkmark in the checkbox for the operating system(s) you want to support and click OK. A dialog box will appear asking you to insert the CD or disk that has the printer drivers. Install the drivers as indicated. Click OK in the Additional Drivers dialog box. Click Apply and click OK in the printer's Properties dialog box.
5. Go to the computer that needs to print to your printer. Open the Printers and Faxes window.
6. Click the Add a printer link on the left side of the window. Click Next in the Welcome to the Add Printer Wizard dialog box.
7. On the Local or Network Printer page, select the A network printer, or A printer attached to another computer option. Click Next.
8. On the Specify a Printer page, select the Connect to this printer option and type in the path to your printer. The path is \\computername\printername. The Computer name is the name of the computer that is directly hooked up to the printer. The printer name is the name you assigned to the printer when you shared it. Click Next.
9. On the Default Printer page, select Yes to make the printer the default printer. Click Next.
10. Click Finish on the last page of the Wizard.

Remote users can print to the printer right away. You don't need to restart the computer.