How to Share a Printer in Windows 11 or Windows 10

To share a printer in Windows 11, select it in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, open Printer properties > Sharing, and enable Share this printer. Give it a recognizable share name, save the setting, then add the shared printer on the other PC.

This guide covers sharing an installed printer through a Windows PC on your local network. That PC acts as the host: keep it powered on, awake and connected while others print. A printer connected directly to Wi-Fi or Ethernet can also have its own network connection; that is a separate setup choice. If you want that route, use this Windows printer installation guide.

Prepare the Host PC and Network

Print a test page from the host PC first. If it doesn’t print there, fix the cable, network, or driver before sharing. On a work or school network, ask the administrator about sharing permissions.

Use the same trusted local network on both PCs. In Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet, select the connected network and choose Private. Under Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings > Private networks, enable Network discovery and File and printer sharing. Only do this on a network you trust. Microsoft’s network-sharing guidance explains discovery and local-network checks.

Enable Printer Sharing in Windows 11

1. On the host PC, press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Select Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners.
3. Select the installed printer you intend to share. Check the model or existing name so you do not change another queue.
4. Open Printer properties and select the Sharing tab.
5. If shown, select Change Sharing Options and approve the administrator prompt. Check Share this printer.
6. Choose and record the Share name, then select OK. Use a name that clearly identifies the printer, such as OfficeLaser.

The share name is what the second PC uses to connect, so write it down exactly. It is separate from the printer name shown on the host PC, which you can change by renaming the printer in Windows 11.

Add the Shared Printer on the Second PC

1. On the host PC, open Settings > System > About and note the Device name.
2. On the second PC, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and select Add device.
3. If the shared printer appears, select Add device next to it and skip to step 6.
4. If it doesn’t appear, select Add manually next to The printer that I want isn’t listed, then choose Select a shared printer by name.
5. Type \\computer_name\printer_name, using the host’s device name and the share name, and select Next.
6. Enter the host PC’s user name and password if asked, install the driver if prompted, and select Finish.

Microsoft documents the full printer-sharing procedure.

To test it, print a page from the second PC and check that it comes out of the right printer.

If the second PC will use this printer most of the time, make it the default printer in Windows 11.

If the Shared Printer Does Not Work

Check the host is awake and can still print locally. Then check the host name, share name, trusted-network profile and sharing settings. Being able to browse the internet on both PCs doesn’t mean the printer connection works.

If the second PC can’t see the host PC under Network at all, turn on network discovery in Windows 11 on both PCs for your private network.

• Asked for a user name and password: enter an account that exists on the host PC, written as HOSTNAME\username, with that account’s password.
• Error 0x0000011b or “Windows can’t connect to the printer”: install all available Windows updates on both PCs and restart them, since a host and client on different security update levels often can’t connect.
• Asked to install a driver: allow it, or install the printer maker’s driver for the second PC’s Windows version, then try again.

Not sure which account to use? Here is what to type for network credentials in Windows 11.

Share a Printer in Windows 10

First confirm the printer works on its host PC, and use a trusted Private network with network discovery and file and printer sharing turned on. Microsoft’s printer-sharing guide covers both Windows versions.

1. On the host PC, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and select the printer.
2. Select Manage, then Printer properties, and open the Sharing tab.
3. Select Change Sharing Options if shown, check Share this printer, note the Share name, and click OK.
4. On the other PC, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and select Add a printer or scanner.
5. If the printer isn’t listed, select The printer that I want isn’t listed, choose Select a shared printer by name, enter \\computer_name\printer_name, and select Next.
6. Enter the host account’s user name and password if asked, select Finish, and print a test page. Keep the host PC awake while others print.

Frequently Asked Questions