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See also the article: Print over the network

File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista

Published: November 08, 2006 | Updated: May 14, 2007

On This Page

• Abstract
• Differences in File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista
• Configuring File and Printer Sharing Behavior in Windows Vista
• Sharing a Folder or Printer in Windows Vista
• Accessing a Shared Folder or Printer with Windows Vista

General

This article describes how to use a printer that is connected to another computer in your network.

The following instructions should work in all newer versions of Windows including Vista. There are other ways to find and connect to a network printer, for example using the Printer Install Wizard, and you may or may not have to install the printer driver locally.

Step-by-step instructions

There are a few fundamental points you want to look at when you have problems networking a Windows Vista computer with other computers running Windows XP.

1. Try to open another computer's shares by clicking on [Start], Run... and entering two backslashes (\\), directly followed by the other computer's name. This allows you to connect to a computer quickly, even before it shows up in your network environment.
   

networking errors

Q: Why can I not connect to administrative shares like C$?

A: As a security feature in Vista, the default admin shares like C$, D$, ADMIN$, are unavailable unless you joined to a domain.

The way around this is to set share permissions, along with folder permissions. You can view folder permissions by selecting the properties of the drive, then click the Security tab.

Hello *.

I have a Windows xp professional SP2 running on one computer with a shared printer attached. The user "Guest" or the group "everybody" has full access to it. I'm living in a student community where every person in the local network can print on this shared printer.
What I want is to audit or monitor who prints what on my printer, e.g. i want to know the computers network-name or IP and the number of pages as well as the print date&time, so that if someone prints a lot on my printer when i'm away i can see this later.

Hi there

I wonder if someone could help me.

I filled in the form on the winhlp.com page, and I have partially solved the problem.

I have 2 laptops: "A" is a Windows XP with Service Pack 2, and various 3rd party firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus software.

"B" is an old Windows 2000 machine with various 3rd party firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus software.

I have a Wireless router.

The problem

You use a laptop at work, and there it has to be in a domain. You also want to use the laptop at home, where you only have a workgroup setting.

Solution 1 – Use the laptop as is

General

The preferable option is usually to leave the laptop's configuration alone as much as possible, so you don't cause any problems when the laptop goes back to the domain.

General