To share a printer in Windows 10, turn on file and printer sharing for your private network first. Then select Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, and select Manage > Printer properties. On the Sharing tab, check Share this printer, give it a share name, and select OK.
Applies to: Windows 10. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 25, 2026.
The PC with the printer attached has to be on for other computers to print to it. If your printer has its own network or Wi-Fi connection, you can add it on each PC directly instead.
Turn on file and printer sharing
- Make sure your network is set to Private in Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Properties.
- In the search box on the taskbar, type Control Panel and open it.
- Select Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings.
- Under Private, select Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing.
- Select Save changes.
- Select Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select the printer, then select Manage.
- Select Printer properties and open the Sharing tab.
- If you see Change Sharing Options, select it and select Yes.
- Check Share this printer.
- Keep or change the Share name. A short name without spaces is easiest to type on other PCs.
- Select OK.
- On the other PC, select Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select Add a printer or scanner and pick the shared printer when it appears.
- If it doesn’t appear, select The printer that I want isn’t listed, choose Select a shared printer by name, and type the PC and share name, such as
\\ALEX-PC\Contoso-Laser.
To find the host PC’s name, open Settings > System > About on that PC and look at Device name. The share name is on the printer’s Sharing tab. If the name doesn’t work, use the host’s IP address instead, such as \\192.168.1.20\Contoso-Laser. To find it, run ipconfig in Command Prompt on the host PC and use the IPv4 Address. Giving the host PC a fixed IP address in your router keeps that path working.
- The host PC must stay on. Other PCs print through it, so if it sleeps or shuts down, the printer is unavailable to everyone else.
- Password-protected sharing. Under Advanced sharing settings > All Networks, this setting is on by default. When it’s on, people connecting need a user name and password for an account on the host PC.
- Drivers need an administrator. Since a 2021 security update, Windows asks for administrator rights the first time another PC installs the shared printer’s driver.
- Older or 32-bit PCs. On the printer’s Sharing tab, select Additional Drivers to add a driver for other processor types, if the manufacturer provides one.
- “Windows cannot connect to the printer.” Install the latest Windows updates on both PCs, then add the printer again. If it still fails, install the printer’s driver on the second PC from the manufacturer’s site first.
- You’re asked for a password you don’t know. Enter the user name and password of an account on the host PC, not the account on the PC you’re using. Check Remember my credentials.
- Print jobs stay in the queue. On the host PC, open the printer queue and make sure the printer isn’t paused or offline. Restarting the Print Spooler service on the host clears a stuck job.
- The printer worked, then stopped. The host PC’s network may have switched to Public. Set it back to Private in Settings > Network & Internet.
- It’s slow to print. On the Sharing tab, keep Render print jobs on client computers checked so the other PCs do the processing.
If the printer has Wi-Fi or an Ethernet port, connecting it straight to the network is usually more reliable. Then every PC can add it directly, and no PC needs to stay on.
Frequently asked questions
Other PCs can’t see the shared printer. What should I check?
Both PCs must be on the same private network with network discovery on, and the PC sharing the printer must be awake. Also check that the firewall allows file and printer sharing.
How do I stop sharing?
Open the printer’s Sharing tab again and clear Share this printer.
How do I add a printer in the first place?
See how to add a printer in Windows 10. If it shows as offline, see how to get a printer back online in Windows 10.
Can I share a printer with a Mac?
Often, yes. On the Mac, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners > Add Printer and look under the Windows tab. Some printers need the Mac driver installed first.
Can I share a printer without a homegroup?
Yes. HomeGroup was removed from Windows 10 in 2018. The sharing steps above work without it.
To set default print options for everyone, see how to change printer settings in Windows 10.
To share files with other PCs on your network, see how to share folders in Windows 10.
Microsoft’s guide is Share a printer as a network printer. More help is on our Windows Help & Guides page.
Related: how to open a PRN file in Windows 10.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.