Do you want to print from your computer but don’t have a printer plugged in? If someone else on your home or work network has a printer shared from their PC, you can connect to it and print without needing to be near the printer.

What is a shared printer? It’s a printer connected to one PC but shared so other computers on the same network can print to it. This saves you from buying printers for every device and makes printing easier for everyone.

To connect, you need to know the printer’s network address. This usually looks like this:

\ComputerNamePrinterName

For example:

\MyHomePCCanon TS300 series

Here, MyHomePC is the name of the computer sharing the printer, and Canon TS300 series is the printer’s name.

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How to Add a Shared Printer Using Windows Settings

Follow these simple steps:

1. Open the Settings app. You can do this by:
   • Clicking the Start button and then selecting Settings
   • Or pressing Windows key + I on your keyboard
2. In Settings, click Bluetooth & devices on the left side.
3. Click on Printers & scanners.
4. Click the Add device button at the top.
5. When the new window opens, click Add a device manually at the bottom.
6. Select Select a shared printer by name.
7. Type the network path of the printer (like \MyHomePCCanon TS300 series).
8. If you’re not sure about the path, click the Browse button to find printers on your network.
9. Click Next and wait for Windows to connect to the printer.
10. You can print a test page to make sure it works.

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How to Add a Shared Printer from Devices and Printers Folder

You can also add a shared printer this way:

1. Open the Devices and Printers folder. You can search for “Devices and Printers” in the Start menu.
2. Click the Add a printer button at the top.
3. When it searches for printers, click the The printer that I want isn’t listed link at the bottom.
4. Choose Select a shared printer by name.
5. Type the printer’s network path (for example, \MyHomePCCanon TS300 series).
6. Or click Browse to find it on the network.
7. Click Next and then Finish when done.

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How to Add a Shared Printer Using PowerShell

If you like using commands, PowerShell lets you add a shared printer quickly.

1. Open Windows Terminal as an administrator:
   • Search for “Windows Terminal” in the Start menu
   • Right-click it and choose Run as administrator
2. Open the PowerShell tab inside Windows Terminal.
3. Type this command to add the printer:

Add-Printer -ConnectionName "\ComputerNamePrinterName"

For example:

Add-Printer -ConnectionName "\MyHomePCCanon TS300 series"

Or, if you prefer using the IP address:

Add-Printer -ConnectionName "\192.168.1.2Canon TS300 series"

Press Enter and the printer will be added.

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Summary

• You can print on a printer shared by another computer on your network without physically connecting to it.
• This helps save money by avoiding buying multiple printers.
• Windows 11 lets you add shared printers in different ways: using Settings, Devices and Printers folder, or PowerShell.
• All methods need the printer’s network path (computer name or IP and the printer’s shared name).
• Once set up, you can print easily and make the most of the printer shared on your network.