Printing over a wireless network windows 7

When you connect a printer to your PC or add a new printer to your home network, you can usually start printing right away. Windows supports most printers, and you probably won't have to go out of your way to install special printer software. If you're using Windows 8.

In most cases, all you have to do to set up a printer is to connect it to your PC. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings , and then tap Change PC settings. If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings. Tap or click PC and devices , and then tap or click Devices. If your printer is installed, it should appear under Printers. Click the Start button, and then, on the Start menu, click Devices and Printers.

On the Choose a printer port page, make sure that the Use an existing port button and the recommended printer port are selected, and then click Next. On the Install the printer driver page, select the printer manufacturer and model, and then click Next. If your printer isn't listed, click Windows Update , and then wait while Windows checks for additional drivers. If none are available and you have the installation CD, click Have Disk , and then browse to the folder where the printer driver is located.

For additional help, consult the printer manual. Tip: You can print a test page to make sure the printer is working correctly. If you've installed the printer but it doesn't work, check the manufacturer's website for troubleshooting information or driver updates. If you're trying to add a network printer at the office, you'll usually need the name of the printer.

If you can't find it, contact your network administrator. In the Add Printer wizard, click Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer.

In the list of available printers, select the one you want to use, and then click Next. If your computer is connected to a network, only printers listed in Active Directory for your domain are displayed in the list. If prompted, install the printer driver on your computer by clicking Install driver. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Tip: Available printers can include all printers on a network, such as Bluetooth and wireless printers or printers that are plugged into another computer and shared on the network.

You might need permission to install some printers. You can confirm the printer is working by printing a test page. Note: After your printer is installed, you can keep it up to date with automatic Windows 7driver updates. Make sure that the printer's electrical cord is plugged into an electrical outlet and that the power switch is turned on.

If you're printing to a shared printer or a printer on a network, make sure that all necessary computers and routers are turned on too. If your printer or other equipment is plugged in to a surge protector or a backup power supply, make sure that hardware is plugged in and turned on as well. For wireless printers, check the wireless connection. Many printers have a button that displays a blue wireless icon when wireless is available. A troubleshooter is an automated tool that can find and automatically fix some problems with your PC.

The printing troubleshooter can fix problems with installing and connecting to a printer. Most printers require driver software to work properly. You can also share one of your printers with another Google account, so you can allow other people to remotely print to your computer as easily as if you were sharing a file with them via Google Drive.

Up until recently, Google Cloud Print has been a bit of a novelty. Install it and Google Cloud Print will be available in the standard print dialog, so you can remotely print to Cloud Print printers from Microsoft Office or any other desktop app.

For printing over the Internet, Google Cloud Print offers the most polished experience and easiest setup experience for average users. All your traffic will be sent over this tunnel, so your computer will behave as if it were connected to the remote network.

This means that locally shared printers, as well as other network resources like Windows file shares, will be accessible. Once your computer is connected to the VPN , the printer will be available and you can print to it just as if you were on the same local network. Many businesses networks set up VPNs so their employees can remotely connect to the business network, so you may already be able to do this with your existing VPN connection.

Windows includes hidden support for setting up a VPN server. There are a wide variety of other different ways to print remotely. For example, some networked printers may be able to accept documents at an email address and automatically print all documents that arrive at that address.

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