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QuickTips: How to Connect a Mac to a Printer Shared on a PC (Windows)

by Matt Maynard, February 2010

There are two possible ways to do it: The easy way, and the not so easy way.

First let’s get you to the System Preferences. Go to the Apple Logo at the top left of the screen, click it, and select System Preferences. Once that has popped up, click on the Print & Fax button. Next, check to make sure that the lock at the bottom left of the window is unlocked. If it isn’t, simply click on it and it will prompt you to enter the admin’s username and password.

Now let’s try the easy way. Click on the + button located under the list of printers. Now we have a new window. In the top right corner of this new window, you will see a grey button. Click that and group of tabs will show. If the easy way works, then you should see the Printer appear in the Default tab at the top. If so, just double click on it (the Mac will automatically choose the best driver to use it), then click add. It will then automatically configure the printer, and you’re ready to go.

If that didn't work, then we have to do the not-so-easy way. If the printer did not show up under the default tab, then we have to search for it manually. Make sure the Printer is hooked up to a Windows computer, then click the Windows tab up at the top. There, select the network the computer is on, computer the printer is connected to (if it asks you to log in to the computer, just log in as Guest), then select the printer. If the printer is not showing up, you’ll have to make sure that the Windows computer knows to share the printer. If all is good and you found the printer, the next step is to select the driver. Select the Print Using drop down and chose Select Printer Software. Find it in that list and hit ok. If you cannot find it, Cancel and select Generic PostScript Printer (this will limit the amount of features the Mac can use the Printer for). Then hit Add. It will configure and will be added to the list.