Share a Windows Samsung ML-25x printer on my Mac?

Glad to hear you're setting up a multi-OS network in your place. Apparently, even though you're a Windows gal and your boyfriend is a Mac guy, you have a relationship that works. Impressive. Not sure I would be seen with a PC-toting girlfriend, personally. But that's just me. :-)

Surprised you're still running Windows XP, but I know just what a hassle it can be to upgrade, and don't blame you for a minute for shunning Vista. Still, Windows 7 is a really good update to Windows and you might want to consider that big step forward. It's pretty. More importantly, it's a lot more secure too.

Now, you're sure that you have the printer set up for sharing on your computer and your sharing is enabled, right? I strongly suggest you create a specific, named, account rather than enable Guest (much more secure), which is what I've done on the PC I'm using to demonstrate how to access our Samsung ML-2525 printer.

First step is to open Print & Fax settings from "System Preferences..."

When you do, you'll see the printers you already have set up on the computer (or, in this case, your boyfriend will see the printers that he's set up already):

You want to click on the "+" button, as highlighted, then move to "Windows" printers on the top options. Now, be patient when you do, it sometimes takes a minute or longer to see and recognize the PC network. Finally, though, it shows up:

Click on the network name, then the computer name and your printer should show up as an option:

Along the way, it's possible that you are prompted for an account and password: here's where you should have created a specific account for sharing the printer (rather than using Guest or your administrative account). Enter those credentials to proceed to this point as needed.

On the "Print Using" menu...

Odds are very good that it won't automagically pick the correct printer driver, so you should select "Select Printer Software..."

Now type in the first few letters of the printer manufacturer and, if you know it, a bit of the model name too:

I've typed in "Samsung ML-2" and it shows me a bunch of options. There it is, near the bottom. Click on the best match:

Looks good. Click on "OK" to proceed and the new printer shows up in the printers window, hopefully with an appropriate graphic too:

That's it. Done. New Windows network Samsung printer installed and ready to roll. Now, when your boyfriend wants to print, all he has to do is be on your network and select the new Samsung printer entry:

As you can see, I renamed the printer as I added it, so I remember whose is whose. You can do the same if you're so inclined.

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