printer sharing

Help me .........
This is my fathers set up

ADSL wireless router with a cable connection to the desktop pc, with the laptop connecting wirelessly to the router.
Now when i am on the desktop I can se the lap top on the network and access the laptop over the network....so far so good.
When I am on the laptop I can see the desktop computer, but when I go to access it it tells me I am not authorised to do so etc.

The printer is connected to the desktop. I have set it to printer sharing....and i then go to the laptop and click add printer. It is not finding the printer, and then tells me I am not authorised to access the desktop from the laptop when I try to.
I am pretty certain the two are realated.

I have turned the firewall off on the desktop as well...

Hope someone can help me.


Many thanks

Have you got a user set up on your dad's desktop with the same username and password as you have on your laptop? and does that user have permission to use the printer? (printers.. sharing.. have a look at permissions)

ok slow down....lol
pretty new to networking so one step at a time......
you need to explain how to do the steps in the post before. Sorry....complete noob


Many hanks.

First check the printer is shared on your dad's pc that it is plugged into.

Start > Control Panel > depends what view you're in now (classic or "Pick a category") - You will either have "Printers and Faxes" or "Printers and other hardware" and then "View installed printers"

Right click on the printer, and go to sharing. Check it is enabled.

If it's still not working, try going into (on your dads pc) in the control panel and users, and add a user to your dads pc with the same username and password as you use on your laptop.

ok thanks for that but we just turn the laptop on and then it comes on doesnt ask for a username or password.......where do i find out the user name?

Click on the start button, should come up with a name at the top of the menu.

Or look in the user bit in control panel

Edit: oops, double post!