Trying to connect share printer w/Vista

If you connect the printer to the desktop computer and enable file and printer sharing on that computer. You will then need to go into printers and faxes and share your printer. Then go to the laptop and browse the network so you are looking at the desktop computer. You should see a folder that says printers. Open the printers folder and you should see the printer you just shared. Double click on it to install the shared printer on your laptop.

Now when you print from the laptop, you will print to the shared printer that you just installed (you may have to select it from the printer list). That will send the print job through the network to the desktop and the desktop will send it to the printer (the desktop will need to be turned on for you to be able to print).

If you don't want to have to leave your destop turned on just so you can print, you should look at a print server for your printer. That will connect the printer straight to the network. Then both computers will print to the printer over the network.