How can I connect to an existing wireless printer? -

I m driving myself mad trying to figure this out, to no avail. My dad and my sister are both connected to a wireless printer, lexmark 3500/4500. I have just bought a new computer, a Dell Studio 15, but I can t figure out how to attach it to the wireless printer. At the moment it will print from the printer, but only if the other laptop is on when I print. I just can t figure out how I m supposed to connect them, and I ve got some fairly important work to print!!

You left out a lot of important info on this setup. You say it is a wireless printer - so I will assume it is set up on a wireless network. If that network is using MAC address security settings, you will need to add your laptop to the list of trusted computers in the routers control settings. I will assume you are logged onto the network properly. And thus can see the printer. Have you installed the drivers for the printer on your computer, setting it up as a NETWORK printer and NOT a local printer. If you made the mistake of not switching the setup to be a network printer, then you will only be able to print through another computer that has the printer set up as a network printer. If you think you may have made this error, then run the Add Printer wizard again, and this time tell it you are adding a network printer. The wizard will look on the network and should find the printer. Then have it install the print driver software on your laptop, and print a test page. One last possible issue, but you did not say that you were using a print server to make the printer wireless. Many systems by default have the print server protocols turned off. You may have to enable this to be able to send print commands to the printer, if it is using a print server to communicate. Look in the Windows Firewall settings, or in the settings of any other firewall your system is using.