Provide a shared device control method and server-client system, which inform the client user of the state of a shared device upon accessing the connectable shared device on the network, thereby preventing unwanted situations (for example, the user cannot determine what has happened; the user cannot obtain a desired access result; access results in other fatal errors; and so forth). A shared device, to be shared by a plurality of data processing apparatuses connected via a network, is controlled by one of the plurality of data processing apparatuses, and the other data processing apparatuses inquires of the data processing apparatus controlling the shared device, a reserve or ready state of the shared device, or a mode which displays a window via the network, prior to use of the shared device informs the client user of the state of the shared device.