Network printing between XP and Windows 7

I have a HP Deskjet 970 Cse printer attached to a computer on my network. That computer is running Windows XP Sp3. I was trying to get the new Windows 7 computers on the network to print to the HP printer but was having ZERO luck. Even though the computer was recognizing the printer on the network it would tell me that it didn't have the drivers for it.
HERE is how I solved the problem:
1) I moved the printer into the room with the new Windows 7 machines and hooked it up with a D shaped USB cable that I had on a USB external HD (LUCKY to even have a cable). Imagine my surprise when Windows 7 said that it automatically installed device drivers for the printer. The printer then worked GREAT as a Local Printer hooked directly to the Windows 7 machine.
2) Next, I moved the printer back into the room with the XP SP3 computers and hooked it up with the parallel cable again (I wanted to save my only D shaped USB cable for the external HD).
3) Now I tried to install the printer as a Network Printer but ran into the same exact problem as before. The computer could "see" the printer on the network but said it couldn't find a driver for it.
4) I did several hours of research on the web and hit upon a solution that WORKED!
5) I selected "Add a Printer" from the Devices and Printers menu.
6) I selected "Add a LOCAL printer" (Emphasis on LOCAL, NOT NETWORK printer)
7) In the next menu I selected "Create a new port" and "Local port"
8) In the next menu where it asks "Enter a port name", I entered \\DELL8100\970Cse. ("DELL8100" is the name of the computer that shares the printer and "970Cse" is the name of the printer share) In my humble opinion the "Enter a port name" should be labeled "Enter a port PATH" instead!!!!!
9) Then I just kept hitting "Enter" until it finished.

Imagine my complete and total surprise when I selected "Print a Test page" and I could hear the old HP Deskjet 970 Cse printer come to life in the next room. I WAS ELATED....
To be honest with you, I don't know whether or not the whole setting it up as a local printer through a new Local port would have worked or not if I hadn't gotten the drivers through the Windows 7 computer directly first.
In any case IT IS WORKING. I can now print from a Windows 7 64-bit machine to the old HP Deskjet 970 Cse printer which is connected by parallel cable to an old machine running XP.

DaLog, thanks. I had the same problem. I will try the solution, but to be clear: you had the printer hooked up with the XP computer, right? I wonder if the same workaround works with the printer hooked up with the new (Windows 7) computer.

DaLog, your solution worked for me as well. I have one thing to add: before step 5 (where you add a printer on the Windows 7 computer), I had to go to the XP computer, make the printer available for sharing (of course), and *give it a new and easy name* to be used in your step 8 (naming the path). Until I did that, the computer kept sending error messages about the name being invalid. I also tried it the other way around, with the printer hooked up to the new (Windows 7) computer and adding a local port in the old (XP) computer, but so far unsuccessfully.

It *does* also work the other way around. So now I connected the printer to my new (Windows 7) computer (it has more USB slots, so it's convenient), and I performed DaLog's trick on the old (XP) computer. Here's what I did:

1. On the Windows 7 computer, find the printer and set its sharing properties. Give
a new and easily remembered sharing name. NB, use a different name from the one
you used to create the connection the other way around.
2. On the XP-computer, go to Control Panel > Printers and click Add a printer.
3. In the Add printer wizard, click Next and select Network Printer, Next and then
Connect to this printer.
4. Fill in the path name as "\\[name Windows 7 computer]\[name printer]" (name
computer as it shows up in the workgroup, name printer as given under 1).

That should do the trick. This operation creates another connection to the same
printer, so it will show up as a copy of the printer that was already installed. To
avoid confusion, you can rename it (e.g. Networkprinter), and set it as the
default printer. If you're lucky you won't have to think about this again until it's
time for another new computer.

I am happy that it worked for you. I apologize for leaving out a few steps but you figured it out.

Was having the same issue and had tried all solutions I could. This fix worked first time.
Many thanks

I was starting to go crazy, having the same pb. Then I started to check forums, and then I found your post after a couple of others. You're the best! thx so much again, this worked perfectly for me at first try!!

I have been trying to find a way to make my old Brother Laser printer (connected to an old PC) work for my new Windows 7 laptop. I didn't have any problems getting the Brother to work with other laptops, but those did not have Windows 7. I am not a very skilled computer user and I spent many hours trying to get info from Brother, Sony (the new laptop) and Microsoft on how to achieve this. I had actually given up after another site advised that in order for the laptop to use the printer without using the usb that all computers must have Windows 7 ???? Anyway, I searched again today and found your post and it WORKED! Thank you.