Trouble connecting to network printer

Just powered down and rebooted everything... both computers and the printer.... no change.
Just tried again to plug the printer directly into the windows 7 laptop. Windows downloads a driver automatically and the printer works fine from the laptop!?! It works fine from the desktop too! But then I plug it into the desktop and get the cannot connect error when I try to add it as another new printer through the network. Does that mean its not a driver issue? Is there something else that controls network printing, like the print spooler?

In network advance setting ... is file and printer sharin got a tick in it ? also..can you try to disable your firewall .. I dont know which internet security you using but you can disable that as we for now ...It might be an Issue with security ... we have tried it all except the security.

Well, I finally got a hold of Lexmark customer service. I described the problem to them and they said, "um, yeah, printer sharing doesn't work between 32 bit and 64 bit systems". I said, "is it just this printer, because it is 6 years old?". They said "no, its all printers. You should get a wireless network printer." They offered to send me a coupon for 20% off a new one.

For all the things I've read out there about trying to fix this problem, I can't believe I haven't heard about this before. Is this true??? Has anyone else heard about this? I'm way too cheap to buy another printer when this one works fine. This is frustrating. Isn't there some kind of work around?

Erby,

I had a very similar problem. My notebook is Win 7 Pro, desktop is XP SP3 with Canon printer attached by USB. I spent one week on trying to fix it. Uggh! I finally got it working. Maybe what I did will help.

Unjoin from the HomeGroup network. This is the new network that Windows 7 automatically installs so that two or more computers with Windows 7 can easily network. Unfortunately, not everyone has the both (or more) computers all with Windows 7, such as in our case.

Go to Control Panel, Network and Sharing. Under the section "View your active networks", check to see if it says HomeGroup: Joined.

If it does, click on the Joined link. Under the bottom section "Other homegroup actions", click on the "Leave the homegroup..." link. A window should open with three choices. Click on the first option "Leave the homegroup". Close the Control Panel window. Reboot.

Add the printer as you did before using the "Add a local printer" option and make it a "Local Port" from the drop-down menu.

Thanks Jerry. I tried that too and no luck.

I also tried this thing I found on another forum:
1) on XP machine with printer connected, download but do not install 64 bit driver. extract files into temp folder.
2) Go to-> printer properties> sharing tab> add additional drivers, select the 64 bit machine (although there is only an XP 64 bit option, no vista or windows 7)
3) then you are supposed to be able to browse to the driver file and install that as well, which should allow printing from the 64 bit laptop. But I browse to the extracted driver file and it still can't find the driver.... so this didn't work either.

Then I downloaded the trial copy of Network Magic on both computers and tried to set it up through that. No magic there....

I think the available drivers are just not right to do this.

I've wasted too much time on this. I'm officially giving up.

Time to fork out some mula for a new wireless printer.

Thanks to all for your help.

I have had this same problem and tried everything. Ended up going to the ptr manufacturer's website (Canon) and downloading and installing on my xp machine the windows 7 driver for my printer. Miraculously my netbook running windows 7 starter edition was now able to wirelessly download my printer driver from my xp pc. I don't quite understand what happened but it worked and my xp pc and windows 7 lan attached pcs still print fine as well.