please help I can't print from my laptop:(

[aces67]

I have a desktop with XP and a laptop with Vista. I have them networked and I have a photosmart 7260 printer. When I first hooked it all up I was able to print from my laptop wirelessly. Now I can only print from my laptop if I plug in my printer. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling and that hasn't helped. When you go to printers the printer says error in the status field.

Any idea what's going on or how to fix it?

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Try reinstalling the printer's drivers on your machine.

Do you know what the error is? Any error codes at all? What is the EXACT error message?

[aces67]

I tried that. HP doesn't have drivers on their site for Vista. It said to plug in the printer and Windows would install them automatically. I did that and still says Error.

Error is all it says and in it's in the status field. When you click on control panel and then on printers you can see the printer there but when you run your mouse over it it says Printer Status: Error.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

I am aware that many old printers are not compatible for Vista, so that would be your problem. Incompatible drivers.

I'm not a Vista expert, so I'm not sure if there is a way around it. Someone else might though....

[soybean]

HP doesn't have drivers on their site for Vista. It said to plug in the printer and Windows would install them automatically. I did that and still says Error.

So you followed the procedure described here for Method one: USB cable connection?: Installing the Printer Driver Located in the Windows Vista Operating System

[aces67]

Yes I did just that and it still doesn't work. What I don't understand though is it WAS working fine before this so I'm not sure if it's a Vista issue or what.

Do I just need a new printer?

[soybean]

You do have printer sharing enabled on your desktop computer, right?  You must had it enabled, since this worked before. 

I have a Canon BJC-3000 printer that I've used with my laptop two ways, by directly connecting the printer to the laptop via USB, and by printing through the network with the printer connected to my desktop PC. I thought I'd mention that I have two instances of BJC-3000 in my Vista Printers panel; one shows the printer from installing it via direct connection, the other shows it as a networked printer with the name of my desktop computer being part of that printer title in the Printers panel.

This might  help: Troubleshoot network printer problems