delete the connection to the HP printer, then in the printers folder File,
Server Properties, Drivers.

Delete the HP driver that is giving you the problems.

If the driver cannot be deleted one of the dlls is still in use by the
spooler or the explorer process.

Stop the spooler, start the spooler, try to delete. If the driver is still
in use, log off, log on , delete the driver.

reboot if it's still loaded.

Now make the connection again.


If this is not an HP printer, please state the driver name.

--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"lost_in_space" <a@b.com> wrote in message
news:OTlTzQ$wIHA.2064@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Hey, all -
>
> I have an XP Pro laptop that used to happily live on my LAN - it accessed
> a network printer as it's default printer with no problem. Something seems
> to have changed, though, and now I can't access the printer, and when I
> try to access it's properties I'm told I need to load a driver, which then
> fails to load.
>
> Between the time when it did work and now, quite a bit has changed - I
> upgraded from XP SP2 to SP3, I'd upgraded the Office installation from 2K3
> to 2K7; I took it on a couple of business trips, during which I'd disabled
> the 'File and Print Sharing' firewall exception and made other changes to
> the TCP/IP configuration; struggled with a permissions issue with my MOSS
> install that had me mucking with registry settings/permissions, etc, etc.
> I have undone the changes made while hooking up to a different LAN - reset
> the TCP/IP config, re-enabled the firewall exception, etc, but still have
> problems. It's not infected with any malware - it's regularly scanned and
> is used responsibly.
>
> If I try to print from Word, it say it can't print because I don't have a
> default printer selected. If I look at Control Panel/Printers, the printer
> in question is there and it's selected as the default printer. If I
> right-click on it and select 'Printing Preferences...', I get an error
> dialog that says 'Operation could not be completed'.If I right-click and
> select 'Properties...', I get a dialog that says the driver is not
> installed on my machine and asking if I'd like to install it. Click 'Yes'
> and it launches the 'Add Printer Driver Wizard'. A digitally signed
> correct driver is pre-selected when I click 'Next'; click 'Next' again and
> it says I've succesfully completed the Add Printer Driver Wizard, and that
> I'm about to add the correct driver. Click 'Finish', and an error dialog
> pops up saying 'Unable to install yada yada driver. Operation could not be
> completed'.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TIA.
>