I am trying to print from an XP machine to a printer on a Windows 7 machine. However when I go into ADD PRINTER on the XP machine it displays the Windows 7 computer name with a + beside it to expand the printer list but it will not expand and show the printers so I cannot select it. (It will not just accept the printer name). Other XP machines on the same list will show their printers with no problem. Is there a setting I need to change - I think that I have gone through all the obvious ones? All suggestions gratefully received

You need to set up file/printer sharing between the two machines first. If you've already done this and tested by successfully transferring files between XP and Windows 7, skip to the end of this reply. Otherwise:Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally caused by 1) a misconfigured firewall or overlooked firewall (including a stateful firewall in a VPN); or 2) inadvertently running two firewalls such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party firewall; and/or 3) not having identical user accounts and passwords on all Workgroup machines; 4) trying to create shares where the operating system does not permit it.The Windows 7 network type should be set to "Home" or "Work". "Public" is for when you are connected to a "foreign" Internet connection such as an Internet Cafe, at Starbucks or a hotel, etc. In Windows 7, go to Control Panel>All Control Panel Items>Network and Sharing Center. Click on "Change advanced sharing settings". You don't want to use Homegroup unless you have all Windows 7 machines. If you do and you want to use Homegroup, see Windows 7's Help & Support. Otherwise, in the Advanced Sharing:Turn ON network discoveryTurn ON file and printer sharingTurn ON sharing in the Public folder sharing sectionTurn ON password protected sharingA. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network (LAN) traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, turning on Window's File and Printer Sharing as above will take care of this for you. In XP you can run the Network Setup Wizard or just enable File/Printer Sharing in the Windows XP Firewall's exceptions. If you aren't running a third-party firewall or have an antivirus/security program with its own firewall component, then you're fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually configure the LAN allowance with an IP range. Ex. would be 192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you would substitute your correct subnet. Refer to any third party security program's Help or user forums for how to properly configure its firewall. Do not run more than one firewall. DO NOT TURN OFF FIREWALLS; CONFIGURE THEM CORRECTLY.B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup. This is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do not need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the passwords assigned to each user account can be different; the accounts/passwords just need to exist and match on all machines.DO NOT NEGLECT TO CREATE PASSWORDS, EVEN IF ONLY SIMPLE ONES . If you wish a machine to boot directly to the Desktop (into one particular user's account) for convenience, you can do this:Start>Search box>type: netplwiz [enter]Click on Continue (or supply an administrator's password) when prompted by UACUncheck the option "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer". Select a user account to automatically log on by clicking on the desired account to highlight it and then hit OK. Enter the correct password for that user account (if there is one) when prompted. Leave it blank if there is no password (null).XP - Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htmD. If one or more of the computers on your network is XP Pro or Media Center, turn off Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab).E. Create shares as desired. In Windows 7 I usually share out the user's Desktop and the Public directory.F. After you have file sharing working (and have tested this by exchanging a file between all machines), if you want to share a printer connected locally to one of your computers, share it out from that machine. Then go to the printer mftr.'s website and download the latest drivers for the correct operating system(s). Install them on the target machine(s). The printer should be seen during the installation routine. If it is not, g o to the computer to which the printer is connected. Write down the computer name which you will get from Control Panel>System>Computer Name. Now in Control Panel go to Printers. Find the printer in question, right-click it and then left-click on Properties. Write down the Share Name. Naturally you must have already set up File/Printer Sharing on all involved computers and shared out the printer.Now go to the remote computer to which you want to add the printer. Control Panel>Printers>Add PrinterChoose Add a local printer. Click on Create a new port. The default in the drop-down box is Local Port. Do not change that. Click Next. A dialogue box will appear asking for you to enter a port name. Type in the \\FullComputername\SharedPrinternameex: \\mycomputer\HPDJ (this is why you wrote down the computer and printer names in the first step)Click Next. Under the Manufacturers list, select the correct printer manufacturer and the correct printer model from the Printers List. Under "Do you want to use this printer as the default printer select "Yes" (if you do!) and click Next. When asked to print a test page, select "Yes", then Finish. MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!