Network printer problems.

[Shoeberto]

My sister's computer (XP Home) is set up so it can print across the network to a printer on my machine (XP Pro.) It's worked fine in the past, and most problems were minor that I could fix A-OK no problem. For some reason it doesn't want to work anymore.

My computer prints fine on it. I've power cycled the printer and router. My sister's computer, when trying to print from Excel 2003, gives an error with a few possibilities of why it doesn't work. In Control Panel>Printers, when I try to open up the printer properties, it gives me the error that "Printer Spool Services are not active." I checked, and in fact they are active on both ends.

I've done a complete spyware check that, while eliminating tons and tons and tons of spyware on her machine, didn't do anything. I'm doing a full virus scan right now, which already shows one. Suggestions are appreciated.

edit: The only changes she's made to her computer since her last time printing and now is just installing a legit copy of Office 2003. I could forsee how that would screw things up but I don't know how to get around it.

[Dr Unne]

I'm doing a full virus scan right now, which already shows one. Suggestions are appreciated.

HD format.

[Shoeberto]

Considered, but the problem seems a little bit too minor to do something that big.

[Dr Unne]

Once you have a virus, you'll generally never be able to tell with any degree of certainty how much damage it did, or how much it's still doing. That doesn't have much to do with your printer (probably) but it's still the way to go. Formatting would also have the side effect of fixing the printer though, which is always a good thing.