How to add network printer to my laptop?

I'm trying to add my HP psc 1315 All-In-One printer to my Windows 7 64-bit notebook so I can print documents from my notebook to the printer.

The printer is connected to my desktop computer, which is connected to a Linksys WRT54G wireless router.

On my old notebook, the HP dv4t it was simple to add the printer. I simply went into "Devices and Printers", selected "Add a printer" and from the option of "Add a network printer" I would select the printer associated with my desktop and it was done.

But on my Sony VAIO Y-series Windows can not find the driver for my printer and asks me to either manually find it or consult my network administrator (i.e. me) or find it on the manufacturer's website.

I went to HP's website, they only offer the driver w/ their horrible software program. So I went ahead and installed that, tried it again and once more Windows could not find the driver and wanted me to manually find it. Except I don't know where the driver is or what it would be, I can see the HP installation folders and that is about it.

This is starting to become a huge nightmare, I don't understand how my HP dv4t was able to do this so easily, especially since I did a custom install w/ Windows 7 when I upgraded it from Vista. But maybe HP's drivers were in the notebook somewhere.. IDK.

Does anyone know what I can do to add this printer to my VAIO? If you need to know the desktop is running Windows XP.

 

Solved the problem.

While installing the drivers from HP's website didn't solve a single thing (not to mention installed unwanted HP software onto my notebook) I went into my office and physically connected the printer to my notebook through its USB cable.

The device was installed but the driver could not be found (yet again) but than Windows Update asked if it could search for the driver online, found it, installed the driver, and than I went through the whole "add a new printer" routine again, this time everything was installed just fine.

And I don't have HP's software on my computer. I wish Windows had simply asked to search for the drivers before when I was trying to add the network printer rather than wait for me to try and physically connect to it, but oh well.

 

If you have the 'Plug and Play' affirmation it should be easy. That procedure was designed to eliminate this sort of things. If the driver is not on an included disc, Windows will instead go online and check for it via it's vast data base. A manual look up should be a last resort.

 

I know this is resolved, but for those who come after....

Technically, you've got a shared printer, not a network printer. Windows 7 is very good about finding network printers (devices with their own ip address), and will even find a lot of shared printers, but sometimes, particularly with older printers, it fails.

Here's the easy way to do it.

Go to Network and Sharing Center and clickon SEE FULL MAP on the upper right hand corner. Windows 7 will create a full network map showing all devices. You may see a few devices that are not placed on the map, but they should be on the bottom.

You may not see the shared printer here--in fact you probably won't. You will see the computer it is connected to. Double click it. Now you will see the shared printer. double click the printer. The ADD PRINTER wizard will start and the printer should install pretty much automatically.

 

Thanks for the added information you two, that really would help for those who were going through the same headache I did.

Good thing I found the solution too, I would've wound up buying this:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Wireles...ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1267984953&sr=1-3

A good price for such a great wireless printer, but I wouldn't be too happy about having to purchase that.