"How can I make sure that the new printer will work on a-l-l of those operating systems?" When choosing a printer Visit the printer manufacturer's website. Look in the downloads section to see if there is a Windows XP driver, vista. Or 7 driver. Looks like hp has had some printer driver issues with 7. Here is a link that might be useful: printers

I just went thru this exact (almost) procedure, getting my new Vista desktop to network with our Win xp computer with printer. Not so easy, but here are the instructions which work: 1. To set up the house network, on the Vista computer: Start-Control Panel-System and Maintaint.- system-computer name,domain,workgroup settings area on the screen, hit the "change settings" button, then system properties-computer name tab-change computer name/domain changes-in Workgroup type your home network's name-OK. Then to set up the printer, a huge pain, but doable: On the Vista computer: Start-Control Panel-add printer-add Local Printer (I know it's on a network, but this is the way to do it)-create a new port-default is "local port",leave it-next you have to enter a port name, this is the tricky part, you have to type in the path to the printer manually, the path should look like: \\your exact host computer name\your exact printer's sharing name. That's it. To check for the exact host computer name, go to the host computer, my computer, and a screen will come up with it's official name, use it, case sensitive. For printer name, go to host computer, printers area thru the control panel, rt. click the printer and properties. A sharing tab will show, click it, the exact name for the shared printer will show, again use it case sensitive. The above took me all day when I got my new Vista, hope it helps.

Jane, you could install a second hard drive and run both Operating Systems. This isn't really that difficult to do but would cost some money for the new drive. Maybe, $100.00+ (us), not including installation. Just format both as NTFS drives. After you start the computer, then after the BIOs screen a screen appears that will let you choose the OS you want. You can even move files between the two OSs using a USB memory stick. This works well. the only down side to this configuration is some added scan time for malware and anti-virus scans, check disks and the like because you have two systems installed. You would also need two security software suites if you buy them. It's like two computers in one. Here is a link that might be useful: Not as hard as this makes it look. You get the idea.

before you do that have you updated your Vista to the latest service pack? if not do that and try it, that has helped many people who had the earlier versions of vista. have you gone to the manufactures site of the software you are having problems with to see if they provide a vista solution or driver etc which would aid in it working with vista? going backward would be a last option, you mention you have an xp license did it come on a pc? you would be going to a completely different pc and that is not allowed, I would definitely make sure that what you have would be allowed or you may end up not being able to activate it. Definitely make a few good images of the system with Vista on it in case you find you need to go back to Vista that way you will have it exactly as you were before you messed with it. disk imaging software there that is a free imaging program you can use. I am not sure what is built in to Vista for that. Here is a link to a pc magazine article on downgrading How to Downgrade from Vista to XP If you were to go to widows 7 instead which would be going in the right direction there is on certain versions of 7 the option to run xp within 7 so that any programs that run on xp would be able to run within 7 that way as in a virtual machine situation.