No port available to Add Printer!

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.print_fax (More info?)

I'm having an odd problem. Notebook PC, WinXP Home. I
print only to printers on my home wireless network
(connected to desktop PC). Documents print fine from the
desktop, but suddenly I can't print at all from the
laptop.

ADDING NETWORK PRINTERS -- CAUSES SYSTEM CRASH
When I try to add a network printer on the laptop, the
process completes, but when I right-click on the printer
icon and select "Properties," I get an error message:
----------------
Function address 0x500055ee caused a protection fault.
(exception code 0xc0000005) Some or all property page(s)
may not be displayed.
----------------
And nothing happens. When I try to print to a network
printer from the laptop, whatever program I'm using
crashes and closes.

ADDING LOCAL PRINTERS -- NO PORT AVAILABLE
I read in the KB to add a printer first as local, then
change its port. But, when I try to Add Printer on the
laptop and get to the screen where I select the port, the
drop-down is empty. Nothing's there.
I checked Device Manager, and all 3 ports are working
properly: COM, LPT, etc.

So, I can't print to any network printers, I can't add or
re-add a network printer, and I can't install a local
printer. (To recap, all printers work fine when I print
from the desktop.)

Can anyone advise? Thanks in advance for your help!