I'm working in a mixed mode workgroup environment where my Windows 98 SE
machine is providing two main resources for my Windows XP professional
machine.  They are: A shared folder and a shared printer.

I can access the shared folder on the Windows 98 machine over the LAN from
my XP laptop but I can't connect to the shared printer on the Windows 98
machine over the LAN from my XP laptop.  I can ping the Windows 98 machine
from the XP laptop as well.  When I attempt to browse or connect to the
shared printer from my XP laptop in Add Printer Wizard by selecting Microsoft
Windows Network>WORKGROUP>Name of Win 98 machine>LEXMARK, and clicking Next
when the correct path name or queue appears on top as \\R9X3Q5\LEXMARK, the
following error message appears: "The server for the Lexmark Z52 Series
Colorfine printer does not have the correct printer driver installed.  If you
want to search for the proper driver, click OK.  Otherwise, click OK.  
Otherwise, click cancel and contact your network administrator or original
equipment manufacturer for the correct driver."

However, when I downloaded and installed the correct Windows XP compatible
driver from the manufacturer's website on my XP laptop, the Add Printer
Wizard continued from where it left off above by requesting approval of the
Software License Agreement, then a connect to printer error message appeared
after a restart windows prompt stating "Windows cannot connect to the
printer.  Either the printer name was typed incorrectly or the specified
printer has lost its connection to the server".  Certainly, the printer name
was not typed incorrectly and there was no connection loss to the server
either because I can see all the shared resources including the shared
printer on the Win 98 machine from my XP laptop in My Network Places.  As
mentioned before, I can access the shared folder on the Win 98 machine from
my XP laptop and ping the destination computer.

Please note that the printer is shared and the printer share name and
printer port setting are all correct.  The File and Printer service for
Microsoft Networks is also installed and access is granted to my files and
printer(s) as these check boxes are ticked.  I was always able to print from
this shared printer in the past using the same printer driver on the Win 98
machine.  Furthermore, I didn't even have to use a XP driver on my XP laptop
either as the existing Win9x/Win 2000 compatible driver on the Windows 98
machine allowed the Windows XP laptop to print from the shared printer over
the local area network.  The principle behind it is that the Windows 98
machine handles the print request from the XP laptop, thus allowing the use
of the existing printer driver on the Windows 98 machine or through the use
of a uni driver.  I also have a print test page for proof purposes from which
I was last able to print from my XP laptop using the existing Win9x print
driver on my Windows 98 machine.  On this successful print test page, it
states that the Driver Name is UNIDRV.DLL, the Printer Name and Port Name is
\\M8N9J2\LEXMARK.  M8N9J2 represented the old name of my Windows 98 machine
before I recently reinstalled the machine.  The data file on this test page
is down as LXACSDRV.GPD.  If I printed a local test page from my Win 98
machine, the driver name would be displayed as lxacpr.drv.

At this stage, I have even reinstalled the Windows 98 machine with another
print driver from the manufacturer's website in order to eliminate certain
potential sources.  However, it yielded the same result.  I have contacted
Lexmark about the issue and I'm still awaiting feedback from them.  I can say
for sure that the problem is not due to a TCP/IP networking or remote issue
as I can access the shared folder over the LAN and I can see all shared
resources on the Win98 machine from my XP machine in My Network Places.  Both
compurers are visible in My Network Places from my XP laptop in My Network
Places.  The printer driver on the Win98 machine is not causing the problem
either and the use of a suitable XP printer driver (although not necessary)
on the laptop does not help either as requested in the first error message
above.  I can't find a Lexmark driver that covers all Microsoft operating
systems so it is very important to note that I can't install a universal type
driver on my Windows 98 machine for that particular Lexmark printer model.  
This might solve the problem if I could.  Anyway, it definitely worked before
when I used the Win9x driver that came new with my PC as I was able to print
over the network from my XP laptop without ever requiring a suitable XP
driver.

At this stage the problem must be due to a VSERVER.vxd conflict encountered
while setting up File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks.  I choosed
to keep the new vserver.vxd as recommended at the time.  It may also be due
to recent windows update patches that were applied to both machines.  Anyway,
some configuration setting must have affected the interoperability between XP
and 98 in relation to printer sharing in my workgroup network.  I don't think
there is any obvious or simple solution to this problem.  Connecting to a
shared printer only takes a few minutes to set up normally.  I carried out
the exact same procedure as I have done in the past.  Like I said many times
before, I was able to print from my XP laptop over the network in the past
using the Win9x/Windows 2000 driver on the Windows 98 machine without any
need for a XP driver.  Please refer to the print Test Page details mentioned
earlier if you have any doubts about this.

I would greatly appreciate any help in relation to this issue from Microsoft
or anybody out there.

Thanks

Martin