How old is the printer in question, and is it serial or USB? 'Cuz most modern ones should be plug-and-play...
'Course, could just be that the printer's just busted.
Provided it's not a really expensive printer, it could just be easier to buy a new one if it's more than a year or two old. And with the cost of ink cartridges, a new printer that comes with ink usually winds up being cheaper than buying a couple of new ink cartridges anyway.