Can't reinstall Officejet Pro 8000 A809N driver on wired network

Question

Computer is running Windows XP with service pack 3 and all updates installed.  When I tried to print two days ago, I received an error message that no printer was installed.  I had printed earlier in the week without problems.  I checked the Printer and Faxes folder in Control Panel, and it was empty.  I believe it normally showed the HP printer as well as a Windows Fax print-to-file routine there.
When I clicked on Add a Printer in the Printer folder, I was told that the Print Spooler was not running.  I ran "services.msc" from the Run command, and restarted the Print Spooler.  I went back to the Printer folder, tried to reinstall the printer, and again it said the Print Spooler was not running.  I restarted the Print Spooler again, and tried to look at Server Properties from the Printer folder file tab, and again it said the Print Spooler was not running (it is set to automatic restart).  I've checked several related dll and exe files against their backups, and they don't appear to be corrupted.  I scanned the hard drive for errors, and none were found.
I tried the built-in diagnostics of the HP software, and all I got was error messages that the Print Spooler was stopped.  I came to the HP website, downloaded and installed two additional troubleshooting programs, which did not help.  HP Home Network Diagnostic Utility says "software not installed", although nothing had been deleted, and still ran from the Start menu.  HP Print Diagnostic Utility 4.1 states there is an issue with the print spooler, and to click "Fix".  Clicking Fix opens a window stating to select the printer to troubleshoot, then press "Diagnose".  No printer appears in the list though, so it states to install the software. 
Therefore, I downloaded both the full and the limited install programs from the website and tried both several times.  I ran the uninstall program of the existing installation from the Start menu without problems and rebooted.  When I tried to reinstall though, I kept getting errors.  Generally, the "hpnwchk" program (HP network check) opens in a dos screen, displays a long string of  "Printer :  (null)" lines, then crashes.  The program then tells me that the printer is already installed to the TCP/IP port, and needs to be removed first.  I click the option to "Fix" the TCP/IP port option.  The installation program then continues, and brings up a window showing the correct information for my printer (it even wakes it from the standby mode).  I select the printer from the list, and the install continues until receiving another error, stating that "arguments are incorrect", and that the installation has failed.  I think the "arguments" are setting for the TCP/IP port, which differ between what it is being set  from the current drivers and what was previously installed.
I've run the uninstall routine several times, and also manually deleted the printer folder from the registry using REGEDIT (HKCU/Printer).  It seems to me that there is a conflict somewhere that keeps stopping the print spooler (it is set to auto restart).  Also, the uninstall routine is not completely uninstalling, as it always says that the printer is already installed when I run the installation routines, and displays it's correct parameters.  I Googled and read just about everything I can find on the subject, and I'm stumped.  Where else could the TCP/IP settings be stored in the Registry, and what else is being missed on the uninstall?  
Some additional information on my setup - the printer has been installed for about 2 years with no issues.  I can still print without problems from another computer on our home wired network.  I opened Vista on this very computer on a separate drive partition, and had no trouble installing and using the printer through Vista, which seems to eliminate any possible hardware issues (I never found it worth the effort to move over to Vista after trying it; only use it now as a back-up to XP on the computer).  In the past week, I installed an update for Adobe Reader, and Microsoft Security Essentials stopped a Java Script Trojan.  I believe Windows also installed it's monthly anti-virus update.  All virus scans have been negative.  Beyond that, there has been no other hardware or software changes. 
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Answer 1

I found a solution to the problem, through early morning inspiration.  I thought as everything disappeared from the Printer folder, and kept being told that the printer was installed, that I would delete and reinstall other drivers that may (or may not) have been in the folder.  I seemed to recall that I had the generic Fax driver installed, and the Microsoft XPS Document Writer installed.  I went to "Add/Remove Windows Components", and deleted Fax Services.  I then went to the Printer file, clicked Add a Printer, and didn't receive the error message that the Print Spooler wasn't running, ect.  I then had no problem reinstalling the HP printer, Fax, and XPS drivers.