HT1338 How do I install a hp Laserjet P1102w printer to a Macbook Pro with WiFi

Question

The hp Laserjet printer is plugged into the usb port of an IBM PC running Windows XP.  I would like to leave it thus connected.

Answer 1

From your post I cannot tell if you know the procedure to add a Windows shared printer to the Mac but are having trouble after doing so, or if you don't know the procedure. So I will reply on the premise that you don't know how to add the shared Windows printer.
So for starters, the HP would have to be shared on Windows. This will let the Mac see the shared resource on the local network. You also mention WiFi. So this would require the PC and the Mac to be connected to the same WiFi router.
With the sharing enabled on Windows, on the Mac you open System Preferences > Print & Scan and click the plus button to add. You then select the Windows tab in the Add printer sheet. This presents you with a window that has three columns. The first is the Workgroup, followed by the Computer then the shared printer name. Typically Windows will use Workgroup for the workgroup name. So you should see Workgroup in this first column. When selected, the second column should show the name of your Win XP computer. If you select this computer name, you will then be prompted to authenticate to Windows to continue. At this point, enter your Windows user name and password. With this information correctly entered, the third column will show the shared printer. Select this and then select the supporting driver for this printer in the Use menu. Click Add to complete the queue creation.
Now with regards to the supporting driver, there are many printer drivers for OS X that cannot be used when a printer is shared by Windows. So if the driver you select on the Mac fails to print then you may have to look at alternative drivers, such as Gutenprint, PrintFab or HPIJS in the case of HP printers. But if this particular HP LaserJet supports the PCL or Postscript printer language, then you can select the Generic PCL or Generic PS that is included with OS X. While these driver do not give you any features for printer, they do at least let you print.
One last point. After adding the printer, the first time you try to print from the Mac via the Windows shared printer, you will be prompted to authenticate again. So enter the Windows user name and password again, and save this to the Mac Keychain so that you don't have to worry about authenticating the next time you print.