Getting USB printer to talk to laptop?

I have a laptop with Win2000 with a USB / Parallel printer hooked up via the USB port.

Most of the time when I first go to print, the computer has the printer marked "offline ", but when I switch to "online ", I get print errors. Windows then complains it can't find the printer on USB001 or whatever.

Now, several times when I fussed with it, it would eventually work and talk to the printer; after which printing was fine. Once I couldn't get it to print, so I hooked up the parallel cable, printed what I needed, disconnected that. When I came back after dinner, I then was able to print via USB.

One question is - how do I get the printer driver to LOOK for the connection? Obviously they are connected, just not talking. How do I get it to re-scan the port like it did when I first installed?

This may be a basic question but I've never had a problem with USB printers before (and have used parallel more often, frankly)

 

Windows is up to date. Driver is the latest.
I didn't try to un-and-re-install the printer. I'm sure that would re-connect it but there's no guarantee it won't happen again. Really I'm hoping to find a way to get the two things TALKING.

In this case, it's a Dell C800, running Win2k sp4. Lexmark E320. Using a C-Port II replicator. Native USB port, not the PC 2.0 card I have installed (speed is not critical on the printer).

I will soon switch to a C840 but I'm curious what I can do about situtions like this.