Help with installing printer (hp laserjet 4050 n) for windows xp, please?

I recently bought the hp laserjet 4050 n printer second-hand. I want to install it on my dell laptop that runs on windows xp. I've connected the printer to the laptop, and windows automatically sensed the printer and said that it was ready to use, however the printer didn't seem to be installed. I installed it manually, using the driver for hp laserjet 4050 n ps, and windows says the printer is installed correctly but neither the test pages nor any other documents will print. I tried troubleshooting, but that hasn't helped either. The 'investigate' button in the troubleshooter says there may be a problem with the parallel port, but I have no idea where to go from here. Any assistance would be appreciated.