HP Laser ColorJet 1600 won't work in Windows 7 64-bit

I just installed Windows 7 64-bit onto VMWare Fusion3 on my MacBook Pro. I'm a retired grandmother, so not hugely techno, but better than some my age! I have clever nephews who tell me that it would be 'easy' to run windows on a mac, so I converted! What a learning curve!!
So I have managed to get this complicated set-up to run my Canon printer okay, but for some of my graphics work I really, really wanted to use my Laser printer!
Tell me, please, someone, if I had installed the 32-bit instead of the 64-bit, would it have worked? This particular HP Laser ColorJet won't work with the Mac, but works fine with a little Windows 7 netbook with the starter version. If someone can confirm that it might be worth it, I'll just put the 64-bit version in the Mac trash and install the 32-bit.
If I'd been a bit more techno I'd have just dragged good old Windows XP onto the VMWare Fusion, but couldn't figure that out easily, and all my nephews were too busy to help.
Easy, my foot!!!!
Any help will be much appreciated!
Cheers,
Technogranny Karen

Hi and Welcome to the forums.

Yes, it will probably have something to do with missing or incompatible printer drivers. Have you tried looking for 64bit drivers on the HP website?

Going 32bit would probably solve the problem. Why did you install 64bit Windows in the first place? The MacBook Pro only just has the configuration required for Windows 64bit, on its own, so I don't think installing 64bit on a virtual machine is a good idea, seeing as you can't give it all the computers ressources.

Cheers,
Fire Cat

Hi Fire Cat!
Like I said, I'm not very techno, so I installed 64 rather than 32 on the basis that bigger must be better!! Didn't understand anything about it at all! All learning curve stuff, and if you don't try, you never learn!
I'll trash the 64-bit one and install the 32-bit one and see what happens, and if it works, I'll adopt you as another nephew! I'll let you know how I get on a bit later.
Thanks a million for your quick response which confirms what I kind of suspected.
Cheers,
Tecnogranny Karen

Karen - You CAN install VISTA drivers for the x64 Windows 7 and it works fine!

Go here for the 64 bit driver:
HP Color LaserJet 1600 Print Driver Package 64 bit

Thanks for the drivers Niburu. My phone can't access heavy sites like HP.

Karen, even though the drivers are 64bit, I would still advise to go 32bit on virtual machines. This should avoid most compatibility problems like this, and, the MacBook Pro hasn't got enough RAM to run Snow Leopard and 7 64bit properly (64bit needs minimum 2GB) so Windows 64bit won't be as efficient as Windows 32bit.

Cheers,
Fire Cat

Fire Cat - I hope you don't suffer that new malady for users of cell phone whilst texting. You sure have been busy on that phone lately. I would hate to see your fingers or knuckles get all locked up in the joints from so much key pressing.

Don't worry. It's a 3.7 inch touch screen, in landscape mode Very comfy, actualy.

Anyway, I play drums and guitare, so my arms and hands get a lot of excercise.

Hi Fire Cat!
It worked! It worked!! It worked!!!!!!!
I installed the 32-bit version of Windows 7, and it runs like a dream. I stuck the old 64-bit into the trash, and installed both Canon and HP printers, and the other software I love (FotoFusion Lumapix), and it's all running very smoothly now.
Woman triumphs over technology!!!!!
And I was also dead chuffed to find that my external hard drive now connects to Windows 7, as well as CD-Roms, so I'm feeling a lot more confident about using it.
Thanks a million for your expertise!

Cheers,
Technogranny Karen

Hi Nibiru2012,
thanks for the advice, but my instinct was to go for installing Windows 7 x 32-bit.
Not being highly technical, it was a complete shot in the dark installing 7x64 .. I had no idea what the difference was!!! But good to know that there are more drivers for the HP machine in case I ever need them.
Thanks a lot,
cheers,
Technogranny Karen

I hope you didn't throw away your 64 bit Windows 7 install disc. That would not be a smart move.

The 64 bit is quicker than 32 bit and is much better able to utilize the RAM, especially if you have 4GB of RAM or more.

But since you're using VMWare, it's probably a different ball game