Unable to add printer to printer list

Hello everybody!

I'm unable to add a printer to the printer list. It's a HP Photosmart Plus B210a. I configured the printer without any difficulties (unpacking, installing ink, booting up, first run test prints, connecting it to the wireless network etc.). Now I want to add the printer to my Macbook Air (11", late 2010 version, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard) via the wireless connection.

To do this, I go to the system settings, printers and faxing. Since I have no other printers installed, there's nothing to see there. I clikc the plus + to add a printer and it finds the Photosmart via Bonjour connection. All looks fine to this point (doesn't it?). The I click add and then software update asks if I want to download software. Clicking not now obviously doesn't add the printer, clicking install starts a search for software (after accepting Apple's terms). Software is found, downloaded and installed, but after the install, nothing happens! The install progress bar closes, but then I'm still in the add printer screen, where I can still see the Photosmart through Bonjour connection. In the printer screen, the printer lists remains empty! 😟 When I add the printer again, it wants to search for software again, but it's unable to find (I guess because it doesn't find newer software, since I now have the software installed already). It simply doesn't add the printer to the list.

Connecting the printer with a USB cable ends up the same: you install the printer, but it won't show up in the printer list. Installing again results in the same message that no software can be found.

I also tried downloading the software from HP. Installation works just fine, but after the installation the software want to configure the printer through the same add printer screen. There I end up the same way: adding the printer makes software update search. Now it finds a HP printer update, which installs just fine, but the printer simply is not added to the printer list. This is also confirmed by the HP configuration software: it detects that the wireless printer is not in the list. Installing via USB cable however, ends up in succesful installation (says HP configuration software), but no success: no printer available!!! 😟 😟 😢

I can reproduce everything as many times as I like, by using the HP uninstaller that is installed with the download I installed manually. Then everything happens all over again, no matter what I try.

Does anybody know what kind of error this is? (there is no error message anywhere, only the notification from software update that it can't find new softare at the moment). Does anybody have experience with adding this particular printer, or any HP printer or any printer at all? Why can't I add my printer?

I think it's Apple related, not HP related. The printer works as it should (for what that's worth if you can't use it because your computer doesn't accept it). I can print through HP ePrint. This is not ideal, because it always prints the e-mail and attachment so it costs an extra page and a bit of ink. I just want to print simply by printing directly for my Macbook!

Any help is appreciated, I hope my problem is described with enough detail, but if you need more info, ask! I will provide.