My Kingdom For a Working Dell Printer

I hate when something goes wrong with the computer - because you know no matter how simple or little it seems, it'll be out of control in no time. As I said previously our computer suddenly started not recognizing our USB device (that's what makes the modem  communicate with the printer) - so I emailed Dell. I got a response the next day and started following the directions but decided to locate the file I needed to download to reinstall the drivers first. It doesn't exist so I wrote back to the tech. Got a sorry and right web page, but the files I needed to locate -sigh, don't exist (at this point I'm seriously wondering if I'm not communicating with the janitor who is probably laughing as he makes things up....). So I call the Dell tech support and sit on hold for over twenty minutes and during that time I also sit on Computer Hold waiting for live assistance. Live assistance comes on and comes to the conclusion I either need a new USB or should try hooking up the printer to another computer (???) to see if it works. I told the tech since the printer still copies and scans it works,that we'd already replaced the USB and even if I did have another computer what would hooking the printer up to that prove - it still wouldn't work on my computer. I told him about the email tech telling me I needed to reinstall the drivers and he said that wouldn't work because the USB wasn't working so the computer wouldn't be able to install them -   I just would've ended up with no drivers. I asked him why the Dell tech would've emailed those instructions and he said he didn't know.Then he gave me the 1-800 number which I told him I'd tried that, but no one answers the phone. In an effort to distract me he started repeating himself about the new USB, etc... so I thanked him and cut it short - no matter how many times he said that it still doesn't make sense. So I now have a $160 piece of trash curtesy of Dell. It's just so frustrating that I know there has to be a simple solution to this but I don't know enough about computers to do it on my own and after my experience with the two Dell tech supports I am very leery of contacting them again. I  had an experience years ago with AOL where the tech was leading me through all sorts of Press This and Press That  - when I came to a blue screen with writing on it that wouldn't budge. I read it off to her and said, Well, what do I do next? And she very quietly replied "Take it to the computer repair shop" and hung up! Some things never change.