Photoshop :: CS3 Not Responsive Due To Printer

I have run CS3 for many years on many platforms with two different printers. I upgraded my computer and operating system (basic specs listed below) in January of this year, 2012, and I decided to pare down to one printer: my Epson Stylus Photo R2880, which has been working with it splendidly until this past Friday, 5/4/12. I suddenly started getting the not responding issue when I attempted to open files in not just Photoshop, but my Acrobat as well. I have not updated any drivers in the month of May and I could still use all of my non-adobe software just fine. I looked online and found that it was a known issue. I reset my preferences, I ran a windows de fragment, I swept for spyware, and none of those worked. I set adobe pdf as the default printer for my computer and the "issue was resolved."

The problem remains that when I go into my print dialogue and manually change the target printer to my Epson I cannot print out of any of my Adobe software the not responding issue reasserts itself if any adobe software attempts to communicate with my printer: word, text files, windows viewer and the internet still print just fine off of the Epson. This is a huge problem for me because I run a small home publishing company and I can no longer PRINT out of my work software. Extremely frustrated that this 'fix' is no fix at all for my needs. I am at an utter loss for what to do to have a working office again and would like getting software that has been working perfectly in multiple set ups with multiple printers for since 2009 to work again?
 
I used to run CS3 on a custom built XP SP3 system with an hp printer, then with and hp and Epson printer. This year I switched to my current system, wiping the old drive as a backup disk and adding a 1T hard drive to hold win 7. It has worked fine for several months of heavy use for my website, greeting cards, and small comic publications. I need this set up to work again or I will go out of business,

Windows 7 Professional service pack 1
Intel Core 1.7-2600K CPU @ 3.4Ghz/3/7Ghz
16 GB memory
64 bit
Pen Input Activated (wacom intuos 3)
"Windows Experience Index" rating claims it's '5.9' - whatever that means

Nvidia GeForce GTx560 graphics card
Basic mother board sound handling
 
Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse
Epson printer
Mustek A3 scanner