Cannot print from word

Question

My printer suddenly stopped printing from word. I thought at first it was the printer so I tried other things,excell,pictures email stuff like that and the printer worked fine. What's up? Thanks!

fireberd · Answer

Do you have your printer set as the 'default printer' in Word?  In Word, click on File then Print.  When the Print panel comes up, check the listing at the top and make sure your printer is listed in the window as the default device.

Lledzepplin · Answer

Thanks for the reply. It does show my printer as the default printer.  This morning I ran a system check and did that defragmenter thing(what the hey).Pretty much the same result except there is the slightest hint of print on the page like it wants to print but just can't. Any other ideas out there?

fireberd · Answer

Change the default printer to something else, such as the fax and then print to it (you can discard or delete the fax after it prints) then go back and change the default back to your printer and see if that helps.

You could also try a "Repair" on Word, but I suspect you will have to reinstall your Printer drivers. And the best way is to "clean" install them - uninstall the printer software, disconnect the printer from the PC, restart Windows and do the printer drivers install and DO NOT connect the printer to the PC until the installation program tells you to (this is important - do not connect the printer first or either the installation will fail or there will be problems).

Disk defrag would not have anything to do with the print. The "shotgun" troubleshooting approach won't work. You have to logically eliminate potential problem areas.

JEFF268 · Answer

TRY THIS.

Via Control Panel, select your printer and via Properties (I believe)
find the setting "Spool Print Jobs" (or similar). Check this box and
see if that works.

Post back with your solution to let us readers know what worked.

JEFF268

Lledzepplin · Answer

I appreciate the suggestions thus far. I am more convinced it is a printer problem and as time allows will figure this bugger out. I re-insatalled the printer at least a couple of times with limited results. Knowing I could print from excell I cut and pasted a document from word and I'll be darn if it wasn't like printing from word! Certainly more than my brain can handle but it's only a machine and we are smarter..........? I'LL BE BACK

abach · Answer

Are you using Windows XP and Word 2002?

abach · Answer

Try printing the document properties and see if it works. File, Print, 'Print What' - Drop list down and choose Document Properties.

Lledzepplin · Answer

Hi Allan, Yes. This is a fairly new computer(less than a year old) and has worked flawlessly up until this glitch. Dan

Productivity Software

Cannot print from word

Was this post helpful?