GrayStrickland
asked on
Lexmark Optra S 1855 -- Can't Set Default to 1-UP Printing in Word XP
I am using Word XP and two Lexmark Optra S 1855 printers. Both printers use the exact same version of the printer driver, which is the newest available from Lexmark's website. Both printers are identical in terms of options, firmware and memory.
Word (but not other applications) keeps defaulting to printing "4-UP" (four virtual pages per physical sheet of paper) on just one of the Lexmarks. The other printer defaults to 1-UP printing.
Q. -- How do I set the default back to 1-UP printing?
Word (but not other applications) keeps defaulting to printing "4-UP" (four virtual pages per physical sheet of paper) on just one of the Lexmarks. The other printer defaults to 1-UP printing.
Q. -- How do I set the default back to 1-UP printing?
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
I must emphasize these points:
1. This problem only affects *Word* and not any other application;
2. This problem only affects *one* Lexmark printer, although we have two identical printers.
3. The "Printing Preferences" for each printer reached through the Windows "Start \ Printers & Faxes" menu shows both printers as being set to "1-UP" printing.
4. The *Word* dialog reached through the "Tools \ Options \ Print" menu affects all printers, not just one.
SOMEWHERE, there must be a registry entry that is causing 1 of 2 identical printers to print by default in "4-UP" mode in Word, but not other applications. No doubt I could delete both printers from my system and then reinstall them and that should fix the problem, but it wouldn't tell me the cause of the problem. I prefer real fixes whenever possible.
1. This problem only affects *Word* and not any other application;
2. This problem only affects *one* Lexmark printer, although we have two identical printers.
3. The "Printing Preferences" for each printer reached through the Windows "Start \ Printers & Faxes" menu shows both printers as being set to "1-UP" printing.
4. The *Word* dialog reached through the "Tools \ Options \ Print" menu affects all printers, not just one.
SOMEWHERE, there must be a registry entry that is causing 1 of 2 identical printers to print by default in "4-UP" mode in Word, but not other applications. No doubt I could delete both printers from my system and then reinstall them and that should fix the problem, but it wouldn't tell me the cause of the problem. I prefer real fixes whenever possible.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
I'm assuming these are both networked printers. If you've tried turning off the "good" printer and giving the "bad" printer it's IP number so the driver thinks it's the good one, does it still print 4-UP? If so, maybe what it needs is a factory reset: on the printer press the Menu button until you see "Tests Menu" and press Select. Then press the Menu button again until you see "Factory Defaults" and press Select. Then you should see "Restore Factory Defaults" and press Select to actually do the deed. When it's done, it'll say "Ready" and you'll have to enter the IP address, gateway, etc. again. If this doesn't fix it, then the problem must be in the computer somewhere. At that point, I'd say something was corrupted in the printer setup that you can't get to via properties and the only way out is to delete that printer and create a new one.
-Janet Lewis
-Janet Lewis
I'm sorry, I forgot to mention one thing in my previous post. We've found that Word XP seems to treat printers differently than every other application does. We have a problem similar to yours except that it won't print the bottom 2 inches of text on one particular printer that has no other problems. Deleting the normal.dot file and letting Word XP recreate it anew the next time it's launched makes the problem go away, but only for a while. Our printers are HP LaserJets 4050's. So if what I suggested in my previous post doesn't work, then you may be stuck with deleting the normal.dot from time to time. So far, this problem hasn't reared its ugly head with Word 2003, but we haven't had it rolled out long enough to say it won't happen.
-Janet Lewis
-Janet Lewis
jelewis1 - When we had the problem (bottom printing)... we changed print drivers to PostScript and that fixed all our printing problems...
JOrzech,
We had noticed this, too. But there are many times when we really don't want to use PostScript. We tried changing back to PCL5e from PCL6, having been told that there may be issues with PCL6, but I don't know that it has helped. It's a little hard to tell, now that the user knows the delete-normal.dot trick and doesn't always let us know when the problem reappears. It has occurred again after switching back to PCL5e, but I don't know with what frequency.
-Janet Lewis
We had noticed this, too. But there are many times when we really don't want to use PostScript. We tried changing back to PCL5e from PCL6, having been told that there may be issues with PCL6, but I don't know that it has helped. It's a little hard to tell, now that the user knows the delete-normal.dot trick and doesn't always let us know when the problem reappears. It has occurred again after switching back to PCL5e, but I don't know with what frequency.
-Janet Lewis
We're now on the PCL6 which has not given one single problem for many months now..... (WHEW!) - I hate those blasted print driver issues!!!!!
The PostScript drivers had some issues printing our faxes which come in PDF format. That's why we switched to the PCL6. As I said - no problems at all.
The PostScript drivers had some issues printing our faxes which come in PDF format. That's why we switched to the PCL6. As I said - no problems at all.
I had a sneaking suspicion that the version of PCL wasn't the problem. I wonder what the Optra 1855 S uses. If it can do PostScript, I wonder if that would fix Gray Strickland's printer problem. Not that it's a great solution, but it might reveal something about where the problem originates.
-Janet
-Janet
Gray? What say you?
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
I am still following this, but during the hiatus of activity, I grew weary of the problem and uninstalled and reinstalled the printer driver. That solved it, but I never found the root cause, which I what I was after on this list.
I'll split the points so that this can be closed.
I'll split the points so that this can be closed.
Janet,
Just a comment to your idea that my solution was 'inelegant'. I work in the Tech Support Field.
When a Tech is presented with 10 to 20 new problems a day, it doesn't matter if the solution is 'elegant'
or not. The idea is to get the customer up and running or able to perform the required task in as
little time as possible. If the problem was presented as a 'puzzle' or 'quiz', then mabey I would
look for the root cause of the problem. But, we usually never have time. :)
Steve Foley
Just a comment to your idea that my solution was 'inelegant'. I work in the Tech Support Field.
When a Tech is presented with 10 to 20 new problems a day, it doesn't matter if the solution is 'elegant'
or not. The idea is to get the customer up and running or able to perform the required task in as
little time as possible. If the problem was presented as a 'puzzle' or 'quiz', then mabey I would
look for the root cause of the problem. But, we usually never have time. :)
Steve Foley
Steve,
My apologies if your were offended by my comment about inelegance. My reference to "inelegant" was *not* to the fact that you suggested it, but to the fact that the operating system and printer drivers are apparently designed in such a way that uninstalling/reinstalling is often the only way to solve a problem. My feeling that this is "inelegant" probably stems from my experiences in the olden days of being able to fix things by directly editing configuration files and the like.
Like you, I also work in the Tech Support Field - in end-user support, as a matter of fact - including both on-site "hands-on" and rotating 24-hour on-call Help Desk duties. I directly support two different operating systems (Windows and MacOS of various flavors), applications, computers, and the peripherals associated with them. I also have at least 10-20 new problems a day. I, too, am abundantly aware of the need to get the customer up and running, etc., and the limited amount of time in which to do so.
The point, however, is that the fellow who posed the question specifically asked on 8/20/04 if someone knew of a solution *other than reinstalling the printer drivers*, of which he was already aware. He was looking for the root cause of the problem, the "puzzle," as one might say. He has, in fact, already gone ahead and uninstalled/reinstalled the printer drivers, thus solving the problem for the customer.
The mystery, however, remains. :)
-Janet Lewis
My apologies if your were offended by my comment about inelegance. My reference to "inelegant" was *not* to the fact that you suggested it, but to the fact that the operating system and printer drivers are apparently designed in such a way that uninstalling/reinstalling is often the only way to solve a problem. My feeling that this is "inelegant" probably stems from my experiences in the olden days of being able to fix things by directly editing configuration files and the like.
Like you, I also work in the Tech Support Field - in end-user support, as a matter of fact - including both on-site "hands-on" and rotating 24-hour on-call Help Desk duties. I directly support two different operating systems (Windows and MacOS of various flavors), applications, computers, and the peripherals associated with them. I also have at least 10-20 new problems a day. I, too, am abundantly aware of the need to get the customer up and running, etc., and the limited amount of time in which to do so.
The point, however, is that the fellow who posed the question specifically asked on 8/20/04 if someone knew of a solution *other than reinstalling the printer drivers*, of which he was already aware. He was looking for the root cause of the problem, the "puzzle," as one might say. He has, in fact, already gone ahead and uninstalled/reinstalled the printer drivers, thus solving the problem for the customer.
The mystery, however, remains. :)
-Janet Lewis
Hi Janet.
Thanks for the resume'. It's always nice to meet a fellow Support Tech. :) Regarding your recent post, the actual date of the question was
"asked by GrayStrickland on 08/19/2004 01:20PM PDT" and the question was "Q. -- How do I set the default back to 1-UP printing?". So you see,
the question posed was looking for a solution not the cause. We routinely reinstall Drivers and Apps that have somehow either been changed or corrupted. If you tried to determine how these things happen, you would be looking for a needle in a haystack. That is sometimes fun but it seemed like 'jelewis1' just wanted to get back to normal. However, after reading all the Posts, it seems like he was also looking for an answer. Kudos to us all.
Steve
Thanks for the resume'. It's always nice to meet a fellow Support Tech. :) Regarding your recent post, the actual date of the question was
"asked by GrayStrickland on 08/19/2004 01:20PM PDT" and the question was "Q. -- How do I set the default back to 1-UP printing?". So you see,
the question posed was looking for a solution not the cause. We routinely reinstall Drivers and Apps that have somehow either been changed or corrupted. If you tried to determine how these things happen, you would be looking for a needle in a haystack. That is sometimes fun but it seemed like 'jelewis1' just wanted to get back to normal. However, after reading all the Posts, it seems like he was also looking for an answer. Kudos to us all.
Steve
You may also want to open your normal.dot (search for on C drive) and go to File, Print, Properties, and see if you can find anything there.
Sorry to be so vague, but I can't be more specific without having the specific printer loaded.
Joanne