Printer printing out microscopically small pages.
Hi
Whenever we print out from two of our workstations, the A4 page is shrunk down to the size of a postage stamp, and appears in the top left corner. These are connected to a network shared printer, so the drivers are obtained off the server through the network. Not sure what to do to fix the problem. I've tried the more obvious, logical possible solutions, but nothing seems to solve the problem.
Please help!
Whenever we print out from two of our workstations, the A4 page is shrunk down to the size of a postage stamp, and appears in the top left corner. These are connected to a network shared printer, so the drivers are obtained off the server through the network. Not sure what to do to fix the problem. I've tried the more obvious, logical possible solutions, but nothing seems to solve the problem.
Please help!
ASKER
We were printing from word. I tried printing out from Wordpad and it was just fine. So what do you think the problem is?
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Either reinstall the driver from the server or try (manually) a different (but similar) driver.
They aren't running the Zoom - Pages Per Sheet option from Word, are they?
in Word 2k
Word.. File.. Print.. Zoom option, lower right...
just a thought!
info about half way down on:
http://www.udel.edu/topics/printless/Reformat.html
in Word 2k
Word.. File.. Print.. Zoom option, lower right...
just a thought!
info about half way down on:
http://www.udel.edu/topics/printless/Reformat.html
Check paper size etc..
and settings to printer..
and settings to printer..
ASKER
All printer settings (paper size, zoom, etc) are correct.
clear out the printer spooler as p[er my instructions in the link above on the affected machines and let them download the drivers again and all should be fine
does it affect all documents from those workstations? for all users? what happens if they print to a different printer? Do you have one that's the same model?
I don't think it can be driver related, as it would affect all printing from the workstations. Possibly a Word issue? Tried Office servicepacks, reinstalling Word, etc?
I don't think it can be driver related, as it would affect all printing from the workstations. Possibly a Word issue? Tried Office servicepacks, reinstalling Word, etc?
just another question (as I haven't asked enough....) - do you have a print server, or does each workstation run it's own spooler?
ASKER
No, we have a printer server. Each printer is installed locally on this server, on a tcp/ip port, and then shared as network printers.
ASKER
It only seems to be affecting two workstations out of twenty at the moment. The problem has always been present on one of these workstations, but appeared just a few weeks ago on another workstation. It only happens with one of the printers, the Brother 5130. The other printer is fine. Both drivers are of course installed from CD on the print server.
And as I said earlier, it only seems to happen with MS Word.
And as I said earlier, it only seems to happen with MS Word.
A: first log onto the machine as yourself and conect yourself to the printer and try print if it prints the same for you then goto B else check the normal.dot in the users profile and delete let windows recreate.
b: here we go again jason210 check the computers that you have problems with and see if there are any yellow Print errors the computers local spooler may need reseting and the drivers downloaded again follow the instructions by me.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21083594/Print-Spooler-Error.html
I think the users local spooler needs emptying and allowing the computer to dowmload fresh of the server.
b: here we go again jason210 check the computers that you have problems with and see if there are any yellow Print errors the computers local spooler may need reseting and the drivers downloaded again follow the instructions by me.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21083594/Print-Spooler-Error.html
I think the users local spooler needs emptying and allowing the computer to dowmload fresh of the server.
I think would uninstall print drivers and remove registry entries for that printer and re-install ..
ASKER
Thanks all - I've not abandoned this but I've just been busywith other problems...
Will assign points soon.
/Jason
Will assign points soon.
/Jason
ok no probs..
ASKER
Scott Willcocks: I've tried to follow your instructions - should I delete all the number folders in the registry and print spooler?
sorry not the best description this registry key holds all the printer driver information for the local computer/
HKLM\currentcontrolset\con
in this hive there are likely to be numbered folders 1 2 3 etc
these are the printer driver revisions if you look in a numbered folder it will have the print driver names HPDeskjet 1100 for example
Now there seems to be a bug when you upgrade a printer driver on your servers.
When you upgrade a driver on a server it copies the files onto the PC and adds an entry in the registry to this key.
HKLM\currentcontrolset\con
under the pending upgrade key it adds the number off the driver so you see a folder with number 3 for example now it waits for everyuser that has logged onto this pc to log in so it can upgrade the registry information for each user.
This is the problem as it is very unlikely that everyuser that has logged in will do so maybe for months so all the
HKLM\controlset.001 do not get updated so you have a copy of the new printer drivers and copies of the old drivers on the same machine waiting to be used.
surely not a problem as the computer has the new on right nope wrong.
Windows when decideing which folders to use will go through them sequentially when looking through a set of folders it goes through all the numbers 1-10 then alphabetically a-z so windows looks sees a folder numbered 1 goes in sees the driver as most drivers even when updated still keep the same .dll names and thinks this is the right one.
when resetting the print spooler if you have any problems provided that you have the drivers to hand or on the servers delete all the folders and files as in my other post, when you add them back it will then only download the newest off the server if you have local printers though make sure you have the disks to hand to reload.
HKLM\currentcontrolset\con
in this hive there are likely to be numbered folders 1 2 3 etc
these are the printer driver revisions if you look in a numbered folder it will have the print driver names HPDeskjet 1100 for example
Now there seems to be a bug when you upgrade a printer driver on your servers.
When you upgrade a driver on a server it copies the files onto the PC and adds an entry in the registry to this key.
HKLM\currentcontrolset\con
under the pending upgrade key it adds the number off the driver so you see a folder with number 3 for example now it waits for everyuser that has logged onto this pc to log in so it can upgrade the registry information for each user.
This is the problem as it is very unlikely that everyuser that has logged in will do so maybe for months so all the
HKLM\controlset.001 do not get updated so you have a copy of the new printer drivers and copies of the old drivers on the same machine waiting to be used.
surely not a problem as the computer has the new on right nope wrong.
Windows when decideing which folders to use will go through them sequentially when looking through a set of folders it goes through all the numbers 1-10 then alphabetically a-z so windows looks sees a folder numbered 1 goes in sees the driver as most drivers even when updated still keep the same .dll names and thinks this is the right one.
when resetting the print spooler if you have any problems provided that you have the drivers to hand or on the servers delete all the folders and files as in my other post, when you add them back it will then only download the newest off the server if you have local printers though make sure you have the disks to hand to reload.
ASKER
Well, I deleted all the numbered folders in the registry, and also in the print spooler, and it fixed the problem. I didn't find anything in the Pending folder though.
Many thanks for the help.
Many thanks for the help.
thats ok no problem glad to be of assistance.
What program are you prnting from.. Try printing from Notepad, word etc...