Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of GreenDuck
GreenDuckFlag for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

asked on

Unable to select printer in Word 2007

Hi all, I've done some research and I've not been able to find anything relevant, although I have tried some of the similar solutions around about.
I have a client on a Windows 2003 domain, running an XP workstation, with Office 2007 small business installed. Recently they found that they were unable to select the usual network printer in Word. Several other users in the building have identical setups and can print fine. Also the user can print to that printer from all other applications, including the rest of the Office suite.

I struggled with all the usual things like updating printer drivers etc. and still nothing would allow the printer (or any printer) to be selected in Word. Sometimes it would crash the application completely.

I've run diagnostics. Eventually we hit such a brick wall with this I took the PC and rebuilt it: Windows OS complete reinstall.

I found the problem recurred on the rebuilt machine so in desperation I created a new user, shifting the user's existing exchange mailbox to the new account and making the documents available.

The. Same. Thing. Happened. Word and Word alone, when you go to print has nothing selected in the printer dialog. Click the drop down, select the required printer and again: nothing.

Rolling the computer back to an early restore point (i.e. before they logged in) fixes the problem for about two minutes, then the issue crops up again. The user has done nothing more provacative than start a new document and attempt to print.

Any ideas? I've tried registry cleaners, malware scans etc. but nothing has come up.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of goyal_251
goyal_251
Flag of India image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
I think that most of the steps in this list would already be covered by what you've done, but you might like to try them anyway.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/921541
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Avatar of GreenDuck

ASKER

These are all really good solutions, but sadly not the right path.
I've tried loads of things, even comparing snapshots of the registry to see what's changed (apparently nothing but I may not be doing it right)
I downloaded the install .exe and installed the printer as local with a TCP/IP port. Exactly the same problem, so I think print drivers are eliminated from the cause.

You're right about there being something unique about the machine or the user. I'd love to use some sort of audit tool to see every change made between it working and failing.

What's interesting is that the error occurs for subsequent user logons, so whatever the problem is, it isn't restricted to user profile.
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial