Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of TechGuise
TechGuiseFlag for United States of America

asked on

Access 2013 handling printer drivers differently that other OFFICE 2013 programs

Not really expecting an answer on this, but desperate times.....

I have an MS Access 2013 application that takes member info and is supposed to print a PVC ID Card.  Trying to use a new FARGO DTC1250e PVC card printer.
Here is the weird part.
The printer works great in other Win7 Programs, and in other Office2013 programs (WORD/EXCEL)

But when I try to select a certain ribbon type for the printer from with the ACCESS Report setup, I find that the ribbons available (under PageSetup/SPECIFIC PRINTER/PROPERTIES), are not the same choices available under PRINTER PROPERTIES in DEVICES & PRINTERS....

Crazy, I guess ACCESS doesn't get the same info that WORD & EXCEL do in regards to info from the OS?
Anyone have any ideas?
I've already talked to the manufacturer, they just say they don't support 3rd party programs and if it works under windows, it's not their problem.

I've thought that it might be a permissions issue.... where ACCESS is asking things from the printer as a service or something???  I've tried adding DEBUGGER USERS, SERVICE, SYSTEM, etc... to the printer with full permissions.... but no luck.
Avatar of Jim Dettman (EE MVE)
Jim Dettman (EE MVE)
Flag of United States of America image

Access does indeed handle printers differently than other Office apps.

Interesting problem.....what happens if you leave that set as the default printer and the Access report set to use the default printer....do you see the correct choices then?

Jim.
Avatar of TechGuise

ASKER

Awesome question.  I was just typing out a new question to see if someone could help me with a work-around.   It prints perfect when I let ACCESS use the new printer "As the Default OS printer".
My challenge is I have some code in there so that it grabbed this printer for this report

'<<<<<<<Begin Print Routine.............
'Get the name of the desired printer, and the DEFAULT printer in case there's a problem
Dim stReportPrinter As String
Dim stPrinterDefault As String
stPrinterDefault = Application.Printer.DeviceName

'Set the printer to use for this report
stReportPrinter = Nz(DLookup("[FieldValue]", "tblParameters", "[FieldName] = 'PrinterPVC'"), stPrinterDefault)
Set Application.Printer = Application.Printers(stReportPrinter)


Dim stReport As String
stReport = "rptCashCardPVC_1Up"
'Print report based on PRINTPREVIEW settings in TBLCOMPANYINFO
            If Nz(DLookup("[PrintPreview]", "tblCompanyInfo"), -1) = 0 Then
            DoCmd.OpenReport stReport, acViewNormal
                Else
                    DoCmd.OpenReport stReport, acViewPreview
            End If
'...........>>>>>>>>>>End Print Routine

Open in new window


Is there code that will change the OS default printer before the job, and change it back afterwards?
So far my solution is to leave the computer's Default Printer to the FARGO PVC ID Card Printer, and manually config ALL OTHER REPORTS in the application to their specific laser printers.... and after they print put in the following code to set the application back to Windows Default Printer.
        Set Application.Printer = Nothing
I tested this and it seems to work,

The problem with this is, if they print from outside of ACCESS it will go to the PVC printer...
Maybe another idea will come in.
<<Maybe another idea will come in. >>

 Oh I think we can get there.

  So now the next question/test:

0. Make sure the report is set to default printer and save
1. Set the default printer with the correct options.
2. Open the report, set the report to specific printer and save.

 Now do you still have the printing or no?

 If not, it means the printer object in Access is not properly storing whatever extensions have been built-in on the driver.

 If it does work, then it's a matter of setting the printer right within the report.

Jim.
Ok, tried those steps.  Access still refuses to show me the full color ribbon I need.

User generated imageIt's almost like ACCESS has a limitation as to "how many" ribbons it can offer in the preferences.  (picture shows prefs from windows and access).   Or maybe the ones it's not listing have too long of a description?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Jim Dettman (EE MVE)
Jim Dettman (EE MVE)
Flag of United States of America 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
and of course it should go without saying that you should make sure your up to date with updates.

I doubt highly it will make a difference though.  The Printer object in Access has not changed in many years and work on the desktop side of things basically stopped with A2007.

I doubt even if you reported it that you'd see a fix for it.

Jim.
JIm,
Good news (kind of).
It appears that the problem may be just on 64bit Office installations.   I tried the application today on a Office 2013 32bit install, and shazam, all the ribbons are there.

I'm looking for another 64bit machine to see if I can replicate the problem to confirm that it is a 64/32 bit issue.
This is an application that I put together originally on 2003 and the new ID Card printer was introduced along with an upgrade to the accdb format.

If that does end up being the cause, then it will be the second issue in this app caused by a 64bit installation (still don't have that one fixed, may be posting a question on it)

Thanks so much for your help.
Thanks for posting that.  

Most are staying away for 64 bit Office because there have been some problems.  Most notably driver issues (should have thought to ask/check) and lack of 3party controls, balanced against that for most, there is no gains.

Glad to hear though you got a major piece of the puzzle.   Am left wonder if it really is Access that is the issue now or if it's the MFG's driver under 64 bit.

Jim.