Can't print after changing printers (Access 2002)

[DickG]

i recently installed a new printer. Now my Access reports will not print--I get an error message that reads

"There was a problem retrieving printer information for this object. The object may have been sent to a printer that is unavailable."

I cannot even open the report in Design view--I get the same message. I am, however, able to print by highlighting the report and hitting ctrl-p. This does not, however, change whatever default is buried in the report itself--subsequently double-clicking on the report still gets me the same error message. How do I change the default printer for my reports?

Dick Gorski

[charlotte]

Is the new printer set as your default printer? Does it work properly from other Office applications? Is the printer actually on-line and loaded with paper when you try to print to it? Was your report created with a printer that no longer exists? Is there any error number with the message and does the title bar of the message dialog say Microsoft Access or something else?

[DickG]

Yes, the new printer is set as the default and works with all other applications. The report was created with a printer that no longer exists. There is no error message number. The title bar of the message dialog says Microsoft Access.

Again, I can print the report by highlighting it and hitting ctrl-p. My new printer is listed as the default in that print dialog box. But double clicking the report or highlighting the report and clicking run only generates the error message.

[charlotte]

Have you tried opening the report in design view selecting the printer and correcting any settings in Page Setup, then saving the report again? Printer settings are saved with the report's design. In 2002, you are supposed to be able to create a report without a printer installed, but I have no idea what happens if you then add a printer. <img src=/S/shrug.gif border=0 alt=shrug width=39 height=15>

[DickG]

I can't open the report in design view--I get the same error message.

If printer settings are stored in a report's design, how can developers ever design databases for customers? Who knows what printer a customer may have?

[WendellB]

A suggestion - try creating a new empty database, and then import the report and any necessary related objects (tables, queries, etc.) into that database. That should set the default printer as the default printer for the report. It is possible to manipulate the printer characteristics of a report in VBA, so that is another alternative, and is what most developers do for Access apps that are commercially deployed. The changes made in Access 2002 may be causing grief here too. Have you installed the latest service packs?

[charlotte]

It sounds like you have a seriously corrupted report. Have you tried a compact and repair of the database? You may wind up having to rebuild the report if you can't even open it in design view. Developers usually design to the default printer and let Windows handle it from there. However, things like margins and paper size will reset to default if the desired printer isn't available, so in the past developers had to write a lot of code and use PrtDevMode to get information about the printer and settings. In Office 2000, you have a Printer object that allows you to do things like this:

<pre>Function CheckPrinter(objReport As Report) As Boolean

If objReport.UseDefaultPrinter = False Then
If MsgBox("Should this report use " _
& "the default printer?", _
vbYesNo) = vbYes Then
objReport .UseDefaultPrinter = True
End If
End If

End Function</pre>

[DickG]

Just tried that--still have the same problem.

I also remember that I originally created this database in Access 2000, but converted the file format to 2002 when I upgraded to Office XP. The problem did not start with the upgrade, however, but when I installed a different printer.

[DickG]

Compact and repair didn't help. Also, it is not just one report that generates the error message--every report refuses to print or even to open in Design view because I have the wrong printer!

[Tim K.]

Re-install the previous printer and see if the error disappeared or not.

[WendellB]

Tim beat me too it, but reinstalling the old print drivers, even if you don't still have the old printer, should do the trick. Do it just long enough to change the print properties of your reports. I think something else is probably going on here, because this isn't typical behavior, but I can't come up with any other suggestions as to what might be causing the problem.

[DickG]

That did it. I was able to open all reports in design view. Within page setup I found they were all set to print to the default printer, so I still don't know why I get the error message I did. I changed the setting in each report to "Print to specific printer," selected the new printer, and all is well. I just hope the current printer doesn't die, because I will never remember this procedure.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[patt]

You wrote
<<I just hope the current printer doesn't die, because I will never remember this procedure. >>

Just do a search on this forum <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15>

Pat <img src=/S/smile.gif border=0 alt=smile width=15 height=15>

[Support4John]

I recently ran into this situation at a A2002 site.

"There was a problem retrieving printer information for this object.
The object may have been sent to a printer that is unavailable. "

I delvelop in A2k, all reports use my local HP Laserjet 1200 as default and distribute *.mdb to A2k and A2002 customers.

My customers have a wide range of different networked laser printers.

I have been distributing apps like this for years without a printing problem.

The A2002 problem site installed a new printer either before or after removing the old printer (I can

[WendellB]

I don't think there is any moral to the story other than "Printing is a pain in the <img src=/w3timages/censored.gif alt=censored border=0> <img src=/S/exclamation.gif border=0 alt=exclamation width=15 height=15>"

If you can get your problem site to reinstall the old print driver - even if there isn't a printer anymore, that may give you the ability to open it in design, set it for the new printer in Page Setup, then change that to the default printer, and then change the report back to use the default printer. In general, you want to install the new printer, change the default printer to make sure everything works, and then remove the old printer. In most cases, an HP printer will be happy to emulate an older printer, so if you simply install the new printer with the same name, things work fine. If you throw print sharing devices and LAN based printers into the fray, things can get more complicated, but that's the basics. As indicated in this thread, another solution is to import the balky report into a new database and assign the printer in the new database, then export it back to your app.

As to whether you can solve it without going to the site, that depends on whether you have something like Windows Terminal Services, Citrix or PC AnyWhere running, or if you have someone there who can follow your directions to the tee. If you have to go to the site, charge them - we do. (We also warn our clients of such issues and request that they inform us before making hardware, OS or Office changes or upgrades.)