Microsoft KB Archive/825875

= &quot;There was a problem retrieving printer information&quot; error message when you preview a report or when you print a report in Office Access 2003 =

PSS ID Number: 825875

Article Last Modified on 2/3/2005

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Office Access 2003

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Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp).



For a Microsoft Access 2002 version of this article, see 294555.



For a Microsoft Access 2000 version of this article, see 222638.



SYMPTOMS
When you try to preview a report or to print a report in Microsoft Office Access 2003, you may receive the following error message:

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



CAUSE
This problem may occur if Access 2003 cannot communicate with the respective printer. You may receive the error message that is mentioned in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section for one of the following reasons:
 * Regional settings for your computer may be corrupted
 * Refresh the printer settings for the reports
 * Network printer is used, and the printer driver may require that the printer port is captured
 * Printer may have a network name that is not valid
 * Printer driver may be corrupted



RESOLUTION
Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Regional settings for your computer may be corrupted

 * 1) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
 * 2) Double-click Regional and Language Options.
 * 3) In the Regional and Language Options dialog box, select a different regional setting from your current setting from the drop-down list.

The drop-down list is located under the Standards and formats section that is on the Regional Options tab.

Note Select a regional setting that uses English.
 * 1) Click OK.
 * 2) Restart your computer.
 * 3) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
 * 4) Double-click Regional and Language Options.
 * 5) In the Regional and Language Options dialog box, select your original regional setting from the drop-down list, and then click OK.
 * 6) Restart your computer.

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Refresh the printer settings for the reports

 * 1) Exit Access.
 * 2) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers and Faxes.
 * 3) Right-click the problem printer, and then click Properties.
 * 4) In the Properties dialog box, click Printing Preferences.
 * 5) Click each tab in the Printing Preferences dialog box without making any changes.
 * 6) Click OK to close the Printing Preferences dialog box.
 * 7) Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.
 * 8) Restart Access, and then try to create the report again.

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Network printer is used, and the printer driver may require that the printer port is captured
Note Before you start this procedure, contact your network administrator to make sure that you have the correct path for the network printer.

You can use the Net.exe command to establish a persistent connection. The syntax of the Net.exe command is similar to the following:

 net use lpt \\ \ /persistent:yes 

Note: Here,  is the number of the printer port that you want to map,   is the print server that shares the printer, and   is the name of the printer share.

For example, to map LPT2 to a printer that is shared as Laser1 on a print server that is named Pserver, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Start, and then click Run.
 * 2) In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
 * 3) Type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

net use lpt2 \\Pserver\Laser1 /persistent:yes
 * 1) To quit the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER.

Note In Microsoft Windows XP, if the LPT port exists on the computer as a physical parallel port, only administrative users can map the LPT port to a network printer path.

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Printer may have a network name that is not valid
Note Before you start this procedure, contact your network administrator to make sure that you have the correct name and the correct path for the network printer.
 * 1) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers and Faxes.
 * 2) Right-click the icon for your printer, and then click Properties.
 * 3) In the   Properties dialog box, click the printer that you want to remove on the Ports tab, and then click Delete Port.
 * 4) In the Delete Port message box, click Yes.
 * 5) Click Add Port.
 * 6) In the Printer Ports dialog box, click Standard TCP/IP Port that is under Available port types, and then click New Port.
 * 7) In the Add Standard TCP/IP Port Wizard, click Next.
 * 8) In the Printer Name or IP Address box, type the network path of the printer, and then click Next.
 * 9) Under Device Type, click Custom, and then click Next.
 * 10) Click Finish.
 * 11) In the Printer Ports dialog box, click Close.
 * 12) On the Ports tab, click the newly-added port.
 * 13) Click Apply, and then click OK.

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Printer driver may be corrupted

 * 1) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers and Faxes.
 * 2) Right-click your default printer, and then click Delete. Click Yes if you are prompted to remove extra files that are left on the system.
 * 3) In the left pane, click Add a printer that is under the Printer Tasks section, and then follow the instructions to reinstall your printer driver.

When you reinstall your printer driver, Microsoft Windows corrects system files and registry keys.

Note If your printer model is not available in the Add Printer Wizard Manufacturer list or in the Printers list, check the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) for an updated driver. If your printer is not in the HCL, contact the printer manufacturer for drivers and for instructions.

Note If you are on a network, you may have to install the correct printer driver from a network printer share. Contact your network administrator for instructions.

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