Knowledge Base

Word document may print with your markup when you print from your Windows desktop or from Windows Explorer

Article ID: 835219

Article Last Modified on 1/29/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Office Word 2007
Microsoft Office Word 2003

Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you print a Microsoft Office Word 2007 document or a Microsoft Office Word 2003 document from Microsoft Windows Explorer or from your Microsoft Windows desktop (for example, you right-click the document, and then click Print), the document may print with your markups (comments and tracked changes).

CAUSE

This problem occurs because, by default, when you print your Microsoft Word document outside Word, the document is printed as Final Showing Markup (on the Reviewing toolbar).

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Microsoft Office Word 2007

Start Word 2007, and then open your document.
On the Review tab, change Display for Review box to Final in the Tracking group.
Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Print.
In the Print dialog box, click OK to print your Word 2007 document.

Method 2: Microsoft Office Word 2003

Start Word 2003, and then open your document.
On the Reviewing toolbar, change the Display for Review box to Final.
On the File menu, click Print.
In the Print dialog box, click OK to print your Word 2003 document.

RESOLUTION

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Microsoft Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 1.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Office 2003. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

870924 How to obtain the latest service pack for Office 2003

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Word 2003 Hotfix Package that is dated March 1, 2004. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

835212 Word 2003 hotfix package: March 1, 2004

After you install this hotfix, follow the steps that are listed in the "More Information" section of this article to set the SetDefaultPrintViewToFinal registry key and to activate the hotfix.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section of this article.
This problem was first corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 1.

MORE INFORMATION

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Method 1: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

To this hotfix, follow these steps:

Quit Microsoft Word.
Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click to select the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Options
After you select the key that is specified in step 3, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
Type SetDefaultPrintViewToFinal, and then press ENTER.
Right-click SetDefaultPrintViewToFinal, and then click Modify.
In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.

Method 2: Microsoft Office Outlook 2003