Excel: Printing from File Manager Displays Print Dialog

ID: Q98001

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

When you print a Microsoft Excel worksheet, macro sheet, or chart from Microsoft Windows File Manager, the Microsoft Excel Print dialog box may be displayed and prompt you to choose OK before you can begin printing. To print the file without having to choose the OK button in the Microsoft Excel Print dialog box, you need to modify the Microsoft Windows Registration Database.


MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Windows version 3.1, you can print a file from File Manager by dragging the icon of the file and placing it on the Print Manager icon, or you can choose the Print command from the File menu. Both of these methods will run or activate the application the file is associated with, open the file, and print it.

Note: The application that the file will open is determined by the file extension of the file that you want to print.

The Print DDE Message listed in the Microsoft Windows Registration Database determines if a file is printed with or without confirmation. When you register Microsoft Excel version 4.0, it uses the PRINT?() function for the Print DDE Message rather than the PRINT() function. The question mark form of a macro command causes the associated dialog box to be displayed and requires you to enter some type of input before the macro will continue. To bypass the print dialog box when you print from File Manager, edit the Microsoft Excel file entries in the Microsoft Windows Registration Database.

To change the registration details:

  1. In Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.


  2. Type "REGEDIT" (without the quotation marks) and press ENTER.


  3. Select Microsoft Excel Worksheet, and from the Edit menu, choose Modify File Type.


  4. In the Action box, choose the Print button.


  5. In the DDE Message box, remove the question mark that follows the word "print." For example, you would change:

    [open("%1")][print?()][quit()]

    -to-

    [open("%1")][print()][quit()]


  6. Make this same change in the DDE Application Not Running box.


  7. Choose OK.


If you also want to print Macro Sheets and Charts from the File Manager without confirmation, repeat steps 1-7 but in step 3, select Microsoft Excel Macrosheet or Microsoft Excel Chart. The changes you make to the Registration Database will take effect immediately.


REFERENCES

Online Help for Registration Information Editor.

Additional query words: Win 3.1 4.00a 


Keywords          : 
Version           : 3.00 4.00 4.00a 5.00
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: April 1, 1999