Troubleshooting Printing Problems in Windows 95/98

ID: Q128345


The information in this article applies to:


SUMMARY

This article describes troubleshooting steps that may help you solve printing problems in Microsoft Windows 95/98.


MORE INFORMATION

Printers.txt

Windows 95/98 includes a file called Printers.txt. This file is located in the Windows folder and contains information about known printing issues. This file may help you solve printing problems.

Print Troubleshooter

Windows 95/98 includes a Print Troubleshooter tool. Before you perform any troubleshooting steps, try the Print Troubleshooter tool. To use the Print Troubleshooter tool, follow these steps:

Windows 95:
  1. Click Start, and then click Help.


  2. On the Contents tab, double-click the Troubleshooting topic.


  3. Double-click the If You Have Trouble Printing topic.


Windows 98:
  1. Click Start, and then click Help.


  2. Click Troubleshooting, click Windows 98 Troubleshooters, and then click Print


Note that the Windows 95 Resource Kit also includes a Print Troubleshooter tool. This tool is more detailed than the Print Troubleshooter in Windows
  1. This tool is also available on the Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM in the


following folder:
Other\Misc\Epts\Epts.exe

Online Help

In addition to the Print Troubleshooter, there is extensive online help available in Windows 95/98. Right-click a printer option field, then click "What's This?" on the menu that appears to see detailed information about that option.

Print from an MS-DOS Prompt

If you cannot print at all in Windows 95/98, try the following steps:
  1. Verify that the printer is turned on and is online without any printer errors.


  2. Perform a self-test on the printer. The method for performing a self-test is different for different printers. Check your printer's documentation for instructions.

    If the self-test fails, contact your printer manufacturer for assistance.


  3. If possible, set up the printer on your local computer. Verify that no printer sharing devices or daisy-chained devices (such as SCSI CD-ROMs or Zip drives) are between the computer and printer.


  4. Restart your computer. For Windows 95, press F8 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.

    For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu. For more information about Windows 98 startup, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    ARTICLE-ID: Q178548
    TITLE : No "Starting Windows 98" Message at Startup
    NOTE: Windows-based applications cannot print when you start Windows 95 in Safe mode.


  5. Type the following line and then press ENTER:
    copy c:\autoexec.bat lpt1
    For a Laser printer, type:
    copy c:\autoexec.bat lpt1 /b
    For a PostScript printer (Windows 95 only), type
    copy c:\<path>\testps.txt lpt1
    where <path> is the location of the Windows\System folder.

    NOTE: If your printer is not connected to LPT1, substitute the correct port name in the lines above.


These commands copy a file to the printer. If the file is not printed or you receive a Write Fault error message, there may be a problem with the port, the cable, or the printer. You may want to try using a different printer cable or a different printer. When you copy a file to some inkjet and laser printers, you may need to press the Form Feed or Resume key after the printer has received the print job; otherwise, the printer may not eject the paper.

Try the Alternate Lpt.vxd File (Windows 95 only)

There is an alternate Lpt.vxd file that resolves the following problems:
The alternate Lpt.vxd file is located in the Drivers\Printer\Lpt folder on the Windows 95 CD-ROM.

This file is also included in the self-extracting A1701.exe file.

This file is available for download from the following Microsoft FTP site:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Services/whql/drivers/win95/printr/



To install the alternate Lpt.vxd file, follow these steps:
  1. Using Windows Explorer, rename the Lpt.vxd file in the Windows\System folder to Lpt.old.


  2. Copy the Lpt.vxd file from the Drivers\Printer\Lpt folder on the Windows 95 CD-ROM to the Windows\System folder on the hard disk.

    -or-

    Download the Lpt.vxd file from the Microsoft World Wide Web site to an empty folder, and then copy it to the Windows\System folder on the hard disk.


  3. Restart Windows 95.


Note that the alternate Lpt.vxd file has the same file size and date as the original file. The version number of the alternate Lpt.vxd file is 4.00.503 or 4.00.951. You can determine the version number by right- clicking the Lpt.vxd file, and then clicking Properties.


Print from Notepad and WordPad

  1. With the printer still connected locally, restart your computer normally.


  2. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, then click Notepad or WordPad.


  3. Type some text in Notepad or WordPad and then try to print the text.


Device Manager Settings


  1. If you cannot print from Notepad, verify that the port is set up correctly in Device Manager (for example, verify that there are no conflicts and that the port's resources are set correctly). NOTE: To open Device Manager, use the right mouse button to click My Computer and then click Properties on the menu that appears.


  2. Click the Device Manager tab, double-click "Ports (COM & LPT)," then double-click the appropriate port for your printer [for example, "Printer Port (LPT1)"].


  3. Click the Resources tab and verify that the settings are correct for your printer port. For example, the input/output (I/O) range for a standard LPT1 port is 0378-037A (a physical LPT2 port typically uses I/O 278). Also verify that the conflicting devices list reads "No conflicts."


Disable the Enhanced Capabilities Port

If you have problems printing or experience garbled printout using an enhanced capabilities (ECP) port, follow these steps to disable the enhanced capabilities port:

Windows 95:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click System.


  2. On the Device Manager tab, double-click the "Ports (COM & LPT)" branch to expand it.


  3. Double-click the ECP port.


  4. On the Driver tab, click Change Driver.


  5. Click Show All Devices.


  6. In the Manufacturers box, click Standard Port Types. In the Models box, click Printer Port, and then click OK until you return to Control Panel.


  7. Follow the steps in the "Try the Alternate Lpt.vxd File" section above to install the alternate Lpt.vxd file.


Windows 98:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click System.


  2. On the Device Manager tab, double-click the "Ports (COM & LPT)" branch to expand it.


  3. Double-click the ECP port.


  4. On the Driver tab, click Update Driver. When the Update Device Driver wizard appears, click Next.


  5. Click "Display a list of all the device drivers in a specific location, so you can select the driver you want," and then click Next.


  6. Click Show All Hardware.


  7. In the Manufacturers box, click Standard Port Types. In the Models box, click Printer Port, and then click Next.


  8. When the Update Driver Warning dialog box appears, click Yes.


  9. Click Finish and then click Yes to restart your computer.


Notes:

Remove and Reinstall the Printer Port


  1. If a conflict exists or the port's settings are incorrect, use Device Manager to remove the printer port. NOTE: To open Device Manager, right-click My Computer and then click Properties.


  2. Click the Device Manager tab, double-click the "Ports (COM & LPT)" branch to expand it, and then click the appropriate port for your printer [for example, "Printer Port (LPT1)"].


  3. Click Remove, and then restart your computer.


  4. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  5. Double-click Add New Hardware, and let Windows detect the hardware in your computer.


You can use the Debug tool in the Windows\Command folder to verify the port settings as follows:
  1. At a command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after each line:
    
          debug
          d 40:0
      
    NOTE: The first row of numbers contains the COM and LPT port I/O addresses. In the following example
    F8 03 F8 02 00 00 00 00 - 78 03 00 00 00 00 00 f7 01
    F8 03 is COM1, F8 02 is COM2, 78 03 is LPT1, and 00 00 denotes that no port exists. These I/O addresses must match the I/O addresses in Device Manager.


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


Hard Disk Maintenance

There should be at least 3 megabytes (MB) of free space on the hard disk that contains your temporary folder.

Remove Temporary and Spool Files:
  1. Restart your computer to a command prompt. In Windows 95, press F8 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.

    For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu. For more information about Windows 98 startup, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    ARTICLE-ID: Q178548
    TITLE : No "Starting Windows 98" Message at Startup
    NOTE: Windows-based applications cannot print when you start Windows 95/98 in Safe mode.


  2. Type "set" (without quotation marks) and press ENTER. Note the location of the TEMP variable.


  3. Change to the folder noted in step 2. For example, if TEMP is set to C:\Windows\Temp, type the following line and then press ENTER:
    cd\windows\temp


  4. Delete any temporary files in this folder. Temporary files typically have a .TMP extension. To delete these files, type the following line and then press ENTER:
    del *.tmp
    NOTE: You should not delete these files from within the Windows 95/98 graphical user interface (GUI) because Windows 95/98 or a Windows- based application may be using one of these files.


  5. Type the following line and press ENTER to change to the spool folder:
    cd\windows\spool\printers


  6. Delete any spool files in this folder. Spool files typically have a .SPL extension. To delete these files, type the following line and then press ENTER:
    del *.spl


ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter:

If the hard disk becomes fragmented or there are cross-linked files on the hard disk, you can encounter printing problems. To check for these problems, follow these steps:
  1. Restart your computer normally.


  2. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, then click ScanDisk.


  3. When ScanDisk is finished, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, then click Disk Defragmenter.

    NOTE: You can use your computer while Disk Defragmenter is running. However, your computer operates slower and the defragmentation process restarts if the contents of the drive you are defragmenting changes.


You Can Print from a Command Prompt But Not Windows-Based Programs

If you can print from a command prompt but not from any Windows-based application, there may be a problem with the spool settings or with bi-directional communication.
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you are trying to print to and then click Properties on the menu that appears.


  3. Click the Details tab, click Spool Settings, then click the Print Directly To The Printer.

    NOTE: If the local printer is being shared, Print Directly To The Pinter is unavailable. To resolve this, stop sharing the printer.


  4. If your printer supports bi-directional communication, click "Disable bi-directional support for this printer."

    NOTE: Bi-directional printing relies on the 1284 IEEE specification. If your printer cable does not conform to this specification and is not of reasonable length, bi-directional printing does not work in Windows 95/98.


  5. Click the OK, and then click OK again to close the Print Properties dialog box.


  6. Try to print from Notepad or WordPad.


  7. If you can print from Notepad or WordPad, try different combinations of spool settings and bi-directional support until you find a combination that works. For example, try disabling bi-directional support with RAW and EMF spool data format settings. Also, try bi- directional support with the RAW spool data format.

    NOTE: RAW is the only spool data format supported for PostScript printers.


Printing Problems Occur Only in One Application

If you can print from Notepad, WordPad, and other applications, try the following steps:
  1. What exactly is the printing problem? Does the application print graphics properly, or are you having problems with just one font?


  2. Does the problem occur in one document only, or all documents within the application? As a test, try to print a blank page inside the application. If this prints, the application may have problems with memory or fonts.


  3. Are you using a 32-bit or 16-bit application? 32-bit applications use the system registry to obtain needed information, while 16-bit applications may use .INI files. If you are having a printing problem with a 16-bit application, perhaps an .INI file needs to be modified to accommodate the application.


  4. Reinstall the application.


  5. Contact the manufacturer of the application for specific settings that might affect printing.


Windows 3.x Required Disabling Fast Printing Direct To Port

If you had to disable the Fast Printing Direct To Port option in Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.x, you should disable the Check Port State option in Windows 95/98. To do so, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you want to use, then click Properties.


  3. Click the Details tab, click Port Settings, and then click the Check Port Status check box to clear it.


The BIOS in some computers incorrectly reports that the printer port is busy or not available. By default, Windows 95/98 checks for these errors. Clearing the Check Port State check box causes Windows 95/98 to ignore these messages.

Change the Printer Driver

Generic/Text Only:

If you have problems printing in Windows 95/98, try the Generic/Text Only printer driver. To do so, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, then click Printers.


  2. Double-click the Add Printer icon and follow the instructions in the Add Printer Wizard to install the Generic/Text Only printer driver.


  3. Try to print from your application with this driver.


Change the Printer's Emulation Mode:

Many printers have emulation modes that allow you to print with a different printer driver. Refer to the printer documentation or manufacturer about using emulation modes on your printer.

NOTE: Most printers require that you change a setting on the printer to use emulation modes.
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, then click Printers.


  2. Double-click the Add Printer icon and follow the instructions in the Add Printer Wizard to install the printer driver for the printer that your printer emulates.

    NOTE: For PostScript printers, try installing the Apple LaserWriter II NTX driver (this is a PostScript driver that works with most PostScript printers).


Windows 3.1 Printer Driver:

Windows 95/98 supports over 800 printers directly and can also use Windows version 3.1 and 3.11 printer drivers. When you install Windows 95, if a Windows 95/98 printer driver is available for the printer you are using, that printer driver is installed. If there is no Windows 95/98 printer driver available for your printer, the Windows 3.x printer driver is left in place and should work with Windows 95/98.

NOTE: Windows 3.x printer drivers cannot take advantage of some of the printing enhancements in Windows 95/98.

A newer printer driver for Windows 95/98 may be available in the future from Microsoft or from your printer's manufacturer. Contact your printer's manufacturer for further details.

For additional information about using Windows 3.1 drivers in Windows 95/98, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q132946
TITLE : How to Install Windows 3.1 Drivers in Windows 95

NOTE: If the printing problems exist for more than one driver, the problem is most likely not driver-specific.

Remove and Reinstall the Printer Driver

If the printing problem seems to be corrected by using a different printer driver, follow these steps to remove and reinstall the printer driver:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you want to remove, then click Delete.


  3. If you are prompted to remove all the files associated with the printer, click Yes.


  4. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  5. Double-click the Add Printer icon and follow the instructions in the Add Printer Wizard to reinstall the Windows 95/98 printer driver.


Verify Printer Properties

Incorrect printer property settings can cause poor or incomplete output, or can cause your printer not to print at all. Follow these steps to check the printer property settings:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you want to check, and then click Properties.


  3. Verify that the printer properties (such as printer memory and paper size) are correct.

    NOTE (Windows 95 only): For PostScript printers, you must copy the TESTPS.TXT file to the printer port to determine the appropriate available printer memory setting for the Device Options tab. The TESTPS.TXT file lists a "Max Suggested VM (KB)" value for the printer. Use this value on the Device Options tab. See the "Print from an MS-DOS Prompt" section of this article for information about how to print the TESTPS.TXT file on PostScript printers.


Network Printing Problems

If you have problems printing to a network printer, try these steps:
  1. Print to a local printer.


  2. Print to a file, then copy the file to the print server. To try this, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


    2. Right-click the printer you want to use, and then click Properties.


    3. Click the Details tab, and then click File in the Print To The Following Port box.


    4. Print a document from any application. When you are prompted, type a filename for the print job.


    5. Click Start, point to Programs, then click MS-DOS Prompt.


    6. At the MS-DOS prompt, type the following line and then press ENTER
      copy <path><filename> <network printer> /b
      where <path> is the location of the file you created in step D, <filename> is the name of the file you created in step D, and <network printer> is the location of the printer on the network (for example, \\servername\sharename).

      The /b switch denotes a binary file and causes the whole file to be printed. Without the /b switch, the whole file may not be printed. The printer may stop printing the file at the first CTRL+Z character it encounters in the file.




  3. Capture a printer port for the network printer rather than using a universal naming convention (UNC) connection. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


    2. Right-click the printer you want to use, and then click Properties.


    3. Click the Details tab, and then click Capture Printer Port.


    4. Click the port you want to capture (such as LPT2) and the path to the network printer (such as \\ServerName\PrinterShare).

      NOTE: If you want this connection to be available each time you start Windows 95/98, click the Reconnect At Logon check box to select it.




  4. Try to print the document from another computer on the network.


  5. If you still cannot print to the network printer, perform standard network troubleshooting steps, such as:


  6. If you have multiple network clients installed, try removing one of the clients. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Right-click Network Neighborhood, and then click Properties.


    2. Click one of the network clients, and then click Remove.


    3. Click OK.


    4. Restart your computer, and try to print again.





Printing Speed

Printing speed in Windows 95/98 is measured in one of two ways:
You can affect each of these times by changing spool settings. To change spool settings, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you want to use, and then click Properties.


  3. Click the Details tab, and then click the Spool Settings button.

    For faster RTA speed:

    1. Click "Start printing after first page is spooled."


    2. In most cases, choose EMF as the spool data format.

      NOTE: PostScript printers support only the RAW spool data format.


    For faster printer page drop speed:
    1. Click Print Directly To The Printer.

      NOTE: If the local printer is being shared, Print Directly To The Pinter is unavailable. To resolve this, stop sharing the printer.

      -or-


    2. Click "Start printing after last page is spooled." (Note that this is how the Windows 3.1 spooler works.) In some cases, this option prevents laser printer engines from turning on and off during a print job.




Try LPT1.DOS

If you have problems printing to a local printer, try the LPT1.DOS port. This method is similar to printing to a file and then copying the file to the printer port. To enable the LPT1.DOS port, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you want to use, and then click Properties.


  3. On the Details tab, click Add Port.


  4. In the Add Port dialog box, click Other, click Local Port, click OK, then type "LPT1.DOS" (without quotation marks) in the Enter A Port Name box. Click OK.


NOTE: Printing to the LPT1.DOS port may be slower than printing to the LPT1 port. Because printing to LPT1.DOS uses low-level DOS commands to send a job to the printer, not all of the available wiring (or lines) in the port and printer cable are used. If printing to LPT1.DOS is successful, this may indicate a problem with the port or printer cable.

If you cannot print to LPT1.DOS in normal mode, try restarting your computer in Safe mode, and then printing to LPT1.DOS. To start Windows 95 in Safe mode, restart the computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu. For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST), and then choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu. If you can print to LPT1.DOS in Safe mode, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge base to help you resolve this issue using Safe mode:
ARTICLE-ID: Q156126
TITLE : Troubleshooting Windows 95 Using Safe Mode

Additional Information

Try the following steps to enable the Print TrueType As Graphics option:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you want to use, then click Properties.


  3. Click the Fonts tab, then click the Print TrueType As Graphics option.


Try these steps to lower the printer's resolution:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click the printer you want to use, then click Properties.


  3. Click the Graphics tab, then click a lower resolution or dots per inch (DPI) for your printer.


Simplify the Document:

If you cannot print a complex document, try removing some of the graphic elements in the document, or convert all the fonts in the document to a printer-resident font such as Courier.

If a specific graphic object in a document is printed poorly, make sure the graphic object is compatible with the printer. For example, an Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) graphic object is intended for use on PostScript printers only. On a non-PostScript printer, such a graphic object will be printed poorly in an otherwise satisfactory printout.

Reset the Printer:

Try turning off the printer. After 5 to 10 seconds, turn the printer back on. Many printing problems are the result of a printer's memory being full of downloaded fonts.

Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4:

If you print to a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 4, change the graphics mode from Vector to Raster. This takes less memory, and is especially useful if you receive an "Error 21" error message on the printer.

Extra Page Printed with Each Print Job:

For information about this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q132425
TITLE : Extra Page Printed with Each Print Job

I/O Printer Error or Blank Pages Printed When You Start Windows 98:

For information about this issue, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q157145
TITLE : Printer Activity or Garbled Text Printed When You Start Windows

Additional query words:


Keywords          : kbprint kbtshoot win95 win98 win98se 
Version           : WINDOWS:95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo 

Last Reviewed: August 3, 1999