Printing Problems

[stampingmad]

Hope someone can help - I'm very stuck.

I've just got a new laptop that won't run windows 98 so I've had to upgrade to windows 2000. I use 2 different network printers and have managed to load the drivers ok.

I have been printing invoices okay all day but now I can't print from Actinic at all. I get the error message - request cancelled by user. This use to happen if it tried to print to the wrong printer (one not connected) and I used to reprint and change the printer setup. I don't seem to be able to do this - I press the printer setup button and nothing happens.

I've tried changing the windows default printer to the one connected but it doesn't make any difference. I've upgraded the printer driver without any luck. I don't remember doing anything that could break it but I'm not very familiar with windows 2000.

I don't know what to do next and at the moment it won't print to any of my printers at home or in the office.

Thanks in advance, best wishes

Helen

[Jan]

The first thing to do it to check whether you can print from outside of Actinic - try printing from notepad for example. If you can't then you need to look at your printer setup again and get that working before trying to print from Actinic.

When that works check your printer settings in Actinic, there is a printer settings button on the report selection dialog, you must check them from here because Actinic stores the printer settings for each report that you print so it might be still trying to use the old printer settings. If all that looks ok, try printing one of the simple reports - the stock control report is a good one or the catalog summary.

If that works, but the invoice doesn't (and you have checked the printer settings Actinic has for the printer) try previewing the report - that will tell you wether the problem is with the report you are printing or with the printing itself.

Regards

[stampingmad]

I seem to be able to print from other applications okay. I can't print anything at all in actinic - I've tried packing lists and credit card schedules.

The printer settings button within reports doesn't respond - I think it's broken in a big way.

Perhaps I should uninstall and re-install actinic?

Thanks, best wishes

Helen

[Jan]

Have you checked the printer settings from within Actinic are pointing to the correct printers? (you MUST do this from the button on the report selection dialog).

I don't think that reinstall Actinic will help because it doesn't install any printer drivers.

Regards,

[stampingmad]

This is one of the main problems. I can't get into the printer settings - I press the button, get an egg timer briefly and then nothing. The frustrating thing is that it did work but now it doesn't and I can't recall doing anything to break it.

Thanks, best wishes

Helen

[Jan]

You can reset the printers for Actinic by deleting the printer settings in your registry. From what you have said the saved settings are almost certainly the problem.

Run regedit.exe (or regedt32.exe if that doesn't work). Find the setting called HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Actinic\Catalog5\Sites\Site1\Printer Settings and delete it. Then try going into the Actinic printer settings again - it should just pick your default now. Note that where is says site1, that will be your site name.

If you don't understand a word I am saying give me a call (between 1:30 and 3:15 if you call today).

Regards

[Jan]

The other thing that you could do while you are sorting this out is to download my Batch Order Processing module, this will let you print out the reports that you are waiting to process and will keep you working until you sort out Actinic - it is at http://www.mole-end.biz/acatalog/Act...ocessors.html, you will need to use 'Print reports' and 'Mark printed', as the titles say, the first one will print the reports for you and the second will update the Actinic print status. It's free for 30 days BTW.

Regards

[stampingmad]

Dear Jan


Thank you very much. The registry hack seemed to do the trick. I never thought of that (I'm a computer engineer by trade but sometimes I can't think my way out of a paper bag!).

To switch printers between home and the office I'll just change the default printer before I open Actinic.

Best wishes

Helen