In Windows 2000, the preset default paper format is not the default
within an application if the printer is NOT the default printer. What
is the solution or way around to this problem? |
Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
16 Feb 2003 11:32 PST
pianola...
I currently have only one printer, so I'm working from memory here.
If I recall, when you select and use a particular printer from within
an application (such as Word), that becomes the printer of choice
when next you use that application. If you go to Start -> Settings
-> Printers and right-click on the non-default printer, you can
set the default paper format for that printer in the resulting
interface. When next you go to print from Word, the paper format
you selected in 'properties' should be the default.
Unless I'm not remembering correctly...let me know if this helps.
sublime1-ga
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Clarification of Question by
pianola-ga
on
17 Feb 2003 00:53 PST
sublime1:
>When next you go to print from Word, the paper format
>you selected in 'properties' should be the default.
That's exactly what I mean. It *should* be the default, but it isn't!
Try install any printer (the fact that you don't have a second printer
physically doesn't matter) and see it for yourself...
pianola
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Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
17 Feb 2003 11:06 PST
pianola...
I installed a second (copy) of my printer, and went to 'properties'
in Settings -> Printers. I reset the default paper size to legal
on the non-default copy printer. When I went to Word, it defaults
to printing with the default printer, however, if I select the
2nd printer, it *does* show up as defaulting to legal size paper.
Are you saying yours does not?
And is it OK that the document doesn't default to the non-default
printer, or is that also a bothersome detail, that you have to
select the non-default printer?
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Clarification of Question by
pianola-ga
on
17 Feb 2003 14:02 PST
sublime1,
I think we are doing the same now and it's a pity you don't have the
same results. When I have 2 printers, and both are equipped with A4
paper (the standard in my part of the world :-) in Word, the default
printer will show up with A4 indeed. But most of the time the other
printer appear to have Letter format as default although in the
control panel I set it to A4.
Maybe it depends on printer makes, driver versions etc, or Windows
patches...
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Clarification of Question by
pianola-ga
on
18 Feb 2003 02:13 PST
I think I've made a mistake in my previous clarification. It is quite
possible that MSWord does not exhibit the problem at all as MSWord
uses a template for each new document you create. And this template is
nothing but a bunch of default values (set by the user), including, of
course... paper size.
So to see the problem in action, use Wordpad instead.
I think I'm going to raise the fee.
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Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
18 Feb 2003 17:44 PST
pianola...
When I create a .rtf (rich text format) with WordPad, I must use
Page Setup to select anything other than the default (8 1/2 X 11)
paper size. This must be done each time I open the file with WordPad.
If I save it after using Page Setup to select another size, it will
default to 8 1/2 X 11 when next it is opened. Is this what you want
to change?
Interestingly, the same .rtf file, when opened using MS Word and the
secondary printer, which I had set to A4 size in printer properties,
was ready to print using A4 size.
This suggests a workaround in that you could use WordPad to compose
the file but then open it with MS Word when you want to print it.
Is there a particular reason that you prefer to use WordPad rather
than MS Word?
sublime1-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
pianola-ga
on
19 Feb 2003 01:05 PST
Sublime1,
Actually I'm not using either Word or Wordpad. I just use wordpad as a
vehicle to demonstrate the problem. Everyone has Wordpad...
The 'real'problem is in an application that I am developing that is to
address (create output on) 2 (or more) printers at the same time. And
because only one printer can be the default printer, the other printer
is faced with the paper selection problem. Ideally I want the user to
setup everything from the standard printers configuration screens, so
they only need to tell my application which printer is which.
But I was hoping not to have to tell you all this. The fact that when
you want to make a quick note using (for instance) Wordpad on your
non-default printer you allways need to specify the paper size should
be sufficiently annoying to many, I thought.
You could also argue, 'why don't you ask Microsoft?'. Well, I can't.
I'm only a PC buyer and as such not a direct customer that deserves
support. But maybe when a company with a name (e.g. 'Google') asks
them...
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Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
19 Feb 2003 07:43 PST
pianola...
I better understand your situation now. As to "a company with a name
(e.g. Google) asking Microsoft" anything, you should understand that
I, and the other researchers are humble independent contractors. We do
not work for Google, as such, and are not entitled to, or granted, any
special consideration by companies like Microsoft. I am also merely a
PC buyer (who built his own) and not a direct customer who deserves
support.
I am not a programmer, so I can't offer specific instructions, but
it seems that what Word does, that WordPad does not, is to 'somehow'
interface directly with the printer preferences, allowing it to
detect the default preferences such as paper size. The 'how' is a
mystery to me. As I noted in a previous clarification, I did the
cleverest thing I know to do, short of learning how to compile and
de-compile software, which was to run a search on the printer
software files, and in the registry, for the word 'Hagaki', after
having set this as the preferred paper size in the secondary printer.
Had I located such a reference, it would have indicated that this
file, or registry entry, was the one used to hold the preference
for the Hagaki paper size, and you could work from there to call
that reference with your application. I didn't find such a reference.
I did limit the search to the location where most of the printer
files seemed to be congregated, so an alternative I haven't tried
is to run a search on every file on the hard drive for the text
'Hagaki'. That *might* turn up something. Nor have I run any searches
on Google which might address the very specific dilemma you have now
described, which may show up on message boards for developers, along
with a solution. But as far as having any special favor with
Microsoft, I don't.
I'll be out for most of the day today, so other researchers may be
able to find what you need in my absence, in addition to, or in place
of, what I can dig up on my return.
sublime1-ga
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Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
19 Feb 2003 07:56 PST
pianola...
As a quick example of potentially useful searches:
the following entry, found with a quick search for
calling default paper size "non-default printer"
://www.google.com/search?q=calling+default+paper+size+%22non-default+printer%22
From the Powerflex Corporation, a page on Windows programming:
"How can I use WINLST profile and select paper size and orientation
at the same time?"
"WINLST:~nn selects the orientation. The values are 1 for portrait
and 2 for landscape. If tilde (~) is specified without nn then
landscape is selected, which is compatible with previous behaviour.
The order does not matter, spaces are ignored, and a previously
defined Windows printer can be selected as well."
"Examples:
//default printer, A5 size, Landscape
DIRECT_OUTPUT "WINLST:&11~"
//non default printer, Landscape
DIRECT_OUTPUT "WINLST:~TI microLaser9 Turbo v2010.119;
TI microLaser9 Turbo v2010.119,LPT1"
http://www.pfxcorp.com/faq/faqwinpg.html
Does this sort of result seem useful to you?
sublime1-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
pianola-ga
on
19 Feb 2003 08:42 PST
I'm afraid not. Don't know what WINLST is... certainly not a standerd
Windows element.
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Request for Question Clarification by
sublime1-ga
on
19 Feb 2003 20:25 PST
pianola...
Perhaps WINLST is an element of Powerflex's software.
Please see if this article on the Microsoft Developer's Network
is useful to you:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/ARCHIVE/en-us/accessdev/html/ODC_MicrosoftOfficeDeveloperForumControllingYourPrinterinMicrosoftAccess.asp
What programming language are you using? If I can point you to a
site where you can contact programmers fluent in your development
language who may know how to do this, would that be a useful option?
I'm afraid I also found one reference which seems to be implying
that the Windows OS does not offer the same options, in regards to
printing commands, which other systems offer:
From the Printomatic website:
"Using SavePageSetup and LoadPageSetup"
"There is no equivalent to the savePageSetup and loadPageSetup
commands for Windows. This is due to the way that the Windows
OS functions."
http://www.printomatic.com/technote.cfm?technoteid=8
sublime1-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
pianola-ga
on
20 Feb 2003 01:41 PST
I know I can change printer settings from within my application (I
program in Delphi by the way). But that does not solve the problem (or
bug) by which Windows ignores as it seems all default settings for
non-default printers. So I would have to duplicate functionality to
set any printer setting that is appropriate here (like printer speed
and quality just to mention a few - I am using label printers). All
that would be unnecessary if Windows did its job well. So what I am
looking for is either a patch or add-in for Windows 2000, or the
knowledge that any other Windows version (I know that XP still has the
problem) has the solution built-in.
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Request for Question Clarification by
duncan2-ga
on
20 Feb 2003 12:30 PST
Hi pianola,
After reading through your question and clarifications, I'm not
certain that what you describe is really a bug, per se, but rather the
way the printer handles two conflicting settings. One is the default
paper size set for the printer in the printer control panel; the other
is the paper size requested by the application when sending the print
job.
As I'm not running 2000 currently, I can't test this myself, and won't
speculate on OS workarounds. However, the following newsgroup thread,
from comp.lang.pascal.delphi.misc might prove useful:
Setting Printer Tray and Page Size
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=6ol26u%24at2%241%40Urvile.MSUS.EDU&rnum=1
The thread also mentions a bunch of printer-related Delphi code
postings at the Unofficial Delphi Developers FAQ,
http://www.gnomehome.demon.nl/uddf/index.htm
You may find section 45, #13 (Printer Paper Formats) helpful.
My recommendation would be to send the paper size settings with the
print job, thereby avoiding the problematic default settings
altogether. Those settings which you do not specify, (i.e. resolution
& quality), ought to revert to the default.
Is this the type of thing you were looking for?
duncan2
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Clarification of Question by
pianola-ga
on
21 Feb 2003 00:43 PST
Hi Duncan2,
Nice to see you're on the topic too :)
Like I wrote before I know I can change printer behaviour from my
program. That solves the problem only partially.
I don't agree with yor analysis on 'conflicting settings'. What is
conflicting with what? I only suppose that printer settings are meant
to set some printer property and that, after beiing set, the printer
will behave like it. Which seems to be the case only if the printer is
also the default printer. For non-default printers, printer settings
seem to be totally useless.
So where you write ...ought to revert to the default... right! But
they don't!
See my point?
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