Printing Problems using IE7 with XP Pro

[Volant Brique]

I hope that someone here will be able to help me rectify the problem that I am currently having with doing any form of printing from any web pages.

Operating System is MS XP Pro with SP3. (Last update KB950749 - May 2008)
Browser is MS IE7. (Last update KB950749 - Apr 2008)
(Automatic updates have been disabled to avoid problems as reported on here previously).

Until a week ago everything was functioning correctly. But then all of a sudden, as soon as a request to print any aspect of a web page, the normal print box is shown for selection of printer type, pages etc are displayed. However, when the print button is selected, nothing is printed and the web page along with IE7 is automatically exited. IE7 is automatically closed down. If a web page selects a particular item to be printed off, the same sequence occurs. However, if a ‘Print Preview’ is selected it correctly displays that but soon as ‘Print’ is selected the same aspects occur.

As I am able to print MS Word, MS Excel and PDF pages correctly and normally, I am assuming that there has not been any corruption of the printer drivers.

There has been nothing unusual within the last week to suggest any form of corruption. The computer has been used in the manner that it normally is. A full scan using Kaspersky IS2009 has been conducted – No problems reported.

Any help, experiences or suggestions would be appreciated. If possible, I would like to stick with Internet Explorer and not have to change to one of the other browsers.

VB

[Bruce Wayne]

Tried a system restore to a week or so go ??

[Volant Brique]

I have incorrectly stated that it is XP Pro with SP3.

In fact it is XP Pro with SP2. I have not updated beyond this after reading on here and elsewhere of the issues and problems with doing so.

VB

I should have also stated that I had already done a system restore to over a week ago when describing the fault. Even having done this, I still have the same symptoms.

Thanks for your suggestion Bruce.

VB

[green granite]

Try this, might help.

Right click on the Internet Explorer icon on the desktop and select Properties.

Look at the tabs and the top and click on the last one called Advanced.

Scroll down until your see the line "Enable third party browser extensions". Ensure the box is UNCHECKED.

Click on Apply and then OK.

If it still won't print, try disabling your antivirus software, restart IE and try again, but stay on a trusted site while you do it.

[Volant Brique]

Have tried both of those options Green Granite.
Exactly the same symptoms.

VB

[Mornington Crescent]

VB

It is worth downloading and trying IE8.

That may do the trick and IE8 is OK in MHO.

MC

[Saab Dastard]

First, a quick (dumb) check - are you absolutely sure you are printing to a printer and not to a file? Had to check! Also, if you use another browser do you see the same problem?

I suggest removing and re-installing IE - get IE7 (or IE8, if you prefer) here (http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=9AE91EBE-3385-447C-8A30-081805B2F90B&displaylang=en) (save to disk), backup your bookmarks, then uninstall IE7 via Control Panel > Add/Remove Progs > Windows Components.

Re-install IE7 from the download, restore bookmarks. You may need to re-install Flash, ShockWave, Silverlight, Adobe reader, etc., or maybe it will pick them up on first use.

I'm a bit concerned about
I have not updated beyond this [sp2] after reading on here and elsewhere of the issues and problems with doing so.
and
Automatic updates have been disabled to avoid problems as reported on here previously

There's a world of difference between not using Automatic Updates and not updating at all! I don't use AU, but I manually update monthly. Similarly, there's nothing to force you to install SP3, but you should still be updating SP2 with all the security updates - and the same for Office and IE.

Makes me wonder if your system has been compromised in some way.

SD

[Volant Brique]

Saab Dastard, many thanks for your useful input. However, these have not rectified the problem.

Firstly, I can confirm that I am printing to a printer and not a file.

I have removed and re-installed IE7 as you have suggested. The previous fault symptoms as described are still the same even after having done that.

Regarding Automatic Updates, I totally agree with your sentiments. Like you I have disabled the Automatic Updates. I do however, manually update about every 6 weeks. The point that I was attempting to make when describing the fault symptoms was that within this time frame no automatic updates would have been downloaded that could have possibly corrupted the system, in case anyone brought that up as a suggestion. My fault as I should have been more explicit in the first instance – apologies.

Apart from going for a totally different browser, I am not sure what to do now.

Are there any other suggestions from anyone?

VB

[Mornington Crescent]

Are you using Office 2007?

If so it would be interesting to see if you could send your open page to One Note and print it.

I think it would be worth a try with IE8

MC

[Saab Dastard]

There's a few issues noted on the MS support site about this kind of problem:

When I try to print from Internet Explorer nothing prints and the Print Preview page is blank (http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-GB/InternetExplorer/thread/60fa191c-f687-4fdb-878f-2d9aff771acb)

Have a nose around MS for ""internet explorer 7" XP problem printing" - another solution seems to be if you're running MSIA (Microsoft Software Inventory Analyzer). If you have MSIA installed, uninstall it and test.

Is it all profiles on the PC that have the problem or just yours? It might be a solution (though painful) to delete your profile and create a new one. Backup documents and settings first, naturally!

SD