My spreadsheets will not print!

[modtinbasher]

Hi folks, no doubt been already answered (I did search) but could not find!

My Excel spreadsheet files no matter how small will not print and just sit in the print queue, advising "printing" and doing nothing other than blocking other later non Excel jobs.

Printer is Epson Stylus CX6600, operating system Windows HP Home.

I've done all the diagnostics I can find, reinstalled the printer software, but no result.

"Windows XP Printer Test Page" prints ok

Word files print ok, Notepad files print ok, it's just just Excel files that will not!

Any ideas please?

MTB

[amanoffewwords]

long shot, but you may have a corrupt file in windows/system32/spool/printers - browse to it + if the Q. is empty that folder should also be empty.

- if it isn't go to start--> type "services.msc" (without the quotes), the services window will open: scroll down to Print Spooler, then right click and select stop
- open the spool/printer folder as above + delete all files (they're all temp file so it safe to do so)
- then go back to services.msc and restart the Print Spooler + try again.

Alternatively, I would try installing another printer icon and using the HP Laserjet 4 driver (connect it the same way as the existing printer i.e. USB or LPT1) and try printing through that - it's a kind of universal get out of jail card for printers, even on Epson kit) <-- this will give you an idea as to whether the existing driver is possibly corrupt.

hth
amofw

[modtinbasher]

Thanks, sounds a bit complicated! Will it mess other stuff up?

MTB

[Saab Dastard]

It sounds like a problem with Excel rather than the printer or driver.

Have you changed anything in Excel (what version, btw?) - like deleted fonts?

Worst case, try un-installing Excel and re-installing it.

SD

[modtinbasher]

Thanks SD. It's very old, 1997 in fact, and I don't have the CDs any more so that option is a non-starter, but thanks anyway!

MTB

[airborne_artist]

Down load Open Office, open the Excel files, and try a print from there?

download: OpenOffice.org Downloads (http://download.openoffice.org/)

Works just like Excel, save as .xls if you want, and free :ok:

[modtinbasher]

AA, super idea thanks, I'll try that later!

Just one thought though, the boss does all her financial stuff with Excel, is Open Office sort of similar in functionality that she'll understand, and can I expect any conflicts with existing systems/software?

I'll do a search now for Open and see what comes up.

MTB

[amanoffewwords]

You can save in .xls format from Open Office :)

By the way, it's not trying to print to the manual feed tray?

[Keef]

My Excel did the same a year or so back.

In the end, I uninstalled the printer, then asked it to print, which made it think. Then I reinstalled the printer and it's been fine since.

I think it's called "scare it into submission".

[airborne_artist]

Just one thought though, the boss does all her financial stuff with Excel, is Open Office sort of similar in functionality that she'll understand, and can I expect any conflicts with existing systems/software?No conflicts, and I bet the boss will find her way round in about 30 secs. Open Office is superb - can't imagine why anyone pays for MS Office for home use.

[airborne_artist]

Does Open Office handle links, lookups and macros?

Suggest you try it out - download it, and open a file containing all of the above and see what happens. My guess is yes, it does all of them.