Can't open Reports in Common Desktop

[Guest]

I have written a database (Access 2000) that is loaded on the Shared network
drive. All last year the database was used and worked beautifully. In the
past several months new Network and PC policies have been pushed out and I
now have a problem I don't know how to solve.
All the laptops have been pushed to use a common desktop although I'm not
sure this is causing the problem a laptop that has not been update still
seems to work.
All the new laptops have Office 2003 installed with Access 2003. The
database can be opened and the switchboard and data entry seems to be fine.
The problem is that when a user selects a report to run it does not do
anything. Even at the table/report level of access running the report does
not work. Creating a new report does not seem to work as well. Again, the one
PC that has not been upgraded to the new common desktop seems to be working.
Any one with any ideas please let me know.

I have tried updating the database to Access 2002/2003 file format, compact
and repair and nothing seems to fix the issue.

 

[Allen Browne]

This problem is almost certainly related to the printer drivers rather than
Access itself.

When Access opens a report, it uses the metrics from the printer driver to
calculate how to lay out the report. If there is no printer installed, it's
stuck, i.e. it cannot open the report. Installing a printer solves the
problem. (There is no need to actually buy a printer or plug one into the
actual machine.)

The same thing happens if there is a problem with the default printer. If
the driver is faulty, the metrics may not work, and again Access is stuck.
Replacing the driver with another version may solve the problem.

Access 2003 is particularly sensitive to this problem when you use network
printers. If adding a printer or updating the printer driver does not solve
the problem and you are using a network printer in A2003, try this:
1. Ensure you are logged into Windows as a local computer administrator, so
you have adequate rights. (Sometimes that's all it takes.)

2. Install another completely unrelated local printer, and set it as
default. If the reports now preview correctly, contact your network
administrator and explain that Access can't talk to the network printer the
way they have it set up. Explain that it works with a local printer, so it
is definately a problem with the installation/configuration of the network
printer.

Note that this happens in A2003, even when Word and Excel can print to the
network printer. If you search back, you'll find lots of threads to support
this.