Default printer changes all by itself

[Jay]

Vista Home premium, In the past I have had problems with Word crashing and
was told to change my default HP printer for anything other than HP. I had
done so and it still doesnt work correctly. Today I open a document and went
to print it. My default was on an Ebson printer but this morning the default
had changed all by itself to, get this, a copy of on of my HP printers. I
look deeper and all of my HP printers have make copies of themself called
(copy 1) I did not do this and I did not change my default printer. What is
happening?

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

If a printer is uninstalled by the User but is still available (connected),
then Windows will reinstall it. The correct way to 'get rid of' a printer
but keep it connected is to disable it.

Some printers like to be default. This is nothing to do with Windows or
Microsoft but a (usually) unwanted 'feature' of the printer drivers. Sounds
like your HP printer(s) have drivers which like to force the issue.

If you wish to totally uninstall a printer, make sure you disconnect the
printer(s) in question from the PC and follow steps 1 through 5 at:
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

As I mentioned above, if you cannot physically disconnect the printer(s)
(perhaps they are elsewhere on a network you connect or belong to), then
right click on the printer(s) and select Disable.

 

[Jay]

Thank you much however I dont want to get rid of my HP drivers or my HP
printers. I am concerned about the copies of drivers that I didnt create or
ask for. I went ahead and deleted the copies of the drivers and made my Ebson
driver my default but still when I upload a document to an email, even if
Word is not open, I continue to receive error messages regarding Word. This
does not happen with an Excel doc.

 

[Clark]

Thank you much however I dont want to get rid of my HP drivers or my HP
printers. I am concerned about the copies of drivers that I didnt create or
ask for. I went ahead and deleted the copies of the drivers and made my Ebson
driver my default but still when I upload a document to an email, even if
Word is not open, I continue to receive error messages regarding Word. This
does not happen with an Excel doc.

Which version of Word are you using, and where are you changing your
setting for the default printer?

Do you know what causes the new printers to be added, when you reboot or
when you try to print a document?

Back in the old days, when you created a document with a specific
printer as the default, it would use fonts or setting associated with
that printer. Changing default printers would change the look of the
document to match the new printer. I don't think this is still true in
most cases, but you might try creating a new document with the Epson
printer set to default, in the printer dialog box and Word, and see if
you have the same type of problems.

Maybe re-save your current documents with the Epson printer as default
and see if you continue to have problems with that document.

Does it make any difference which font you use for the document, and
which one are you using?

Clark

 

[Jay]

I am using MS Office 2007 and I always use Times New Roman. Now when they are
added, no clue. I only notice them when I open the printer dialog box to
print something. I only added the Ebson Driver because MS advised of the work
around. I don't even have an Ebson printer. I get error messages every time I
upload my resume to either an email message or to a web page that has the
capability. This may be something i have to live with

 

[Clark]

I am using MS Office 2007 and I always use Times New Roman. Now when they are
added, no clue. I only notice them when I open the printer dialog box to
print something. I only added the Ebson Driver because MS advised of the work
around. I don't even have an Ebson printer. I get error messages every time I
upload my resume to either an email message or to a web page that has the
capability. This may be something i have to live with

As Cari mentioned, you could disable certain printers and see what
happens. You could also start checking more often to see when the
printers are added.

Are you really saying Ebson and not Epson? If Ebson, is that part of a
software package?

I have had no problems with Word 2007 and any printers, two of which are
HP. There was someone who was trying to print .PDFs using the Word
converter and could not because of an anti-virus. It was locking up the
process for some reason. It was the Kapersky, I believe. And you do
have the Word updates?

I certainly haven't see all the possibilities, but the only workaround
for some printers I have seen was for Quicken where they put other types
of printers on the same port as the real printer to be able to print
from Quicken. Is that the sort of process you are using?

Maybe you could describe the "Workaround" process you are using?

Clark