Printer Settings Problems

[Zoury]

Hi folks!

Our tech guy is on vacation and I'm no technician (i'm a simple
programmer...) so i'll try and explain our problem the best I can.

Our Print Server runs on Windows Server 2003 and most of our network's
workstation runs Windows XP.

I've installed four network printers on my computer, let's called them
Printer A to D.
I've changed the "number of copies" setting on Printer A and set it to 2.

Now, when I open a program, let's say Notepad, and want to print something,
the number of copies shown in the Print Dialog box is always the same as the
default printer's value. No matter which printer I select in the list. Even
the property page of the selected printer (when opened from the Print
Dialog) shows the default printer's value. However, if I open the property
page of each printers from the "printers and faxes" window I get the correct
settings.

Can anyone tell me why this is happening ?

Thanks a lot!
Yanick Lefebvre

 

[Guest]

It's the application remembering your settings.

If you open notepad and print 2 copies it will assume you always want two
copies - can be a pain. If you close notepad and reopen it should go back to
the default of one. If you leave notepad open but open a different app such
as Word the new app should have the default setting of one.

Word will remember it's settings until closed just as notpad will.

 

[Zoury]

If you open notepad and print 2 copies it will assume you always want two
copies - can be a pain.

I've changed the settings directly on the printer not in a program just
before printing. So it is supposed to be always set to 2 for that printer
but not for the others.

If you close notepad and reopen it should go back to
the default of one. If you leave notepad open but open a different app
such
as Word the new app should have the default setting of one.

That's not happening. No matter which application I open the settings
regarding the number of copies is always the same as the default printer
(Printer A) even though I select any other printer in the list (Printer B to
D). It's never set to the default value of the selected printer.

It looks like the print server uses the same "settings file" for every
printers. Is this possible ?

Thanks again!

 

[Guest]

Sorry, I misunderstood your original description.

What you are seeing is due to the fact the change was to your default
printer and these settings get loaded first. When you open an application an
select "print" the settings for the current printer are placed in the print
dialog. Since your default is the current, it places a 2 in the copies.
When you use the drop down menu to select a different printer it does not
automatically update the current selections - so 2 is just left in as the
number of copies. Basically there's no trigger to tell the other settings to
update.

You can test this by leaving the current default printer with the 2 page
setting. Then change the default printer to one of the others - Open Word
(be sure it's not already open or you'll run into my first explanation). You
should see the default as 1 page. Select the previous default printer and
the number of pages will remain 1.

I'm not aware of a way to change this behavior, but there may be.

 

[Zoury]

Yes. This is exactly what is happening.

Sorry, I misunderstood your original description.

What you are seeing is due to the fact the change was to your default
printer and these settings get loaded first. When you open an application
an
select "print" the settings for the current printer are placed in the
print
dialog. Since your default is the current, it places a 2 in the copies.
When you use the drop down menu to select a different printer it does not
automatically update the current selections - so 2 is just left in as the
number of copies. Basically there's no trigger to tell the other settings
to
update.

You can test this by leaving the current default printer with the 2 page
setting. Then change the default printer to one of the others - Open Word
(be sure it's not already open or you'll run into my first explanation).
You
should see the default as 1 page. Select the previous default printer and
the number of pages will remain 1.

I'm not aware of a way to change this behavior, but there may be.

 

[Zoury]

sorry I was interrupted by ctrl-enter..

Basically there's no trigger to tell the other settings to
update.

Yes. This is exactly the problem I got. I was hoping Microsoft would have
has a hotfix for that...

Anyway thanks for your help. It seems it's not a isolated problem since you
got it too.
Yanick

 

[Zoury]

naaarrggg....

This behavior seems to be "by design"...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/173981/en-us

Now... what were they thinking ?!
Yanick