My printer doesn't always print.

I had a problem at the end of last month. When I tried to print a delivery note from Amazon I was taken to a screen that said "Save Print Output as":

A Microsoft Community Independent Advisor said my printer wasn't installed. A Reset/System Restore that another expert there had told me carry out had caused it.But it's happened again today. When I clicked the Amazon email to print the delivery note I was taken to the same "Save Print Output as" screen. But the difference is that my printer is installed and working OK. (I copied the Amazon delivery note and pasted it in an email I sent myself. It printed with no problems.)

Is there a reason for this "Save Print Output" to appear?

Could this in fact be an Amazon problem?

mmmm.pdf

Windows 19043.1151

- - - Updated - - -

I've finally been able to attach a snip of the screen! I hope you can read it - it looks very small on what I'm adding.

Hello @Taffy078,

Interestingly enough, I had a similar problem last week. It turned out to be a couple of things. In Services and Print Spooler, I had it set to Service Status: Stopped and Startup Type: Manual, along with having Download over Metered Connections: Unchecked.

In Services and Print Spooler, I changed it to Service Status: Running [Start ] and Startup Type: Manual, along with Download over Metered Connections: Checked and it gave me the availability of the Printer after it automatically downloaded the Driver, although it was already installed . . .




Then, for me, I set them back to what I previously had set as I only Print once in a Blue Moon. When I do Print, I ONLY have to set it to Service Status: Running [Start ] and it Prints.

I hope this helps.

Thanks both. It again defaulted to "Microsoft Print to PDF" and it was this that triggered the "Save Print Output As" message. There is now an option on the Amazon Delivery Note screen to Print to Canon TS6300 so I can now print it. Your advice and guidance is much appreciated.

Hello @Taffy078,

Taffy078 said:

Thanks both. There is now an option on the Amazon Delivery Note screen to Print to Canon TS6300 so I can now print it. Your advice and guidance is much appreciated.

Excellent news. I am glad that your issue is resolved.

dr zlaner said:

If Windows would make the description of "Microsoft Print to PDF" more correct, it would be more obvious from the get go.

Technically you can't print to a file ... I mean, what some people smoke in their free time, is none of my business, but correct wording and descriptions are vital to correct usage of a system. What they mean is "Microsoft Convert to PDF", or something like that. Then it would be obvious that you're not printing. There's no printer involved in PDF creation. You can print a PDF. Yes, you can also print an MP3.
What they should do is make an alternative menu system where you can either Print, or Convert a document, image, or content, to either a printer (in the list of printers of your system),
OR
Convert to a file, in a list of target types and methods you'd want (Microsoft PDF conversion, other vendor PDF converion, or other file conversion, whatever). I hope Bill is reading, but I guess not.

I think there is some confusion. Print to PDF is not the same as Save as PDF. The initial output of Print to PDF is the same as Print to a real printer. This intermediate data is then either sent to a file or the printer. It all about how the output data is formatted.

BTW, I have two options named Microsoft Print to PDF and Save to PDF. They both "print to a file" but their output formats are different.