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Dot-matrix printer problemdot-matrix printer (I know it is quite medieval, but I do have no choice : I'm not the one who decides on which printer must be used for reports and there are over 9,000 statements of account forms left on continuous paper...). When I try to print on it, on large paper, all of the output is truncated to 8.5 inches wide, even though I did selected the correct paper size and orientation, the paper form has been correctly created and selected. It is for use in a VB 5 app I've written. Moreover, the same thing occurs within Microsoft Word 2000 : when I select the correct paper size (14 X 8.5 inches, correct orientation) Microsoft Word accepts this paper size, there is no mention about exceeding printer margins, but the output doesn't exceed 8.5 inches wide. I've made these tests with Epson DFX-5000+ driver, Epson DFX-8000 driver, Epson FX-1050+ driver, Epson Generic 9-pins driver and the lousy Generic text-only printer driver. I suspect there is a problem with Windows NT/2000 drivers, since my app prints very fine using Generic text-only printer driver and Epson printer-driver. Is there any solution except downgrading to Win98? Thanks in advance! I forgot to mention that all drivers used on this computer (Windows 2000
Professionnal) are the most recent Win2000 drivers (or NT). I forgot to mention also that I've tested my app on a Win98 machine, and the output was then perfect, but the same app got its output truncated on the Win2000 machine From: "LoneSome" <I_Hate@Spammers.com> Have you tried a "custom paper size".| I forgot to mention that all drivers used on this computer (Windows 2000 | Professionnal) are the most recent Win2000 drivers (or NT). | | I forgot to mention also that I've tested my app on a Win98 machine, and the | output was then perfect, but the same app got its output truncated on the | Win2000 machine Yes... custom paper size has been tried; I've also used the specific
papersize form I've created using Win2000 print server properties. Word still can't print using full width, eventhough Word accepted the selected paper size on the dot-matrix printer. From: "LoneSome" <I_Hate@Spammers.com> What exactly is the printer ?| Yes... custom paper size has been tried; I've also used the specific | papersize form I've created using Win2000 print server properties. Word | still can't print using full width, eventhough Word accepted the selected | paper size on the dot-matrix printer. What exactly is the printer-driver being used ? Drivers tested, with exactly the same problem : output truncated to 8.5
inches wide... Epson DFX-8000 Epson DFX-5000+ Epson 9-pin generic driver Generic text-only (TTY) The printer is a Epson DFX-8000 The only work-around found is to delete "Windows 2000 Professionnal" and install Windows XP Home Edition. As far as we discovered this morning, Windows XP Professionnal Edition has exactly the same problem, diagnosed exactly the same way, using Word 2000 : printer set to one of these models/drivers, paper size set to 11 or 14 inches wide, and output truncated without warning. However, Print Preview correctly shows the page. Is the DEFAULT printer set for paper of the correct width? The problem
you describe will occur if the default printer is only capable of printing 8.5 inch wide paper. Try making the "wide paper printer" the default printer and then test again. This issue is common to all NT based system, and does not occur in the "DOS" based systems. LoneSome wrote: Show quoteHide quote > I have a strange problem while attempting to print to a wide carriage > dot-matrix printer (I know it is quite medieval, but I do have no choice : > I'm not the one who decides on which printer must be used for reports and > there are over 9,000 statements of account forms left on continuous > paper...). > > When I try to print on it, on large paper, all of the output is truncated to > 8.5 inches wide, even though I did selected the correct paper size and > orientation, the paper form has been correctly created and selected. It is > for use in a VB 5 app I've written. Moreover, the same thing occurs within > Microsoft Word 2000 : when I select the correct paper size (14 X 8.5 inches, > correct orientation) Microsoft Word accepts this paper size, there is no > mention about exceeding printer margins, but the output doesn't exceed 8.5 > inches wide. > > I've made these tests with Epson DFX-5000+ driver, Epson DFX-8000 driver, > Epson FX-1050+ driver, Epson Generic 9-pins driver and the lousy Generic > text-only printer driver. > > I suspect there is a problem with Windows NT/2000 drivers, since my app > prints very fine using Generic text-only printer driver and Epson > printer-driver. > > Is there any solution except downgrading to Win98? > > Thanks in advance! I will try your solution this morning (EDT), and I'll tell you ASAP if it
works; however, making the dot-matrix printer the default printer will cause pain in the ass to the person who works on this computer, since she will have to use this printer only twice a month! If it works, I could perhaps "manually" switch the default printer on entering and exiting the application which needs it... We have the same issue with clerical staff and plotters. Change the
default printer, run the app, close the app, change the default printer back. LoneSome wrote: Show quoteHide quote > I will try your solution this morning (EDT), and I'll tell you ASAP if it > works; however, making the dot-matrix printer the default printer will cause > pain in the ass to the person who works on this computer, since she will > have to use this printer only twice a month! > > If it works, I could perhaps "manually" switch the default printer on > entering and exiting the application which needs it... It did not solve our problem; must I restart the computer with the large
printer set as the default printer, or changing the default printer "on-the-fly" should have been working ? In our case, changing before entering Word 2000 did not give me any benefit. However, using exactly the same steps as with Windows 2000 Pro, I've done the same testing using Windows XP Pro, which failed exactly as Windows 2000 did; however, Windows XP Home Edition did the job very fine, and let us print on full paper width. Conclusion : Could Microsoft professional solutions be messy, and home solutions more reliable ????? That is somewhat odd. I would expect XP Home and Pro to work exactly the
same as they would have the same drivers. As for the default printer change, no computer restart necessary. Only had to "open" the application AFTER the printer change. If the application was open during the change then closing and reopening was necessary to allow full width printing. This is with 2000 and XP Pro, not tested on XP Home. LoneSome wrote: Show quoteHide quote > It did not solve our problem; must I restart the computer with the large > printer set as the default printer, or changing the default printer > "on-the-fly" should have been working ? In our case, changing before > entering Word 2000 did not give me any benefit. > > However, using exactly the same steps as with Windows 2000 Pro, I've done > the same testing using Windows XP Pro, which failed exactly as Windows 2000 > did; however, Windows XP Home Edition did the job very fine, and let us > print on full paper width. > > Conclusion : Could Microsoft professional solutions be messy, and home > solutions more reliable ????? I will do a byte compare of the drivers, but I do expect (as you do) that
both drivers be identical. In fact, I'd rather suspect OS files for that difference of behavior (GDI ? perhaps UNIDRV but unlikely ?). The strangest part of it is the fact that the process is quite straight forward (and identical) on both OS (XP Pro and XP Home), but the result are very different... but print preview in Word 2000 (on both OS) shows the right output, however. I've been told that the core OS for 2000 Pro and XP Pro is Windows NT-based, but XP Home core is closer to Win98 and ME (except that, opposite to ME, it is stable and reliable, event with SP2 -> personal experience). Thanks for the feedback; I continue to investigate on that issue, eventhough I've accidentally found a workaround : the client business still hopes to standardize the OS installed. Wishing you the best in your investigation.
LoneSome wrote: Show quoteHide quote > I will do a byte compare of the drivers, but I do expect (as you do) that > both drivers be identical. > > In fact, I'd rather suspect OS files for that difference of behavior (GDI ? > perhaps UNIDRV but unlikely ?). > > The strangest part of it is the fact that the process is quite straight > forward (and identical) on both OS (XP Pro and XP Home), but the result are > very different... but print preview in Word 2000 (on both OS) shows the > right output, however. > > I've been told that the core OS for 2000 Pro and XP Pro is Windows NT-based, > but XP Home core is closer to Win98 and ME (except that, opposite to ME, it > is stable and reliable, event with SP2 -> personal experience). > > Thanks for the feedback; I continue to investigate on that issue, > eventhough I've accidentally found a workaround : the client business still > hopes to standardize the OS installed. 
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