PRB: Copies Box in Print Dialog Box Is Disabled

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5x, 2.6x

SYMPTOMS

The Copies box in the Print dialog box allows you to specify the number of copies of a report or label form to print. With certain printer drivers, this field is disabled.

However, if you then start another Windows-based application, such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word, and activate the Print dialog box for that application, you will see that the Copies box is enabled.

The following are some printer drivers that the problem occurs with, but the list is not exhaustive:

   Epson FX-86e
   Epson LQ-1000
   Epson T-1000
   Epson LQ-2500
   HP DeskJet

WORKAROUNDS

There are two workarounds for this problem:

• If your printer emulates a printer for which the Copies box is enabled, use Print Manager to set the default Windows printer driver to that printer. Drivers for laser printers appear to work in this situation.

  -or-

• Use a FOR loop to reissue the REPORT FORM or LABEL FORM commands as many times as you need copies of the report or label set. For example, if you need five copies of the report, STEP3, which was mentioned above, issue the following commands:

        USE c:\foxprow\tutorial\customer
  

        m.printcopy = 5
  

        FOR i = 1 TO m.printcopy
           REPORT FORM step3 TO PRINTER
        ENDFOR
  
     NOTE: You do not need to use the PROMPT clause since you are not using
     the Print dialog box to specify the number of copies.
  
     NOTE:  If a printer driver that has the Copies box enabled is selected
     and then a printer driver that disables the Copies box is selected,
     reselecting the first printer driver does not re-enable its Copies box.
     You must run the REPORT FORM ... PROMPT command do enable the Copies
     box.
  
  

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Use Print Manager to set the default Windows printer driver to one of the printer drivers listed above.

2. Start FoxPro.

3. In the Command window, issue the following code.

   NOTE: The following code assumes that you have installed FoxPro on drive C and have installed the tutorial files.

         USE c:\foxprow\tutorial\customer
         REPORT FORM step3 TO PRINTER PROMPT
   

   The PROMPT clause activates the Print dialog box. Note that the Copies box in the lower-right corner of the Print dialog box is disabled.

   NOTE: This problem also occurs with the LABEL FORM <label_name> TO PRINTER PROMPT command.

4. Choose the Setup button and set the Specific Printer option to a laser printer, such as the Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet IIISi.

5. Choose OK to return to the Print dialog box. The Copies box is still disabled. In other words, setting the printer driver to one that would normally have the Copies box enabled does not work.