Err Msg: Could Not Set the Device Mode for this Printer

 Last reviewed: May 15, 1997
Article ID: Q114558
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51

SYMPTOMS

The following error message appears when you create or configure a printer in Windows NT Print Manager: 

   Could not set the device mode for this printer: The system cannot find
   the file specified.

CAUSE

This error message can result from entries in the Windows NT Registry that list printer driver files that no longer exist on disk.

WORKAROUND

Work around this problem by doing one of the following:

  • Expand or copy the correct driver files back to their proper directory.

    -or-

  • Manually edit the Registry, and remove each driver subkey that references driver files that are no longer present.

Note that there is a Registry subkey for each printer defined in Print Manager, and these subkeys reference the driver subkeys, so if you choose the second workaround, also remove each printer subkey that references a driver subkey that you deleted. These printer subkeys are in the Registry location: 

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments
   \WindowsNTx86\Drivers\version-1.
For more information on manually editing the Registry to remove printer drivers, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   Windows NT and Manually and Remove and Printer and Driver

Additional query words: prodnt
Keywords : kbprint ntprint NTSrvWkst
Version : 3.1 3.5 3.51
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: May 15, 1997
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