XL2000: Error Message: Failure Loading the Printer's Device Driver

ID: Q223430

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel 2000

ERROR MESSAGE

When attempting to print, you receive the following error message:

Failure loading the printer's device driver.
NOTE: Microsoft Office 2000 has built-in functionality that allows you to get more information about difficult-to-troubleshoot alerts or error messages. If you want to enable this functionality for this and other error messages in Microsoft Office 2000, please download the Microsoft Office 2000 Customizable Alerts file from the Microsoft Office Update Web site at the following address:
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/alerts.htm
NOTE: If you reached this article by clicking the Web Info button in an error message, you already have Customizable Alerts enabled.


CAUSE

You may not have a driver installed for your printer. If you already have a printer driver installed, there may be another problem, such as one of the following:

  • Your printer driver may be corrupted.


  • You may have a damaged system file.


  • The Win.ini file may be too large, or damaged.


  • The printer port may not be working.



WHAT TO TRY

Try each of the following procedures until you find one that fixes the problem.

Method 1: Install a Driver for Your Printer

If you don't have the driver for your printer installed, use the Add Printer Wizard to install it.
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and click Printers.


  2. Double-click the Add Printer icon and follow the instructions.


NOTE: Some printers have their own setup routines that bypass the Add Printer Wizard. Follow the instructions in your documentation.

Method 2: Reinstall the Printer Driver

If the printer driver is already installed, try this first, because this may take care of problems elsewhere on your computer. When you reinstall your printer driver, the Microsoft Windows operating system corrects many system files and registry keys.
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.


  2. Right-click your default printer, and click Delete. If you are asked if you want to remove extra files left on the system, click Yes.


  3. Double-click the Add Printer icon, and follow the instructions to reinstall your printer driver.


Method 3: Run System File Checker (Windows 98 only)

System File Checker verifies the integrity of system files, and allows you to restore any corrupted files. This tool is available only in Windows 98.
  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.


  2. On the Tools menu, click System File Checker.


  3. Click Scan for altered files, and then click Settings.


  4. Choose the configuration you want to use, and then click OK.


  5. Click Start.


  6. If System File Checker finds any altered files, follow the instructions to reinstall them.


Method 4: Check the Win.ini File

The Win.ini file may be too large if many sections and lines in the file are duplicates. A missing [Devices] section can also cause problems.

NOTE: You need to know the name of your printer driver to complete this procedure.
  1. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.


  2. In the Named box, type win.ini.


  3. In the Look in list, click your hard disk.


  4. Click to select the Include subfolders check box, and then click Find Now.


  5. Check the size of Win.ini in the Size column. If it is larger than 64 kilobytes (KB), the file is too big. This could be the cause of the error message.


  6. Double-click the Win.ini file to open it in Notepad.


  7. Look for duplicate entries or sections. If you find any, delete them.


  8. The [Devices] section should list the friendly name of the printer, followed by an equal sign, the driver name, a comma, and then the port or network path.

    If the section is missing, add it, for example: 


    9. 
   [Devices]
   HP LaserJet 4/4M=HPPCL5MS,LPT1:
   HP LaserJet IIISi=HPPCL5MS,\\Server\Sharename<BR/>
  9. If you made any changes, click Save on the File menu, and then attempt to print again. You may need to restart your computer before your changes take effect.


Method 5: Check the Printer Port

If you can't print to your local printer at all, there may be a device conflicting with your computer's printer port, or the port might not be enabled. Try removing and reinstalling the printer port.
  1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.


  2. Click the Device Manager tab. Click to expand Ports (COM and LPT) and double-click the port your printer is using.


  3. If the Device status box says that the device is working properly, you may have some other system problem. You may need to reinstall your operating system.


  4. If the Device Status box indicates a problem, click OK, and then click Remove.


  5. Click OK, and then restart your computer.


  6. After your computer restarts, click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.


  7. Double-click the Add New Hardware icon, and let Windows detect the hardware in your computer.



If the port still doesn't work after you remove and reinstall it, you may need to check the BIOS settings on your computer to make sure the port is enabled. Consult your computer documentation for instructions.

If all of these procedures fail, you may have a corrupted system file. If you are using Windows NT or Windows 95, you may need to reinstall the operating system.

Additional query words: OFF2000

Keywords : kbdta
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: September 21, 1999
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