Question : Problem: Why is File/Print causing Word 97 to hang when Print Toolbar button works?

Due to Print Spooler Service problems on our Dell Server we removed and recreated all our Shared HP Laserjet/Colour Laserjet printers on Sunday. We used latest drivers for each model from the HP web site, standardizing on the PCL 6 versions.

On Monday all the users with Dell Optiplex GX520 desktops running Win XP Pro SP2 (not any other Dell desktop/laptop!) who ran MS Office 97 (not any other version of Office!) suddenly found they couldn't print word documents if they used File/Print option but were OK if they used the Print Button on the toolbar. Word either crashed altogether or hung while spooling. The users were printing to different models of Laserjet /Colour Laserjet printer. We also tried ensuring that all versions of Office 97 were updated to SR2 level.

Any suggestions as to what might be causing this weird phenomenon.

Thanks in anticipation

David

Answer : Problem: Why is File/Print causing Word 97 to hang when Print Toolbar button works?

Neither solution offered works. Have found a good solution myself though which is to use latest drivers for Laser Printers (PCL6) locally i.e. set printers up as local printers  on the PCs avoiding going through our Print Server. This works in all circumstances. I have no idea what the problem with ther server printers is though. May be to do with fact that we are still running Windows 2000 Advanced Server? Thanks for all your help.