Printing Problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter Beth
  • Start date Start date
B

Beth

I have a stand alone Win XP v5.1 Svc Pack 1, with 2
printers attached to it through separate cables. Neither
of the printers will print. When trying to print with
Word (as a test), it just queues up and never prints. In
the Word print dialog box, when I click on "Find Printer"
button, it says "The Directory Service is not
available." I'm new to XP and don't know what the
Directory Service even is or how to get to it.

Please help. We need the printer for our business.

Thanks very much,
Beth
 
The Find Printer option is used, I think, to find network printers.
It doesn't work on my system either - I get "The Directory Service is
not available." ... But I have no problems printing to any of three
installed printers.

What printers are they and how are they connected to the computer (USB
etc)?

Your printers should appear in Control Panel / Printers & Faxes. Right
click on a printer and choose Properties and try "Print test page".
In Word, if you choose File / Print, the printer names should also
appear in the Printer Name drop down box.

Look at the printer manufacturer's web sites for the latest XP
drivers.

If the printers are "All-in-one" printer/fax/scanner, and connected
via a parallel cable; then try changing LPT1 port settings in the
Device Manager to "use any interrupt assigned to the port", and check
"Enable legacy Plug & Play detection".

John Allen
 
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