Works: Cannot Print Formulas with Generic/Text Only Driver

With the View Formulas option selected in a Works for Windows spreadsheet and Generic/Text Only version 3.1 as the active printer driver, Print Preview and Print will not correctly display and print the actual formulas and data. Blank pages or partial data may be displayed and printed.

In Works 4.0, 4.5, or 4.5a, the information will preview but will not correctly print the actual formulas and data. Blank pages or partial data may be printed.

To correct the problem, install a printer driver for a specific printer.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

This problem does not occur in Works for Windows 2.x.

To print actual formulas using the Generic/Text Only driver, deselect the View Formulas option and temporarily format the cells containing formulas as text using the following steps:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you save your Spreadsheet file, and make a backup copy before beginning this workaround.

1. From the View menu, click Formulas to deselect it.
2. Select a cell containing a formula you want to print.
3. Press F2 to activate the formula bar and edit the cell.
4. Add a double quotation mark (") at the beginning of the cell entry and press ENTER to change it to text.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the other cells containing formulas to be printed.
   
   The document will now print the actual formulas.
6. Save this document under a different name and then close the spreadsheet.
7. Reopen the original spreadsheet to restore the original file with active formulas.