OFF: "Cannot change printers" and Similar Error Messages

When you print from a Microsoft Office for Windows program, you receive one of the following error messages.

Word

-or-

Excel

PowerPoint

-or-

Schedule

These error messages may occur if one of the following conditions is true:

• You do not have a Win.ini file.
  
  -or-
  
  
• The Devices section of the Win.ini file is missing.
  
  -or-
  
  
• The Devices section of the Win.ini file contains incomplete or incorrect information.
  
  -or-
  
  
• The Win.ini file exceeds the 64 KB size limit.
  
  -or-

Note that if you remove the Win.ini file, or if it becomes corrupted, and you then restart Microsoft Windows 95, a new Win.ini is created. However, the new Win.ini contains only the Desktop or Embedding sections. The Devices section is missing.

For additional information about this problem and Microsoft Word 97, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Method 1: Reinstall the Printer Driver

When you use this method you create the required information for the Devices section as well as write the correct entries for the Ports, Printer Ports, and Windows sections in the Win.ini.

For more information about performing this task in Windows, see your Windows printed documentation or online Help.

Method 2: Correct an Entry in Win.ini

Locate the Win.ini file and correct the Devices section. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Windows 95 taskbar, click Start and point to Find.
2. Click Files Or Folders.
3. In the Find All Files dialog box, click the Name & Location tab.
4. In the Named box, type Win.ini.
5. In the Look In box, choose the name of your hard disk.
6. Select the Include Subfolders check box and click Find Now.
7. Right-click the Win.ini file and click Open.
8. In the Win.ini file, find the [Devices] section.
9. The Devices section should list the friendly name of the printer followed by an equal sign, the driver name, comma, and then the port or network path. If the [Devices] section is missing, add it. The following is a sample [Devices] section:
   

         [Devices]
         HP LaserJet 4/4M=HPPCL5MS,LPT1:
         HP LaserJet IIISi=HPPCL5MS,\\Server\Sharename
   						

Method 3: Create a New Win.ini

If neither Method 1 nor Method 2 resolves the problem, you can create a new Win.ini file with the correct information.

Rename the Win.ini to Win.old, and reinstall Windows 95. Windows 95 detects that you are reinstalling, and a dialog box appears with the "Run Setup Again?" title. The dialog box gives you two options. Select the first option (to restore Windows files that are changed or corrupted) and reinstall Windows 95.

This method recreates a new, complete Win.ini with all of the required sections.