WD2000: Error Message: No Printers Are Installed

When you try to print a document, you may receive the following error message: 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: NOTE: If you reached this article by clicking the Web Info button in an error message, you already have Customizable Alerts enabled.

This problem can occur if there is no default printer driver installed.

If you already have a default printer, there may be a problem with the printer driver or your Win.ini file, which contains configuration information for your system.

There Is No Default Printer Driver Installed

If you do not have a default printer, use the Add Printer Wizard to install one. To do this, follow the steps for your computer's operating system.

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

In Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, or Microsoft Windows 2000:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
2. Double-click Add Printer, and then follow the instructions.

In Microsoft Windows XP:

1. Click Start and then click Printers and Faxes.
2. Under Printer Tasks, click Add a printer.

If you have a default printer installed but Word cannot locate it, remove and reinstall the printer. To do this, follow the steps for your computer's operating system.

In Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
2. Right-click the Printer icon, and then click Delete on the shortcut menu. Click Yes if you are prompted to remove extra files.
3. Double-click Add Printer, and then follow the Add Printer Wizard instructions. Click Yes if you are prompted to replace the existing files.

In Windows XP:

1. Click Start and then click Printers and Faxes.
2. Right-click the Printer icon, and then click Delete on the shortcut menu. Click Yes if you are prompted to remove extra files.
3. Under Printer Tasks, click Add a printer, and then follow the Add Printer Wizard instructions. Click Yes if you are prompted to replace the existing files.

If the preceding steps do not resolve this issue, the problem may be result of one of the following causes.

A Printer Driver Is Damaged and Requires Reinstallation

To complete this procedure, you need your Microsoft Windows CD-ROM or the printer driver disk or CD-ROM from the printer vendor.

In Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
2. Right-click the Printer icon, and then click Delete on the shortcut menu. Click Yes if you are prompted to remove extra files.
3. Double-click Add Printer, and then follow the Add Printer Wizard instructions. Click Yes if you are prompted to replace the existing files.

In Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Click Start and then click Printers and Faxes.
2. Right-click the Printer icon, and then click Delete on the shortcut menu. Click Yes if you are prompted to remove extra files.
3. Under Printer Tasks, click Add a printer, and then follow the Add Printer Wizard instructions. Click Yes if you are prompted to replace the existing files.

When you reinstall your printer driver, Windows writes the correct entries for the Ports, Printer Ports, and Windows sections in the Win.ini file.

For information about how to contact your printer manufacturer, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

IBM Client Access/400 Software Is Installed

This error message can occur when you have the IBM Client Access/400 software installed. You can resolve the problem by uninstalling the IBM Client Access/400 software, but this may not be an ideal solution in most cases.

To help resolve this problem, contact IBM to determine whether you have the latest available patch. The latest service pack for Client Access is available at the following IBM Web site: The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

For more information about hardware and software vendor contact information, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors)

There Is a Problem with Your Fax Setup

If you receive this error message when you attempt to send a fax, there may be a problem with the way your fax software is set up.

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

The Win.ini File in Windows 95 or Windows 98 Has Incorrect, Duplicate, or Missing Entries

You must correct the Win.ini file; this file should not be Read Only. To complete this procedure, you must know the name of your printer driver.

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. Select the Include Subfolders check box, and then click Find Now.
5. Check the file size in the Size column. If it is larger than 64 kilobytes (KB), the Win.ini file is too big. This might be the cause of the error message.
6. Double-click the Win.ini file to open it. If the file is too large to open in Notepad, click Yes to the following message to open the file in WordPad:
   This file is too large for Notepad to open.
   Would you like to use WordPad to read this file?
7. Look for duplicate entries or sections. If you find any, delete them.
8. The Devices section should list the friendly name of your printer, followed by an equal sign, the driver name, a comma, and then the port or network path.
   
   If the Devices section is missing, add it. The syntax for the [Devices] section is similar to the following:
   [Devices]printer friendly name=driver,port or server:
   
   where [Devices] is the section in the Win.ini file; printer friendly name is the name of the printer; driver is the printer driver name, and port or server is the printer port or share name.
   Example:
   [Devices]HP LaserJet 4/4M=HPPCL5MS,LPT1:
   -or-
   [Devices]HP LaserJet IIISi=HPPCL5MS,\\Server\Sharename
   
   If you have multiple printers, you can list them in the [Devices] section. You must separate each driver with a space.
   
   
9. If you make any changes, click Save on the File menu, and then try to print again.

The Win.ini File in Windows 95 or Windows 98 May Be Damaged, or There May Be Other Problems with the File

If the previous methods fail, you must create a new Win.ini file. Use this last method only after you attempt the previous methods.

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. Select the Include Subfolders check box, and then click Find Now.
5. Right-click the Win.ini file, click Rename, and then type win.old.
6. Insert your Windows CD-ROM.
7. In the Run Setup Again? dialog box, click Restore Windows files that are changed or corrupted, and then follow the on-screen directions. This method creates a new, complete Win.ini file with all of the required sections.

NOTE: If you rename or delete the Win.ini file and then restart without running Setup, Windows automatically creates a new Win.ini file. However, the new Win.ini file contains only the Desktop and Embedding sections. The Devices section and all other sections configured by your system are missing.

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