PUB: Changed Printer Setup Options Not Retained by Publisher

Printer setup options that you change in Windows Control Panel may not be reflected in Publisher. (Some options available in Control Panel are not available in print setup in Publisher; therefore, these changes must be made in Control Panel.)

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Publisher versions 2.0, 2.0a, 3.0 and 97. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

To correct the problem:

1. From Windows Control Panel, select the desired settings, and exit to save the settings.
2. From the File menu in Publisher, choose Print Setup.
3. Select a different printer under Specific Printer and click OK.
4. From the File menu in Publisher, choose Print Setup again, and change the printer back to your default, or usual, printer driver.

Publisher saves printer-specific information with a publication (including those that are inaccessible through Publisher) the first time you choose the OK button in the Publisher Print Setup dialog box. However, some of the options that printer drivers provide are not available through Publisher. Because of this limitation, you may need to make some changes using Windows Control Panel.

If you then change the printer setup options using Windows Control Panel, the changes are not reflected in Publisher because specific printer options were saved with your publication. Changing the Control Panel has no effect on those specific settings in your publication.

To update settings made using Windows Control Panel that are not available in the Print Setup dialog box in Publisher, you can force Publisher to "flush" (reset) the saved settings for the printer in your publication by changing the default printer in Print Setup and then immediately changing it back.

The printer settings saved with your publication are refreshed when you change the printer. Publisher loses the previous settings and is forced to check the settings in Windows Control Panel. When you change the printer, and exit the dialog box, Publisher checks the Control Panel settings for that printer. When you then reset it to your original printer, Publisher is forced to check the settings again, and now the settings made in Control Panel are set as options for your publication.