You receive a "The printer name, device driver, or port for this print job were not specified or are invalid" error message when you print from PowerPoint 2000

When you attempt to print from Microsoft PowerPoint, you may receive the following error:

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 error occurs when you do not have the driver for your printer installed, the printer driver may be corrupted, you may have a damaged system file, the Win.ini file may be too large or damaged, or the printer port may not be working.

Use each of the following procedures until you find one that fixes the problem.

Method 1: Install a Printer Driver

Use this method only when you do not have a printer driver installed on your computer.

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Settings, and click Printers.
2. Double-click Add Printer, and follow the instructions.
   
   NOTE: Some printers have their own setup routines that bypass the Add Printer wizard. Follow the instructions in your documentation.

Method 2: Reinstall the Printer Driver

Try this first, because this may take care of problems elsewhere on your computer. When you reinstall your printer driver, the Microsoft Windows operating system corrects many system files and registry keys.

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
2. Right-click your default printer, and click Delete. If you are prompted to remove extra files left on the system, click Yes.
3. Double-click Add Printer, and follow the instructions to reinstall your printer driver.

Method 3: Run System File Checker (Windows 98 Only)

System File Checker verifies the integrity of system files, and if it finds a corrupted one, it allows you to restore it. This tool is available only in Windows 98.

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.
2. On the Tools menu, click System File Checker.
3. Click Scan for altered files, and then click Settings.
4. Choose the configuration you want to use, and then click OK.
5. Click Start.
6. If System File Checker finds any altered files, follow the instructions to reinstall them.

Method 4: Check the Win.ini file

The Win.ini file may be too large if many sections and lines in the file are duplicates. A missing Devices section can also cause problems. You will need to know the name of your printer driver to complete this procedure.

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.
2. In the Named box, type win.ini.
3. In the Look In list, click the drive letter that corresponds to your hard disk.
4. Select the Include Subfolders check box, and then click Find Now.
5. Check the size of Win.ini in the Size column. If it is larger than 64 KB, the file is too big. This could be the cause of the error message.
6. Double-click the Win.ini file. This will open it in Notepad.
7. Look for duplicate entries or sections. If you find any, delete them.
8. The [Devices] section should list the friendly name of the printer, followed by an equals sign, the driver name, a comma, and then the port or network path.
   
   If the section is missing, add it. Here is an example:
   

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

9. If you made any changes, click Save on the File menu, and then attempt to print again. You may need to restart your computer before your changes take effect.

Method 4: Check the Printer Port

If you cannot print to your local printer at all, there may be a device conflicting with your computer's printer port, or the port might not be enabled. Try removing and reinstalling the printer port.

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the Device Manager tab, expand Ports (COM & LPT) and double-click the port your printer is using.
3. If the Device status box shows that the device is working properly, you may have some other system problem. You may need to reinstall your operating system.
4. If the Device Status box indicates a problem, click OK, and then click Remove.
5. Click OK, and then restart your computer.
6. After your computer restarts, On the Windows Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click Add New Hardware, and let Windows detect the hardware in your computer.

If the port still does not work after you remove and reinstall it, you may need to check the BIOS settings on your computer to make sure the port is enabled. Consult your computer documentation for instructions.

If all of these procedures fail, you may have a corrupted system file. If you are using Windows NT(r) or Windows 95, you may need to reinstall the operating system.

For help with printer problems in Windows Vista, visit the following Microsoft web page: