Word 2004 may insist on using the default printer.

[Denis Pelli]

Word 2004 assumes that you've used System Preferences to set Print &
Fax:Selected printer in Print Dialog: to "Last printer used". In that
case Word 2004 works fine. However, if you instead selected a
particular printer in System Prefences, then the Word 2004 print
dialog misleadingly allows you to select a printer other than that
default, but subsequently ignores your new selection and prints to the
default printer anyway. The work-around is to use System Preferences
to set the default printer to "Last printer used", as Word 2004
assumes. (Word X works correctly with any setting.)

We're using the latest: Microsoft Word 2004 (version 11.1) and Mac OS
X 10.3.6.

Denis Pelli
Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU
http://psych.nyu.edu/pelli/

 

[Ron Walcik]

Word 2004 assumes that you've used System Preferences to set Print &
Fax:Selected printer in Print Dialog: to "Last printer used". In that
case Word 2004 works fine. However, if you instead selected a
particular printer in System Prefences, then the Word 2004 print
dialog misleadingly allows you to select a printer other than that
default, but subsequently ignores your new selection and prints to the
default printer anyway. The work-around is to use System Preferences
to set the default printer to "Last printer used", as Word 2004
assumes. (Word X works correctly with any setting.)

We're using the latest: Microsoft Word 2004 (version 11.1) and Mac OS
X 10.3.6.

I suspect it's something in your set up. I'm running the same versions
of Word and OS X both at home and in a 30 computer lab at work and all
31 machines work correctly. If I/we select a printer other than the
default, the print job goes to the selected printer and does not revert
to the default printer.

 

[Denis Pelli]

Word 2004 assumes that you've used System Preferences to set "Print &
Fax:Selected printer in Print Dialog:" to "Last printer used". In that
case Word 2004 works fine. However, if you instead selected a
particular printer in System Prefences, then the Word 2004 print
dialog misleadingly allows you to select a printer other than that
default, but subsequently ignores your new selection and prints to the
default printer anyway. The work-around is to use System Preferences
to set the default printer to "Last printer used", as Word 2004
assumes. (Word X works correctly with any setting.)

On Nov 19, 2004, at 5:23 PM, Ron Walcik wrote:

I suspect it's something in your set up. I'm running the same versions
of Word and OS X both at home and in a 30 computer lab at work and all
31 machines work correctly. If I/we select a printer other than the
default, the print job goes to the selected printer and does not
revert
to the default printer.

Ron Walcik
Killeen, Texas
(e-mail address removed)

dear ron

thanks for writing. i'm not sure that we're talking about the same
thing. to experience this problem you must go to System Preferences
and set "Print & Fax:Selected printer:" to a specific printer instead
of the usual "Last printer used" setting. Basically, Mac OS X offers
two user-interface modes for printing. In the usual "Last printer
used" mode the "default printer" follows your lead; it changes every
time you use a new printer. The alternative is to have a stable
default. In that case you can temporarily override the default, but,
the next time you print, it reverts to the pre-existing default. Word
2004 fails to temporarily override the fixed default.

does that help?

best

denis

 

[Ron Walcik]

Word 2004 assumes that you've used System Preferences to set "Print &
Fax:Selected printer in Print Dialog:" to "Last printer used". In that
case Word 2004 works fine. However, if you instead selected a
particular printer in System Prefences, then the Word 2004 print
dialog misleadingly allows you to select a printer other than that
default, but subsequently ignores your new selection and prints to the
default printer anyway. The work-around is to use System Preferences
to set the default printer to "Last printer used", as Word 2004
assumes. (Word X works correctly with any setting.)

On Nov 19, 2004, at 5:23 PM, Ron Walcik wrote:

I suspect it's something in your set up. I'm running the same versions
of Word and OS X both at home and in a 30 computer lab at work and all
31 machines work correctly. If I/we select a printer other than the
default, the print job goes to the selected printer and does not
revert
to the default printer.

Ron Walcik
Killeen, Texas
(e-mail address removed)

dear ron

thanks for writing. i'm not sure that we're talking about the same
thing. to experience this problem you must go to System Preferences
and set "Print & Fax:Selected printer:" to a specific printer instead
of the usual "Last printer used" setting. Basically, Mac OS X offers
two user-interface modes for printing. In the usual "Last printer
used" mode the "default printer" follows your lead; it changes every
time you use a new printer. The alternative is to have a stable
default. In that case you can temporarily override the default, but,
the next time you print, it reverts to the pre-existing default. Word
2004 fails to temporarily override the fixed default.

does that help?

Denis,

That's exactly our what we've done, and it is working properly. We have
two printers in our lab: a Lexmark C710 and an HP 2300DN; The default
printer set in "Print & Fax:Selected printer:" is the 2300DN. Any new
print request defaults to the 2300, regardless of the last printer used.
If we want to print to the C710, we select it from the print dialog
printer pop-up menu and the job will print to the C710. The next print
request will default back to the 2300 as it should. Something is wacky
with your system since it works properly in ours.

 

[Rob Daly [MSFT]]

Denis,

Try this: Rename your Normal template to something else (eg "Normal1"). It's
located in Users:<current user>ocuments:Microsoft User Data. Then relauch
Word and quit. And the relaunch again (at this point a brand new Normal has
been created). Check to see if this is still happening.

There are two defaults for printers that Word respects - the OS default and
the default specified in the Normal template. The pecking order is that if
there is a printer set in the the Normal template (which is by default not
set), that will take precedence over the OS default. By replacing your
normal that will stop taking precedence.

Please let me know how this goes,


--
Rob Daly
Macintosh Business Unit
Word Test

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