[weybrew]

After upgrading Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro I can't print. I get no print preview window and I get an error msg that Windows can't find my selected printer (even though I haven't picked one since I don't have a preview screen). I have updated drivers and reinstalled my printer. Firefox 44.0.2. Help, please.

Additionally, in Chrome I will get a preview window but there is no connection to my printer.

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi weybrew

Have a look in "Devices and Printers" in the Windows 10 Control Panel. See what printer is set as the default (its icon will have an overlay of a green circle with a white checkmark).

Make sure that all your printers show in there. If you have any with two or more copies, you might have to test which one works best, and remove the other(s). To send a test print to a printer, right-click its icon, and select "Printer Properties", then click on the "Print Test Page" option button.

If the default is other than the printer you wish to print to -- right-click your preferred printer, and select "Set as default".

If any of your printers are missing, select "Add Printer", and Windows 10 will produce a list of printers that it finds. Install them one at a time, sending a test print page to each.

When in FireFox, navigate to print by selecting the three-horizontal-bars settings icon, and select the Print icon. See if your print preview shows now.

Let us know if none of this helps


[ .... P.S. if any of your printers are wireless, you might occasionally have to help them "wake up" ... pressing a "ready" or "go" or "home" button will usually do it ... some printers have a bad habit of sleeping through their print notifications]

 

[weybrew]

Thanks for your reply, OLDGRAYGARY. Default printer is set properly and all printers are present.

 

[spunk.funk]

To send a test print to a printer, right-click its icon, and select "Printer Properties", then click on the "Print Test Page" option button.

Did you try a Test Print? Was it successful? Can you print in other applications, like Word, or Notepad?
Try this Firefox Addon: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/printprint-preview/

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi there, spunk.funk ... glad you mentioned the plug-in!

weybrew .... did you happen to already have any older plugins that had special print functions (like the Print Preview plug in? -- which, by the way, has been timely about keeping up to date, and should work with your latest 44.0.2 version Firefox) ... if you happened to already have an older, aging plugin - some of these are causing problems in Windows 10. You could remove them (since they are so easy to reinstall), and see if the built-in preview in Firefox works OK. If that's all you need, you're good. If you'd like the extra features provided by the Print Preview plugin, it won't hurt to give it a try.

I did a fresh install of Firefox on a Windows 10 test laptop, and the Firefox's Print button now goes straight to a print preview of sorts, which apparently works OK with a fresh install (with no plugins). I found its preview to work OK, but it seemed fairly basic at first glance. I enjoyed the 44.0.2 version overall (Chrome is my usual browser), I thought the features and look of Firefox has a brighter, cleaner look. Nice.

 

[weybrew]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I have no extra Firefox plug-ins for printing, but at your suggestions I have more information.

I can print from other programs without problems and I can print from Chrome and Edge browsers without problems. My printer woes are apparently within Firefox.

 

[spunk.funk]

Try this Firefox Addon: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...print-preview/

Try the Firefox addon and see if that works for you. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/printprint-preview/

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hmmm.... if you not only don't get a print preview, but things don't print at all (even after you've tried the Print Preview plug-in) ... try Mozilla's troubleshooting steps from their support page: nice, clear instructions, and looks like they've been kept up-to-date & they apply to the latest 44.0.2 version ---
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/fix-printing-problems-firefox

One of the steps causes a total reset of all Firefox printer settings: so the step-by-step process is quite thorough.

Hope it's fixed soon. Like I said, I was impressed at the polish and speed of that latest version....

 

[weybrew]

Latest...Tried the add-on with no effect. Tried all the steps in the Mozilla article for the reset of all printers but had a couple of hiccups: Found no files in the print_printer search and the profile folder had prefs.js and pref-1.js files.

By the way, I have uninstalled/reinstalled Firefox without any change. I still get the msg. "The selected printer could not be found" when I attempt to print.

 

[OldGrayGary]

Hi again


OK, the following method makes no sense at all, but it was posted in late August by a Windows 10 / Firefox user who had the same symptoms as you are experiencing ... went through the same repair steps... no luck, until:

You'll never guess what fixed it: after I changed the default printer in Microsoft Edge it started printing okay in Firefox!!

If it works, give a moment of thanks to Mozilla user lessa441 over on the Mozilla forums.

 

[weybrew]

I'll give this a try...why not? Please tell me, how do I change the default printer "...in Microsoft Edge." Not sure what that means exactly.

 

[weybrew]

On a suggestion I tried initiating printing from File->Print and got my usual print preview window and was able to print without problem. Then I tried my usual way of printing via Firefox->Print and it was suddenly working as usual (!). Nothing is ever easy with MS!

Matter resolved.

 

[OldGrayGary]

Glad to hear: nice work!


P.S. ... just to be clear (so that any other users with the same situation can learn the repair) ... were you in Firefox for the File/Print step? - Thanks!

 

[weybrew]

Yes...Regards.