My printer has stopped printing documents, and instead, when I click the 'PRINT' button on the screen it comes up with the 'Save Print Output As' page. I'm sure this must be a Settings issue, but I'm having no luck so far. Any suggestions, please? 
A printer problem.
- Thread starter John Roberts
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My printer has stopped printing documents, and instead, when I click the 'PRINT' button on the screen it comes up with the 'Save Print Output As' page. I'm sure this must be a Settings issue, but I'm having no luck so far. Any suggestions, please?
Daft question but , is it plugged in ( usb) and switched on
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Go in to printers and check you’ve not set your default printer to Microsoft document printer or a pdf writer
Right click the printer you want to use and select set as default
Right click the printer you want to use and select set as default
Thanks for this.
I have been trying to do as you say but am having problems getting to the 'Right Click the Printer' bit. In case it's relevant I'll tell you that the printer is an Epson XP-235, I'm running Windows 10 and my laptop is some sort of HP, and is about 5 years old, and it's connected to the printer by WiFi. Right, that's out of the way, so what I've done so far is ...
Click on the Windows 'Start' icon.
Select Settings, which opens a page showing items like System, Devices, Phone, Network & Internet, etc etc.
Select Devices, which incudes Bluetooth, printers & mouse.
The page opens and I go down the list and select Printers & scanners.
That page opens and my printer appears at the top of the list that also includes Fax, Microsoft Print to PDF,
Microsoft XPS Document Writer and OneNote for Windows 10 and two items with tick boxes, one being "Let Windows manage my default printer"- that box is ticked, and another tick box option regarding download over metered connection, which I suspect is irrelevant.
Right clicking on my printer has no effect, nothing comes up. Is this where it goes wrong, should I have done something different before reaching this stage?Select Settings, which opens a page showing items like System, Devices, Phone, Network & Internet, etc etc.
Select Devices, which incudes Bluetooth, printers & mouse.
The page opens and I go down the list and select Printers & scanners.
That page opens and my printer appears at the top of the list that also includes Fax, Microsoft Print to PDF,
Microsoft XPS Document Writer and OneNote for Windows 10 and two items with tick boxes, one being "Let Windows manage my default printer"- that box is ticked, and another tick box option regarding download over metered connection, which I suspect is irrelevant.
Under all that, on the same page, comes the option to 'Troubleshoot your printer' - and this is interesting - when I open Open troubleshooter settings I can't go any further because it says 'No recommended troubleshooters right now.'
I say it's interesting because I managed to start troubleshoot it this morning but after going through checking Spooling (or something) and some other stuff it said that the sodding printer was switched off. Well, it was Switched ON, and not asleep, or whatever the term is.
If anyone has waded to all of the above shit and is still awake I would be delighted to receive any suggestions.
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Hi John
Try unchecking the box that says “ Let Windows manage my default printer"
That should allow you to set your default printer as described above
Try unchecking the box that says “ Let Windows manage my default printer"
That should allow you to set your default printer as described above
Right, box now unchecked... Oh bugger, I went straight from unchecking the box back to my printer and right clicked on it: no response. I then left clicked on the printer to select it and that brought the 'Open queue', 'Manage' and 'Remove device 'options in the grey highlighted area containing the details of my printer (Epson **** XP-423 435 series blah blah) and these three options, I didn't click on any of the actual options but right clicked the grey area, but no response once again.
PS: Beware: this could be a red herring... It might be of interest, but I groped my way along and selected in the 'Related settings' bit further down the page the 'Run the Troubleshooter' option. Once again it went through checking the Spooling bit and then asked which printer I wanted Troubleshooting. I selected the right one and then Next. And once again the daft sod tells me to switch my printer on. Oh, FFS my printer IS on!
Another thing... Just noticed that it says by my printer on the page mentioned above that it's the default printer and that it's offline. Oh Gawd, it's getting worse.
Right, I'm off to mow the lawn, I need a break.
Right, I'm off to mow the lawn, I need a break.
I did ask if it was on ! Try another usb cable.
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Open the print queue for your printer and check you haven’t clicked on “pause printing”, if the option “resume printing” is present select it
But it IS on, that's the strange thing, another thing else that doesn't make sense. And its connected via WiFi not USB.
No, it's empty (nothing in the queue)
But it IS on, that's the strange thing, another thing else that doesn't make sense. And its connected via WiFi not USB.
Aah, perhaps it’s dropped off the WiFi system, got lost so to speak. I had this a number of years ago with an HP printer. Eventually I got that sick of it I reverted to cable connection.
Only just seen this, it was exactly what the computer guy in town told me this afternoon, he asked me why I was using WiFi if the printer was next(-ish) to the computer and told me to get an USB printer cable. I've just ordered that, should be here tomorrow. 
He also said to Uninstall and then Install the printer, I'd already done that twice actually, but also to Switch the WiFi off and on. All is now up and running once more, and hope fully it will be up and running even better/faster when it gets its new connecting cord tomorrow. AND dere's more.
Dumbo here (that's me) noticed at last that when I pressed the Print option when I want to print e.g. an email, the page that comes up to select which page or how many copies to print etc. there's a little box at the top left hand side that says in my case 'Microsoft Print to PDF with a little arrow to reveal a drop down menu showing other selections such as OneNote for Windows 10, Microsoft XPS Document Writer and other similar stuff, but- and this a BIG but- no mention of my Epson printer.
So, quick as a flash, I spotted another option: Add Printer. So I did. The rest is history. Sorted. Hell, I'm good.
So thank you all for your interest and perseverance -yes, I really am grateful- and now all seems to be well once more. We'll see how long that lasts.
Thank you gentlemen.
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