Windows 10: Microsoft Print To PDF problem

This problem showed up on its own, not just after installing anything nor any updates.

And the problem is with the Microsoft Print to PDF AND the Microsoft Print to XPS. I can print to a network printer OK.

I cannot print to the "Microsoft Print to PDF" printer from any program, including printing a test page from printer properties, when acting as a User who is an administrator. But if I Run As Administrator, printing works.

Printing as a User, everything looks just fine, it asks me for a file name, I give it one and then it completes its action. But that file is nowhere to be found.

So I go into Printer Properties and Print a Test Page. It asks me for a file name, I give it one and it then comes back and reports, "Test page failed to print. Would you like to view the print troubleshooter for assistance?" Of course, I go there and the end result is that it cannot find what is wrong.

UNLESS I run the program in Run As Administrator mode. Then everything works as it should. I can print a Test Page and I can print from a program.

In the Properties/Security window all groups and usernames have ALLOW selected next to the Print box.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling using the "turn Windows features on/off" facility.

I have not taken any measures (that I know of) to change security settings anyplace.

Again, this problem just showed up by itself.

I have not gone back to any restore points yet because I would like to solve the problem.

Anybody seen this yet? Or have good ideas?

:)

 

How to troubleshoot printing problems in Windows 10

My problem is printing to PDF, even with Microsoft Print to PDF?

 

Microsoft Print to PDF

Purchased new HP lap top mid March 2017

Windows 10 came with Microsoft Print to PDF

Installed Adobe Reader

Before automatic Windows Update week of Apr 17 after saving pdf using Microsoft Print to PDF, it would prompt me to open the pdf file to view print it

After automatic Windows Update, after saving pdf using Microsoft Print to PDF, it no longer prompts me to open the pdf file to view/print it

I have to go to my folder where I saved it, and then open it.

I performed TroubleShoot on right click of Microsoft Print to PDF, and no issues found.

I installed CutePDFWriter to see if that would solve the problem. Same issue. Can save as pdf no problem, however have to go to folder to locate the pdf file and open/print it manually.

Thank You

Helen Barrett

 

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling using *Start settings, devices, printers and scanners, then removing the problem printer drivers, rebooting, and then adding them again signed in under your user account?

 

Yes, to no avail.

 

Let me expand upon my reply.

If I go the *Start settings, devices, printers and scanners and then select install new printer, it comes back and tells me it cannot find any printers. Odd since this is a Windows 10 printer. At any rate, the only way I have found to re-install the printer is to go into Settings/System/Programs and Features/ (or Control Panel/Programs and Features/) and click Turn Windows features on and off

Thanks for getting back to me.

 

I gave up looking for help. I used the restore memory stick I created and brought the system back to square one, factory fresh. Viola, everything is corrected and all works fine.

I got rid of the HP supplied bloatware. Everything works fine.

I re-install Classic Start Menu and Office 2007. Everything works just fine.

Finally, I re-install all the other software I normally use. Everything works just fne.

All of this took the better part of a day. When I was done, I saw that updates were pending. Sigh..........Once the updates were all applied, the problem came back.

Perhaps I'll just scrub the disk and put my copy of Windows 7 on it. Or maybe just send the PC back to HP and get an Apple.

I am not impressed.

 

Well, I think I finally figured out what was wrong. To recap, the only way I can print to the Microsoft Print to PDF printer was when running as an administrator. That is, if I selected the printer in a normal manner, it told me I did not have permissions. If, however, I opened the printer as an administrator and then while it was open, printed to it from a file, all was OK. Not a convenient way to print.

I finally got around to digging into the problem. When I went into printer preferences, security I saw that EVERYONE had permission to print. However, CREATOR OWNER did not. When I checked the box to permit CREATOR OWNER to print, the problem went away. A casual observer might wonder why CREATOR OWNER is not included in the EVERYONE class. Not me. I long ago gave up trying to understand software written by children. Next OS will be Linux.

 

Hello Dave,

many thanks for your input even if it did not save my day! At least it confirmed that I was looking for a solution in the right direction.

Explicitly granting my account with full control of my temp folder did the trick. As permissions for other built-in accounts did look correct, I only needed to enter this related command: icacls %temp% /grant %username%OI)(CI)F /T /C

I find the solution here: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/cannot-print-standard-user-temp-folder-permissions/

It especially concerns people like me who have change the default location of their TEMP folder while setting the %TEMP% and %TMP% Windows environment variables.

Here below was my situation before applying this solution successfully.

As for you, applications running with elevated privileges (launched as "run as administrator") did print correctly to "Microsoft Print to PDF " and "Microsoft XPS Document Writer" virtual printers, I already knew that it had something to do with writing permissions in some folder(s).

According to your post I had just tried to set permission to print for the CREATOR OWNER built-in user in the two virtual printer Preferences dialog box, Security tab, to no avail.

Cheers to all from France