Windows 10: Microsoft Print to PDF regularly stops working

I have a Lenovo Yoga 910. It's a great little laptop. Truly the only thing flawed about it is the Windows x64 HOME operating system. It regularly comes up with glitches and failures (often in simple core features) that take hours of troubleshooting to sort out. In case this I am here now trying to sort out why Microsoft Print to PDF is so unreliable.


I have attempted to print a webpage and now found that the Microsoft Print to PDF simply does not work. It does not work in any browser, app or program on the computer. The driver has simply failed and the print driver is no longer available.


This is the 5th or 6th time I've had this problem over the last 2-3yrs. The pattern I have noticed is that it occurs after some kind of automatic windows update (ie. you go to shutdown and get the "Update and Shutdown" prompt instead in the start menu). After restart BOOM - Microsoft Print to PDF no longer works. I have wasted hours and trawled the internet looking for solutions... there are plenty of people with the problem... not a lot of working solutions.


I have tried (and usually they have failed) the following solutions (from around the internet):

1. Rollback to a restore point prior to the update (from safe mode bootup)
2. the SFC/scannow and DISM from elevated CMD prompt
3. remove and re-install from windows features
4. remove and re-install manually the device driver from Control Panel > printers
5. PLUS all the other solutions listed in the links below.

These usually make things worse and end up with a bunch of coded errors (0x0000007e etc) that point to .net framework etc or other nebulous issues when I search further.









In all cases my only reliable solution is to download a windows image onto a thumb drive and do an 'in place re-install' of the operating system. I am tired of wasting my time on this. It goes without saying that I always have the latest version of windows installed and fully updated (as mentioned it is... from what I can gather... updates that appear to cause the problem) What I want to know is:

• Are microsoft aware of this constant issue and doing something about it? If not please acknowledge that you are aware now.
• Why are we paying for an operating system that appears to be in constant Beta with constant issues like this going unremedied for years whilst MS concentrates on turning the OS into an advertising platform? I feel I spend so many hours trying to sort out problems with this OS that I should actually be getting paid by MS.
• Are there any MS employees on this forum that have a solution to this issue that won't take me more hours of troubleshooting to sort out?

Here are some of the threads (and associated solutions) I have tried already trying to sort out this issue:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/how-to-add-or-reinstall-the-microsoft-pdf-printer/70377c34-e50a-42be-b9f3-92345d6e25df


https://www.windows10forums.com/threads/microsoft-print-to-pdf-stopped-working-after-long-time-with-no-issues.14403/


https://www.jiho.com/en/tips/fix-microsoft-print-to-pdf-not-working.html


https://windowsreport.com/print-to-pdf-windows-10/


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-files/microsoft-print-to-pdf-not-working/5a3495f1-e0f4-462e-8866-3688b8202fc8


https://www.drivethelife.com/windows-10/microsoft-print-to-pdf-not-working-windows-10.html

:)

 

Microsoft "Print to PDF" prints out Garbage

Hi,

To better assist you regarding Microsoft Print to PDF, we just have a few questions for you:

• What are the documents that you're trying to save as a PDF file?
  
• Can you provide us a step-by-step screenshot of how you print your documents as PDF?

 

Microsoft Print to PDF mixes up JPGs.

Hi Anita,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

To understand the issue better, I suggest you to answer the below questions.

• What happens when you select small bunch of images and try to print?
• Is the issue specific to the Microsoft Print to PDF?

I would suggest you to follow the below steps and check if it helps you.

• Create a new folder and copy the images you want in PDF.
• Sort the images as you want. (It always copies as per the sorted time/date)
• Set the images in Order/Sequence as you want it to be set in PDF.
• Select all and Print it to PDF.

Keep us posted to help you better.

 

Microsoft Print to PDF stopped working.

After the recent update to Windows 10, the Microsoft Print to PDF feature stopped working in PowerPoint and in some Word files.

Prior to the update, I never had a problem with the feature and I use it REGULARLY. After the update, I am unable to print ANY PowerPoint files to PDF. (PowerPoint version is 2016 MSO (16.0.4639.1000) 64-bit, if that matters.) The error message I get from
PowerPoint is:

I have tried deleting and reinstalling the driver, but that had no apparent effect.

Any ideas? This is very annoying. A work-around is to Export to PDF, but (a) it takes a lot longer when you have lots of files to save as PDF, and (b) I'm unable to export it as just black and white.

Scott