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Problem with printing reports



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 22nd, 2004, 06:21 PM
endus
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Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports

Hi,

I have this user who is having trouble with the print options for
reports for certain reports. The person sets the report to print to
the default printer. This is the desired and necessary setting since
people are accessing the database from multiple locations and it is
important for security reasons for reports from other people not to be
spitting out of the printer in his area without his knowledge. He
sets the printer to default printer and it's fine for a while.

Eventually the printer switches to specific printer, with the printer
in his area being specified. This happens to users in another
location who are unlikely to know the name of his printer, much less
have a reason to print to it.

I have searched google and Microsoft's site and have not seen a single
mention of a problem of this nature. I haven't been able to duplicate
the problem on my own test machines, but I also haven't had an
opportunity to try it with the DB that is exhibiting this behavior
yet.

It occourred to me on Friday that this may be a PEBKAC issue with
someone else in his area switching it to specific printer and saving
it. I'm not sure if there is even anyone else in his area accessing
this DB though, and I am pretty sure that he would have mentioned the
problem to anyone working on this DB. I am going to check on this
possibility Monday, but I was wondering if anyone had seen anything
like this before.

Thanks!
~ endus ~~ at ~ endus ~ dot ~~ com ~

But what the hell. It is a good & healthy thing
to have a fine fat steak & a bottle of good Kentucky
bourbon & order cameras from Hong Kong & generally
feel rich. - Hunter S. Thompson
  #2  
Old May 22nd, 2004, 07:55 PM
Steve Schapel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports

Endus,

Your comment "someone else in his area switching it to specific printer
and saving it" makes me wonder whether you have multiple users accessing
the same application file. If this is the case, I can't suggest a
specific explanation for the printing problem, but this configuration is
"asking for trouble". Consider placing the core data tables in a
separate MDB file on the server, and linking to this backend from
individual application frontend files installed separately on each
workstation. Also consider saving these applications as MDE format, in
which case users will not be able to change the settings. I apologise
if I have misinterpreted your situation. Please post back if you need
further help with this.

--
Steve Schapel, Microsoft Access MVP


endus wrote:
Hi,

I have this user who is having trouble with the print options for
reports for certain reports. The person sets the report to print to
the default printer. This is the desired and necessary setting since
people are accessing the database from multiple locations and it is
important for security reasons for reports from other people not to be
spitting out of the printer in his area without his knowledge. He
sets the printer to default printer and it's fine for a while.

Eventually the printer switches to specific printer, with the printer
in his area being specified. This happens to users in another
location who are unlikely to know the name of his printer, much less
have a reason to print to it.

I have searched google and Microsoft's site and have not seen a single
mention of a problem of this nature. I haven't been able to duplicate
the problem on my own test machines, but I also haven't had an
opportunity to try it with the DB that is exhibiting this behavior
yet.

It occourred to me on Friday that this may be a PEBKAC issue with
someone else in his area switching it to specific printer and saving
it. I'm not sure if there is even anyone else in his area accessing
this DB though, and I am pretty sure that he would have mentioned the
problem to anyone working on this DB. I am going to check on this
possibility Monday, but I was wondering if anyone had seen anything
like this before.

Thanks!
~ endus ~~ at ~ endus ~ dot ~~ com ~

But what the hell. It is a good & healthy thing
to have a fine fat steak & a bottle of good Kentucky
bourbon & order cameras from Hong Kong & generally
feel rich. - Hunter S. Thompson

  #3  
Old May 22nd, 2004, 09:23 PM
endus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports

On Sun, 23 May 2004 06:55:15 +1200, Steve Schapel
wrote:

Endus,

Your comment "someone else in his area switching it to specific printer
and saving it" makes me wonder whether you have multiple users accessing
the same application file. If this is the case, I can't suggest a
specific explanation for the printing problem, but this configuration is
"asking for trouble". Consider placing the core data tables in a
separate MDB file on the server, and linking to this backend from
individual application frontend files installed separately on each
workstation. Also consider saving these applications as MDE format, in
which case users will not be able to change the settings. I apologise
if I have misinterpreted your situation. Please post back if you need
further help with this.


Thanks for the reply. I'm actually not sure of the exact scope of how
many people are accessing this, or even whether there IS someone else
in the area accessing it...that was just something that popped into my
head this weekend. I am going to get a copy of the DB and get a
better idea of how many users are actually using this thing on Monday.

Thanks for the suggestions though. Why they chose me to troubleshoot
this when my DB knowledge is...not so good...is a mystery to me, but I
will absolutely examine the ideas you suggest. The very fact that
multiple users are accessing this from different locations make me
think that a more robust design might be a good idea whether it's
related to this problem or not.

I will post back again on this issue...I always like to leave google
with a complete record.

Thanks!
~ endus ~~ at ~ endus ~ dot ~~ com ~

But what the hell. It is a good & healthy thing
to have a fine fat steak & a bottle of good Kentucky
bourbon & order cameras from Hong Kong & generally
feel rich. - Hunter S. Thompson
  #4  
Old May 24th, 2004, 09:36 PM
endus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports

On Sat, 22 May 2004 16:23:49 -0400, endus wrote:

I will post back again on this issue...I always like to leave google
with a complete record.


Okay, still need suggestions on this.

The deal is this: The user I deal with is the only one in his area who
uses the DB. This is actualy happening with several Access 97
databases as well. The DB will be fine for awhile, then the
preferences in Print Setup for a given report will randomly flip to
his printer. This is happening for users who do not even have his
printer set up on their machine...so I have no idea how *that* works.
He will find copies of the report printed by users in another building
on his printer days after they were printed.

I tried to duplicate the issue multiple times with separate users on
different machines with different printers. I was unable to get it to
display the wrong printer in Print Setup. However, I did notice that
if I went into the Print Setup dialog twice when displaying a given
report it would flip from Default Printer being selected to Specific
Printer being selected. Despiet this, it would always have the
correct printer for that user/machine selected, but why should this
setting be changing *at all* even if it is still specifying the
correct printer for that user/machine??? It seems to me that it
should be set to default printer no matter what.

Anyone have any ideas on this? I am really confused how users could
be printing reports to a printer that is not even set up on their
machine.
~ endus ~~ at ~ endus ~ dot ~~ com ~

But what the hell. It is a good & healthy thing
to have a fine fat steak & a bottle of good Kentucky
bourbon & order cameras from Hong Kong & generally
feel rich. - Hunter S. Thompson
  #5  
Old May 26th, 2004, 03:42 AM
Steve Schapel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports

Endus,

You didn't respond yet to my earlier post. Where is the application
running from? Is the database configured as a frontend/backend split
system? If so, does each user have their own copy of the application?
Is the file in mdb or mde format?

--
Steve Schapel, Microsoft Access MVP


endus wrote:

Okay, still need suggestions on this.

The deal is this: The user I deal with is the only one in his area who
uses the DB. This is actualy happening with several Access 97
databases as well. The DB will be fine for awhile, then the
preferences in Print Setup for a given report will randomly flip to
his printer. This is happening for users who do not even have his
printer set up on their machine...so I have no idea how *that* works.
He will find copies of the report printed by users in another building
on his printer days after they were printed.

I tried to duplicate the issue multiple times with separate users on
different machines with different printers. I was unable to get it to
display the wrong printer in Print Setup. However, I did notice that
if I went into the Print Setup dialog twice when displaying a given
report it would flip from Default Printer being selected to Specific
Printer being selected. Despiet this, it would always have the
correct printer for that user/machine selected, but why should this
setting be changing *at all* even if it is still specifying the
correct printer for that user/machine??? It seems to me that it
should be set to default printer no matter what.

Anyone have any ideas on this? I am really confused how users could
be printing reports to a printer that is not even set up on their
machine.
~ endus ~~ at ~ endus ~ dot ~~ com ~

But what the hell. It is a good & healthy thing
to have a fine fat steak & a bottle of good Kentucky
bourbon & order cameras from Hong Kong & generally
feel rich. - Hunter S. Thompson

  #6  
Old May 26th, 2004, 03:03 PM
endus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports

On Wed, 26 May 2004 14:42:51 +1200, Steve Schapel
wrote:

Endus,

You didn't respond yet to my earlier post. Where is the application
running from? Is the database configured as a frontend/backend split
system? If so, does each user have their own copy of the application?
Is the file in mdb or mde format?


Sorry about that. This is just an MDB file that people are passing
around via shares on the network. Probably not the best way to do it,
but that's the situation. I suggested that it might be a good idea to
split it up, but this is happening with some smaller files that aren't
worth the effort as well as some larger files that might be.
~ endus ~~ at ~ endus ~ dot ~~ com ~

But what the hell. It is a good & healthy thing
to have a fine fat steak & a bottle of good Kentucky
bourbon & order cameras from Hong Kong & generally
feel rich. - Hunter S. Thompson
  #7  
Old May 26th, 2004, 07:06 PM
Steve Schapel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports


endus wrote:
split it up, but this is happening with some smaller files that aren't
worth the effort


The effort involved with this is very small. It is not a difficult job.
I am frankly as much in the dark as you regarding the specific causes
of the printer setup problem. But if you have multiple users of the
same application, with access to the design facilities, this kind of
thing is possible. Whereas if each user has their own copy of the
frontend application on their local machine, preferably as an MDE
format, I would expect the risks to be eliminated.

--
Steve Schapel, Microsoft Access MVP
  #8  
Old May 27th, 2004, 02:32 PM
endus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Problem with printing reports

On Thu, 27 May 2004 06:06:55 +1200, Steve Schapel
wrote:


endus wrote:
split it up, but this is happening with some smaller files that aren't
worth the effort


The effort involved with this is very small. It is not a difficult job.
I am frankly as much in the dark as you regarding the specific causes
of the printer setup problem. But if you have multiple users of the
same application, with access to the design facilities, this kind of
thing is possible. Whereas if each user has their own copy of the
frontend application on their local machine, preferably as an MDE
format, I would expect the risks to be eliminated.



Thanks for the suggestion. This sure is a wierd problem. I tend to
doubt that anyone is specifically changing the printer since they
wouldn't even know which to change it to, but you definitely might be
right that their ability to edit the DB is what allows it to get
changed. I will bring this up as a possible resolution.

Since I posted this I found two references online to a similar
problem. No one seemed to have any idea in either of these places
either, other than that it may be related to opening the DB with
different versions of Access which I don't think is the case in my
situation. For posterity, here are the links...


http://www.experts-exchange.com/Data..._20761664.html

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...30%26hl%3 Den


~ endus ~~ at ~ endus ~ dot ~~ com ~

But what the hell. It is a good & healthy thing
to have a fine fat steak & a bottle of good Kentucky
bourbon & order cameras from Hong Kong & generally
feel rich. - Hunter S. Thompson
 




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