It may happen that you encounter a printing problem with Word. This is confirmed when you receive error messages from the software with each of your print jobs. Sometimes, the files you print display multiple meaningless symbols instead of text. These are, among other things, signs that alert you that the software is malfunctioning. To address this, it is necessary for you to troubleshoot. What are the causes of a printing failure? What are the different steps to follow to identify the cause of this failure? Answers can be found in this article.
What are the probable causes of a printing failure?
To attempt a solution, it is necessary to know the probable causes of the printing failure. Most of the time, these fall into several categories.
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First, it may be a corrupted content or a corrupted file that is blocking the printing of the document. The issue could also lie within the Word program or the Windows operating system. Even if you know how to scan a document or how to print using a printer, the latter can still pose a blockage to printing your doc.
In any case, knowing the cause of the failure will allow you to find the appropriate solution. However, it is not advisable to make assumptions about the source of your problem. Instead, you should establish a diagnosis and follow a few steps to uncover the real origin of the issue. Let’s discover the various troubleshooting procedures and measures that need to be taken in the rest of the article.
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How to identify the problem preventing Word from printing?
The steps to follow are as follows:
Step 1: Try printing other documents
In Word, printing errors can stem from the corruption of certain documents, fonts, or graphic content. Thus, before reinstalling the software or drivers, you can try printing other documents.
For Word 2007 to 2019, proceed as follows:
- Open a new document in the Word software;
- Type =rand(10) on the first line of your document and click Enter;
- Attempt a print.
If the document prints, make a change to the font or insert a drawing object, a clipart image, or a table. Then, try printing again.
By conducting this test, you can evaluate the printing capability of your software. You may discover graphics that cannot be printed. Furthermore, if you do not receive any error messages, it is highly likely that your file is corrupted. Therefore, try the following procedure.
Step 2: Print from other programs
Printing problems can be of two types: those that only affect Word and those that affect other or almost all Windows programs. So, to check whether the problem is widespread in your system, you can follow this procedure.
Test in WordPad
To start, print a plain text file.
First, go to WordPad. Access varies depending on the operating system you have.
With Windows 8:
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard;
- Type WordPad in the search bar;
- Click on WordPad.
With Windows 7, navigate to:
- All Programs
- Accessories;
- Select WordPad.
Once in the WordPad document, type any text. Go to the File menu and select the Print command. Confirm to print your document.
In WordPad, you can also try printing specific images or fonts. However, if you still have difficulty printing the file from this software, consider other options. For example, you can test the printing functions of other Office programs or your web browser.
If that fails, try printing directly using the printer. When all these attempts are in vain, know that the problem lies either with the printer driver or with the hardware. It could also be a failure of your operating system or a problem related to Internet connectivity.
At this point, you can continue the checks to determine the root of the problem. You can:
- Try printing the file with other printer drivers;
- Review the Word program;
Or, navigate through Windows and restart it.