Print multiple documents

[yippiekyyay]

Hello all,

I know that pre XP I could select several files from Windows Explorer - right click - select "Print", and it would print out all the documents.

I can't seem to do this anymore. I get a warning screen (something like "you are about to print 24 documents. Are you sure?&quot but after I click "yes" or "ok", nothing happens (the print queue is empty). It does work for 1 at a time though!

I read something somewhere else about the ability to open multiple files. The solution was to click and drag the files onto a shortcut. This did not work for a printer shortcut though (but again, it will for 1 file).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

-Sean

 

[bcastner]

1) Open your Start button, Printers and Faxes folder.

2) Drag your printer icon to the desktop

3) Open your folder of files

4) Select

5) Drag them to the desktop icon.

 

[yippiekyyay]

Thanks for answering bcastner!

I maybe wasn't clear, but I have tried that (it's what I mentioned at the end of my post). As I said, it does work for one file. In fact - using that method for opening files only works if you select less than 5 or 6.

Any other ideas?

Cheers,
-Sean

 

[bcastner]

I suspect you are out of luck trying to do it from Explorer.

Particularly if the file association is to a true Windows application like WORD. It is only going to launch one instance, and explorer is only going to pass one associated file.

Just a guess. I know there are vba scripts to do this from within Word or other Office Applications, but from Explorer I suspect a problem.

 

[Jontmke]

The QuickView pro application can do this. Nice program to have too. It will "view" practically any file ever made.

Jon

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)

 

[gpalmer711]

Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Printers and Faxes.
Right Click on your printer and select properties.
Click on the Advanced tab.
Make sure that "Spool Print Documents so program finishes printing faster" is selected and the sub setting of "Start Prining Immediatly" is also selected.

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[linney]

The only other thing left to suggest is that you make sure your print driver is the latest available for XP and not just using the one which came installed with XP.

 

[kraigar]

I too am having this problem with the Office xp Windows XP combination. It seems happen when trying to open multiple documents, not just print. This leads me to feel that the print driver is not the issue. I think it's something with Office XP. I cannot open two or more documents using the right click ->open function, although I can print them by dragging them onto the printer.

 

[yippiekyyay]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

I am suspecting the same thing as kraigar - I am limited to a few documents if I use the same method he/she decribed - but after 6 or 7, it starts to have problems.

I'll repost if I discover anything more!

-Sean

 

[sbergne]

What you are trying to do works with Office 2003 and XP. I selected 24 documents in explorer, right clicked and clicked print, go tthe warning and clicked OK. One instanced of Word opened and all documents were opened, queued and printed sequentially. Might be an XP office issue as stated earlier.

Steve

 

[yippiekyyay]

Thanks for testing and letting us know Steve!

Cheers,
-Sean

 

[MBWD]

As far as I can tell, this problem remains unresolved.

Does anyone have a solution (gpalmer711 (IS/IT--Manageme)'s does not work). Thanks!

 

[smah]

I just printed a bunch of Word documents on XP pro with Office XP. The only error that I got was because I forgot to turn the printer on. Once I did that, everything printed fine.

 

[gpalmer711]

It could of course be a resource error, i.e. you do not have a computer man enough to open that many documents.

Also if you have used a tweak program such as TweakUI there is an option that stops programs taking focus, I have just turned this option on and tried opening lots of docs but it would not let me do it. Changing this option back allows me to open the 50 I tried.

One final option would be to turn off the feature in word that starts a new instance of word for each document. Take a look at

http://office.microsoft.com/assista...ID=HA010349091033&CTT=6&Origin=EC010553071033

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[MBWD]

I just want to clarify that this problem is system-wide, not limited to MS Office. Regardless of the file type, if I attempt to open (or print) multiple documents by selecting them in the Windows Explorer and then right-clicking to pull up the contextual menu, it will not work.

I know that this problem does not occur on all XP machines, so I figure that I must have somehow changed a preference. I wonder if anyone know what that preference might be? Thanks. - M.

 

[gpalmer711]

MBWD, What happens when you try and print a large number of documents?

Will it print so many and then stop?
Does anything appear in the print que?
If you open the event viewer can you see any errors in the Application or System sections?

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[MBWD]

Basically, it won't let me. Once I select multiple documents (from 2 to infinity), right-click, and select "Open" or "Print" from the contextual menu that appears, nothing happens at all. The selection in the menu flashes for a second, and then the program neither prints nor opens.

Because this problem occurs when both Opening multiple files and/or attempting to Print them, I am guessing that its not a problem with the print spooler etc. (though I did try to change that according to the instructions on a previous post).

Thanks for the inquiry. Keep 'em coming. - M.

 

[bigfatty]

Fresh install XP on laptop

With any file pdf, docs, txt, dwg etc.

Once I select multiple documents right-click, and select "Open" or "Print" from the contextual menu. Nothing happens at all. Just a little thinking

But my desktop works fine
I can open multiple and print multiple

Has all recommended hotfixs
and works fine not sure what the fix is

Any out there no the fix

 

[Fairlane64]

MBWD -
Don't feel like you are alone with that problem, we have 4 computers here with fresh intalls of WinXP and Office 2003 that have exactly the same problem you are having. You can highlight multiple files in Windows Explorer, right click on them and say Open or Print, and nothing happens except for a quick flash of the busy icon on the mouse pointer (though highlighting them and pressing "Enter" will cause multiple documents to open). This problem applies to Autocad, Adobe, Mp3's, you name it, not just office documents. I wonder if it has something to do with a windows hotfix or registry entry that needs to be edited. So far, nobody I know has been able to fix this problem.
I've spent several hours trying to fix it including searchs on the net, selective startups, safemode, etc, etc trying to isolate what is causing this to happen. The crazy thing is we have computers here with WinXP, Office 2003, and all the hotfixes and recommended updates installed that DON'T have that problem!
I hope somebody here comes up with a solution, I'm about at my wits end trying to find a fix.

Regards,
J

 

[david817]

I gets even more confusing. We have 1 machine that if the secretary logs on she can't print multiple copies but if one of our thechies does he can. I deleted her profile thinking it was something to do with that but the same problem arose.It is not permissions cause I have logged onto the machine as domain admin and I still can't print multiple copies. Any other ideas welcome.
David