It happens to everybody: you choose FileûPrint, click a few buttons, and wait an eternity before realising you have a printing problem. Here are a few general guidelines to help you solve this common problem.

Print from another program. If a Windows application won't print, try printing from another. If only one program won't print, consult its documentation, reinstall the application, or contact the manufacturer.

Print from DOS. If you can't print from any Windows program, exit Windows; then, at the DOS prompt, type dir > lpt1 (or the name of your printer port). If you're working with a laser printer, you may need to add a step to eject the paper from the printer ù type echo followed by a space, and press <Ctrl>-L. (The keystroke combination looks like ^L on screen, but it's not the same as typing a caret and a capital L.) Type another space and then > lpt1 (again, your printer port may differ). Press <Enter>. If this test doesn't produce a printed directory listing, the problem is not a Windows problem per se. Check all power cables and the cable connecting your PC to your printer. If they're all in working order, the problem may be a faulty port. Connect to another printer port, and repeat this test.

Don't print directly to port. If you find that you can print from the DOS prompt but not from Windows, restart Windows and launch Control Panel. Double-click the Printers icon and then click Connect. Uncheck Fast Printing Direct to Port. This option normally speeds up printing by sending data directly to the printer port without routing it through the normal DOS interrupts. Thus, unchecking this option can slow down printing ù but it may solve your printing problem.

Caption: Printing problems got you down? Try unchecking Fast Printing Direct to Port

Hire another driver. If the preceding guidelines don't help, reinstall your printer driver or replace it with an updated version from the manufacturer. One way to test whether a driver is at fault is to try to make the printer work with another driver. The Epson drivers that come with Windows are compatible with most dot matrix printers, and the HP LaserJet driver (included with Windows, too) works with most non-PostScript laser printers. If using a different driver solves the problem, give your printer manufacturer a call or look for an updated driver on the Web.