21st December 2000
Here's a faster computer; are you going to turn it down? Most of us take steps to maximize system performance. I eliminated "pauses" by attaching my printer to a seldom-used (networked) computer; data spools without slowing down my main machine. If this isn't possible for you to do, consider asking Windows to print using the Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF). Normally, Windows has to do all the data crunching (hence, causing the computer to crawl). By going the EMF route, you're putting the power in the hands of your printer. While the peripheral may move slower through this process, your PC should be quickly freed to take care of other tasks. Open up the Printers applet (in your Control Panel). Right-click on your printer's icon and select its "Properties." Flip to the "Details" tab and press the "Spool Settings" button. You should see a drop-down list of options; select "EMF" for printer-intensive processing or "RAW" for computer-intensive processing.