printer prob ?

[suenbob2]

hi i'm haveing problem with my printer an can't figure it out when i first got it i could right click a certain picture or paragragh an just print that certain area highlighted after reformatting h-drive i cant do this any more i reinstalled just the way i did before no luck i checked all possible settings an no luck any advise would be greatful
running XP
printer is epson 880updates are current
Bob

[GaryRouth]

The right-click Print options probably come from either your printer driver install or the explorer menus. It's a pain to edit the Right-click Registry menus, you might be able to get a quick fix by: uninstalling/reinstalling the printer driver, then running either an IE repair or download & install a recent IE Service Pack.

With broadband, these are quick fixes: with dialup - you can try your CDs first.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[suenbob2]

i think for sure i have changed since i had the option. i have tried to uninstall reinstall trick about 7 x an i'm up to date on drives. i'n downloading again from epson to give it a try

[GaryRouth]

If the latest download from epson doesn't help, what the heck, give the IE repair/update angle a try. Can't hurt anything. . . . What led you to reinstall XP?

If nothing else helps, I'll see if I can find the Registry keys/values that take care of right click print options, and you can try a manual edit.
. . . Gary

[suenbob2]

ok the latest update didnt fix which i new wouldnt i already had that update but tried anyway. i got this printer in 2001 an had ME an since then have gone thru 2000 pro to home XP.not sure on what IE i was running back then but know its IE6
Thanks, Bob

[GaryRouth]

Which update(s) did you try? (the Epson driver only, the IE Repair[or Service Pack] only, or both?)

It might take me a while to find the Registry values, since I don't have an XP machine handy this week [have to use the net and books!]

If you've got lots of time and plenty of hard-drive space to spare, you can try a rather odd troubleshooting method: create a new user, which will grab Registry settings from the Default file, and see if the "Print" options are OK there. Should that work, you could probably move things over to that new user and delete the old. That's an awful lot of work just to fix a right-click menu, though. There's probably a lot simpler way

And if any other techs out there know it - jump right in!

. . . Gary

[suenbob2]

i downloaded the latest epson driver but didnt fix. it doesnt work on any off the settings it hasnt worked since i reformatted using ME i also have a notebook and it doesnt work on that either so not sure but with both computers i'd have to say it must be in printer somewhere.
notebook is running XP as well its an insirion 5100.
Thanks, Bob

[GaryRouth]

Just to make sure I've got it right: the menu worked at first in WinMe, then you reformatted using WinMe?, and the menus didn't work, then you reformatted with WinXP? and the menus didn't work there either? Were they clean installs, or upgrades?

Just to play Devil's Advocate, try the creating a new User angle just to see what happens. I seem to remember that the settings in the Default file are fairly static. [I also haven't seen a Registry item for that particular command. I've seen Copy-to, Move-to, & such hacks, but not Print yet . . . got to be out there somewhere]

Does Epson offer any older drivers at it's site? Maybe an earlier version (rather than the latest) might pop the menu back
. . . curious!
. . . Gary

[suenbob2]

no luck i will try an get an old driver for it i didnt think of that but that does make sence.
Bob

[GaryRouth]

. . . Too bad I don't have an XP box around to check things with, I'm running out of ideas. . . Seems like we've covered the driver angle a bit (to find an older version you might have to go to driversguide.com, since when I looked at epson.com, they only had the most recent). If the older driver doesn't do it - I think you mentioned you tried re-installing the IE service pack. . . . If your upgrade path used upgrades each time, from WinME to Win2k to WinXP, and the menus haven't worked since WinME, it might be a feature only available in WinME. . . You could try an email to Epson support just to see: because I ddn't find anything in their FAQs pages about menus.

I haven't had the luck to try the XP TweakUI, so I don't know how many things it can change - but you could try it out. The Win9x versions had lots of interface options to add or subtract, maybe the XP version might have something for your missing Print menu. O'reilly has a informational blurb and the download link for the XP version http://hacks.oreilly.com/pub/h/598

. . . and for the elusive manual Registry hack, it seems to be evading my discovery!
. . . Gary