Printing to screen and PDF file causes default printer to change to Acrobat PDF Writer

A user recently reported a strange Microsoft Dynamics GP behavior when trying to print any report in to file in PDF format, while simultaneously sending the report to screen.

The PDF gets created and the report appears on the screen as it would be expected. However, when she attempts to print the report from the screen to printer, the only printer available is Adobe PDF Writer. While having the report on screen, the user checked the default printer, which remained unchanged, nonetheless the report on screen would only print to Adobe PDF Writer, bypassing the default printer.

I suspect what is happening in this case is, when the report is directed to screen and a PDF file simultaneously, the Runtime Engine changes the default printer to the Adobe PDF Writer (Adobe Distiller in some cases) printer in order to write the file in PDF format - after all, Microsoft Dynamics GP does not save files in native PDF format like say, Word or Excel. At the end of writing the file, but before outputing the report to screen, the default printer is not being re-established.

Given the number of printer related posts on the forums lately and the responses by Microsoft staff, it seems this has been identified (along with a few more issues) as part of a list of upcoming fixes - but just in case, I am writing about it today.

Until next post!

MG.-
Mariano Gomez, MVP
IntellPartners, LLC
http://www.IntellPartners.com/

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