Hello,

We are using Lebans ReportToPDF module and are having conflicts with a
printer driver. It seems that if we switch the default printer to any other
printer it works fine.

My question is: Is there a way to change the Windows Default printer setting
in VBA, then set it back after?

I tried setting the Application.Printer, etc., but the conflict still exists
because this only changes the printer for Access and not for Windows.

Thanks for any help!
Albert S.

On 01/06/2010 00:22:36, "Albert" wrote:
This may help. Uses a freebee PDF995 printer, but as far as I remember that
can be programmed

Option Compare Database 'Use database order for string comparisons
Option Explicit

' Code from:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' (c) 1998 Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' All rights reserved.

' You may only use this code as part of an application
' that requires its use. You must including this
' notice intact. You may not distribute the code
' as your own work, nor can you distribute the
' code on its own.

Function ahtGetDefaultPrinter(dr As aht_tagDeviceRec) As Boolean

' Retrieve the default printer information. Though
' the function dutifully returns True if the
' values were available, and False otherwise, Windows
' really isn't happy without a default printer, and
' this situation rarely comes up.

' In:
' dr: a aht_tagDeviceRec structure to fill in
' Out:
' Return Value: True if info available, False otherwise.
' dr: filled in with default printer information,
' if it was available (check the function's return
' value).
'
' Comments:
' Requires the ahtGetToken() function from basGetToken
' Requires the ahtGetINIString() function from basINIFile
' Requires type definitions from basPrintTypes

Dim strBuffer As String

strBuffer = ahtGetINIString("Windows", "Device")
If Len(strBuffer) > 0 Then
With dr
.drDeviceName = ahtGetToken(strBuffer, ",", 1)
.drDriverName = ahtGetToken(strBuffer, ",", 2)
.drPort = ahtGetToken(strBuffer, ",", 3)
End With
ahtGetDefaultPrinter = True
Else
ahtGetDefaultPrinter = False
End If
End Function

Function ahtSetDefaultPrinter(dr As aht_tagDeviceRec) As Boolean

' Set the default printer device in Win.INI

' In:
' dr: a aht_tagDeviceRec structure to use as
' the source of information.
' Out:
' Return Value: True if set correctly, False otherwise.
' If successful, writes a string in the form:
' device=HP LaserJet 4,HPPCL5E,LPT1:
' to your Win.INI file.
'
' Comments:
' ' Requires the aht_apiWriteProfileString() declaration from basINIFile
' Requires type definitions from basPrintTypes

Dim strBuffer As String

' Build up the appropriate string.
strBuffer = dr.drDeviceName & ","
strBuffer = strBuffer & dr.drDriverName & ","
strBuffer = strBuffer & dr.drPort

' Now write that string out to WIN.INI.
ahtSetDefaultPrinter = (aht_apiWriteProfileString("Windows", _
"Device", strBuffer) <> 0)
End Function

Function TestDefaultPrinter()

' Test the ahtDefaultPrinter() function.
' Fill in a DeviceRec structure with
' the pieces of the default printer info,
' and then print them out.

Dim dr As aht_tagDeviceRec

If ahtGetDefaultPrinter(dr) Then
Debug.Print "Device: "; dr.drDeviceName
Debug.Print "Driver: "; dr.drDriverName
Debug.Print "Port : "; dr.drPort
End If
End Function

And This

Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'Read INI settings
Declare Function GetPrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias _
"GetPrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, _
ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpDefault As String, _
ByVal lpReturnedString As String, ByVal nSize As Long, _
ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long

'Write settings
Declare Function WritePrivateProfileString Lib "kernel32" Alias _
"WritePrivateProfileStringA" (ByVal lpApplicationName As String, _
ByVal lpKeyName As Any, ByVal lpString As Any, _
ByVal lpFileName As String) As Long

Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)

' These functions used with procedures from
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
'(c) 1998 Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' All rights reserved.

' Other modules from this source are:
' basDefaultPrinter
' basGetPrinters
' basIniFile
' basPrintTypes
' basToken

' You'll also need defaultprt.zip

Private drexisting As aht_tagDeviceRec
'Const AcrobatName = "Acrobat PDFWriter"
'Const AcrobatDriver = "PDFWRITR"
'Const AcrobatPort = "LPT1:"

Const AcrobatName = "PDF995"
Const AcrobatDriver = "PDF995"
Const AcrobatPort = "NE01:"

Sub ResetDefaultPrinter()

Call ahtSetDefaultPrinter(drexisting)

End Sub

Function ChangeToAcrobat()
If ahtGetDefaultPrinter(drexisting) Then
Dim dr As aht_tagDeviceRec
With dr
.drDeviceName = AcrobatName
.drDriverName = AcrobatDriver
.drPort = AcrobatPort
End With
Call ahtSetDefaultPrinter(dr)
End If

End Function

Sub ChangePdfFileName(NewFileName As String)

Call Call aht_apiWriteProfileString("Acrobat PDFWriter", "PDFFileName",
NewFileName)

End Sub

Function PDFWrite(ReportName As String, PDFPath As String, ToKill As Boolean,
_ Optional RptCaption As String, Optional StrCriteria As String) As String
'?pdfwrite("RptWaitingList", "C:\Documents and Settings\Phil\My
Documents\Access\MDB\WFYC\PDFS", true)

' Runs an Access report to PDF995 to create a pdf file from the report.
' Input parameters are the name of the report within the current database,
' the path for the output file, and an optional criteria for the report

' Be sure to check that the "Generating PDF CS" setting in pdfsync.ini is set
to 0 ' when pdf995 is idle. This codes uses that as a completion flag as it
seems to be ' the most reliable indication that PDF995 is done writing the
pdf file.


' Note: The application.printer object is not valid in Access 2000
' and earlier. In that case, set the printer in the report to pdf995
' and comment out the references herein to the application.printer

Dim SyncFile As String, MaxWaittime As Long
Dim IniFileName As String ', tmpPrinter As Printer
Dim OutputFile As String, CaptionFile As String
Dim X As Long
Dim TmpOutputFile As String, TmpAutoLaunch As String

' set the location of the PDF995.ini and the pdfsync files
IniFileName = "c:\pdf995\res\pdf995.ini"
SyncFile File = "c:\documents and settings\all users\application
data\pdf995\res\pdfsync.ini"

' build the output file name from the path parameter and the report name
If Mid(PDFPath, Len(PDFPath), 1) <> "\" Then PDFPath = PDFPath & "\"
OutputFile = PDFPath & ReportName & ".pdf"

If RptCaption = "" Then
RptCaption = ReportName
End If
CaptionFile File = PDFPath & RptCaption & ".pdf" ' This appears to be the
name that is saved

' ' PDF995 operates asynchronously. We need to determine when it is done so
we can ' continue. This is done by creating a file and having PDF995 delete
it using the ' ProcessPDF parameter in its ini file which runs a command when
it is complete.

' save current settings from the PDF995.ini file
TmpOutputFile = ReadINIfile("PARAMETERS", "Output File", IniFileName)
TmpAutoLaunch = ReadINIfile("PARAMETERS", "Autolaunch", IniFileName)

' remove previous pdf if it exists
On Error Resume Next

If ToKill = True Then 'if you need a new file
If Dir(CaptionFile) <> "" Then ' and can find it
Kill CaptionFile ' delete it
End If
End If

On Error GoTo CleanUp

' setup new values in PDF995.ini
X X = WritePrivateProfileString("PARAMETERS", "Output File", OutputFile,
IniFileName) X = WritePrivateProfileString("PARAMETERS", "AutoLaunch", "0",
IniFileName)

' change the default printer to PDF995
' if running on Access 2000 or earlier, comment out the next two lines
'Set tmpPrinter = Application.Printer
'Application.Printer = Application.Printers("PDF995")

Call ChangeToAcrobat ' Set default printer to PDF995

'print the report
DoCmd.OpenReport ReportName, acViewNormal, , StrCriteria

Call ResetDefaultPrinter ' Reset default printer

' cleanup delay to allow PDF995 to finish up. When flagfile is nolonger
present, PDF995 is done. Sleep (1000)
MaxWaittime = 30000 'If pdf995 isn't done in 5 min, quit anyway
Do Do While ReadINIfile("PARAMETERS", "Generating PDF CS", SyncFile) = "1"
And MaxWaittime > 0 Sleep (1000)
MaxWaittime = MaxWaittime - 1000
Loop

' restore the original default printer and the PDF995.ini settings
CleanUp:
Sleep (1000)
X X = WritePrivateProfileString("PARAMETERS", "Output File", TmpOutputFile,
IniFileName) X = WritePrivateProfileString("PARAMETERS", "AutoLaunch",
TmpAutoLaunch, IniFileName) X = WritePrivateProfileString("PARAMETERS",
"Launch", "", IniFileName) 'On Error Resume Next

' if running on Access 2000 or earlier, comment out the next line
'Application.Printer = tmpPrinter
PDFWrite = CaptionFile ' Name of saved file

End Function

Function ReadINIfile(sSection As String, sEntry As String, sFilename As
String) As String

Dim X As Long
Dim sDefault As String
Dim sRetBuf As String, iLenBuf As Integer
Dim sValue As String

'Six arguments
'Explanation of arguments:
'sSection: ini file section (always between brackets)
'sEntry : word on left side of "=" sign
'sDefault$: value returned if function is unsuccessful
'sRetBuf$ : the value you're looking for will be copied to this buffer string
'iLenBuf% : Length in characters of the buffer string
'sFileName: Path to the ini file

sDefault$ = ""
sRetBuf$ = String$(256, 0) '256 null characters
iLenBuf% = Len(sRetBuf$)
X = GetPrivateProfileString(sSection, sEntry, _
sDefault$, sRetBuf$, iLenBuf%, sFilename)
ReadINIfile = Left$(sRetBuf$, X)

End Function

Hello,

Thanks for the information. We are pretty happy with the Lebans function and
it may turn out that the one you recommended will also cause an error.

What I really want to do is just switch the default printer and then switch
it back. Also, it may not be the pdf output, but the sending by mail to
Outlook.

I am going to try to stop the code execution before it outputs the email
message and see if that helps.

I will post back if any success.

Albert S.
"Phil" <phil (AT) stantonfamily (DOT) co.uk> wrote