Re: Can't print: "Before you can perform print-related tasks such as page setup or printing a document,

[Larry_...@adobeforums.com]

I had the same problem. It turns out that my default printer doesn't exist on the network I happened to be on. Changing the default printer to one that does exist on that network solved the problem.

None of the other applications I have is as finicky regarding this issue. None of them care what the default printer is as long as I select a legitimate one in the print dialog box. Acrobat won't even let me get to the dialog box unless I make the change described above.

[john_...@adobeforums.com]

I received the message after uninstalling a Bluebeam PDF printer, used by an old application, from my printer list. After finding this forum thread I reinstalled my default HP laser jet printer and all was good... Until I set another printer to default and I received the message again. I reinstalled that other printer also and all is well again...

[pri...@adobeforums.com]

I was having the same problem. I did have several windows / tabs open in IE as well as a couple of other programs open. After closing some windows, printing worked with no problem. I am guessing that Acrobat didn't have enough memory. Print setup showed the printer. Only Print wouldn't work. Windows Vista SP1.

[ajus...@adobeforums.com]

BEFORE YOU CAN PERFORM PRINT-RELATED TASK SUCH AS PAGE DETUP OR PRINTING A DOCUMENT, YOU NEED TO INSTALL A PRINTER

this is my complaint

[Mark_D...@adobeforums.com]

Same problem. This has apparently solved it for me: I made another printer the default (in this case, Adobe PDF) and then the regular Print dialog box came up in Acrobat, from which I was able to select my printer with no problem.

Now I have reselected my printer as the default and everything seems to be OK.

This is with Acrobat 6.0 and XP SP3.

Mark

[Kevin...@adobeforums.com]

Changing/adding a default printer also fixed the "Before you can perform print-related tasks" problem for me, too. (Interestingly, an Acrobat update de-selected my default printer to begin with. Possible that Acrobat throws this error if no default printer isn't selected?)

[adele...@adobeforums.com]

I did not find any of the above solutions worked
I deleted and recreated the printer and it was able to print.

[Christy...@adobeforums.com]

I have a problem similar to those posted here, with one difference. With my printers newly installed, regardless of which one is selected as the default, when I try to print from Adobe Reader I receive the error message we're talking about : "Before you can perform a print related task...."

Here's the fun part.

If I click OK on the message, ALL MY PRINTERS GET DELETED and, I get the windows message that "Spooler subsystem app has encountered a problem and needs to close"! If instead of clicking OK I switch to Task Manager and end Adobe, I'm fine and can print from other programs.

I can "reset" the problem by deleting the files in C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers and C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Drivers\w32x86, restarting the machine, and deleting then reinstalling the printers (which show up again after the restart).

BUT, if I try to print from Adobe Reader again, I get the same cycle of problems.

I am running Windows Vista and Adobe Reader 8.1

[Christy...@adobeforums.com]

Here's how I "fixed" the problem:

I uninstalled Adobe 8.1, uninstalled/deleted all the printers, then deleted the files in the two directories mentioned above.

Restarted the computer.

Then, I did a clean install of the most updated printer driver from the manufacturer website.

Finally I installed Adobe 7.0 because I noticed that my other Vista machine was running 7.0.

After taking these steps I am able to print .pdf files

[Rosco_...@adobeforums.com]

Select>Select all>Edit Copy
File>New (just click OK and it will make same size document)
Edit>Paste

This will create a new file that will print without the error message.
If you have many layers in the file you can:
Shift>Ctrl>Alt>E
All the above keys hold down at once, ant it will create a new top layer that you can go through the same steps listed at start of this post.
This fixed my problem thanks to Dave at Adobe support.

[Tania_Pe...@adobeforums.com]

Every time there is an Adobe update it deletes my printer and I keep having to reinstall it. This is highly irritating. What does Adobe have against printers? For those with issues already posted here, did you have an HP printer or is this problem common to all printers? In this day and age interoperability should be the goal, this is ridiculous.

[Julian...@adobeforums.com]

I think there may a double-bug. With Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (the now publicly accessible RTM escrow version that is expected to be released shortly), Adobe Reader 9.1 breaks the Windows printing subsystem especially when there is an on-the-fly form change in a .PDF document. It looks like Reader is generating a corrupted print file that blows up the Windows print spooler. Adobe Reader should not do this but perhaps more seriously Windows should be smart enough to avoid what looks like a memory overflow that certainly could portend a security vulnerability.

There appears to be no solution other than the very temporary one (i.e., until the next time an Adobe Reader-generated print job requests a form change) where a Windows administrator accesses the C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers folder, deletes the contents and restarts the Windows print spooler service.

[wak...@gmail.com]

Check your firewall!
i don't know why but my block acrobat.

[dinesh....@gmail.com]

[there...@gmail.com]

On Friday, March 13, 2009 1:31:45 PM UTC-7, Kevin...@adobeforums.com wrote:
> Changing/adding a default printer also fixed the "Before you can perform print-related tasks" problem for me, too. (Interestingly, an Acrobat update de-selected my default printer to begin with. Possible that Acrobat throws this error if no default printer isn't selected?)

Perfect!! You are a genius :) Thanks.

[mithiles...@gmail.com]

[lesfl...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 3:24:10 PM UTC+10, ajus...@adobeforums.com wrote:
> BEFORE YOU CAN PERFORM PRINT-RELATED TASK SUCH AS PAGE DETUP OR PRINTING A DOCUMENT, YOU NEED TO INSTALL A PRINTER
>
> this is my complaint

Had the same error message on windows 10/64. It turns out that the Print Spooler service was set to Manual. Go to Services and check if Print Spooler service is set to Automatic and if it is running.
It worked for me.

[gnlp...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 8:58:21 AM UTC+5:30, Larry_...@adobeforums.com wrote:
> I had the same problem. It turns out that my default printer doesn't exist on the network I happened to be on. Changing the default printer to one that does exist on that network solved the problem.
>
> None of the other applications I have is as finicky regarding this issue. None of them care what the default printer is as long as I select a legitimate one in the print dialog box. Acrobat won't even let me get to the dialog box unless I make the change described above.

YOUR PRINT SPOOLER MAYNOT BE RUNNING , TRY TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR PRINTER IN DEVICES AND PRINTERS