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Q114558: Err Msg: Could Not Set the Device Mode for this Printer

Article: Q114558
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.1 3.5 3.51
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbprint kbPrinting
Last Modified: 07-SEP-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.1 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.1 
- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 
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SYMPTOMS
========

The following error message appears when you create or configure a printer in
Windows NT Print Manager:

  Could not set the device mode for this printer: The system cannot find the
  file specified.

CAUSE
=====

This error message can result from entries in the Windows NT Registry that list
printer driver files that no longer exist on disk.


WORKAROUND
==========

Work around this problem by doing one of the following:

- Expand or copy the correct driver files back to their proper directory.

  -or-

- Manually edit the Registry, and remove each driver subkey that references
  driver files that are no longer present.

Note that there is a Registry subkey for each printer defined in Print Manager,
and these subkeys reference the driver subkeys, so if you choose the second
workaround, also remove each printer subkey that references a driver subkey that
you deleted. These printer subkeys are in the Registry location:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments
  \WindowsNTx86\Drivers\version-1.

For more information on manually editing the Registry to remove printer drivers,
query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Windows NT and Manually and Remove and Printer and Driver

Additional query words: prodnt
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Keywords          : kbprint kbPrinting 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTW310 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS310 kbWinNTAdvSerSearch kbWinNTAdvServ310 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search kbWinNTS310search kbWinNT310Search kbWinNTW310Search
Version           : 3.1 3.5 3.51

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