KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q131744: Adobe Acrobat PDFWriter Shows as Network Printer

Article: Q131744
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): 95
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): win95 appscomp kbAppCompatibility
Last Modified: 28-JUL-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

After you install Adobe Acrobat, the Adobe Acrobat PDFWriter icon in the
Printers folder is unavailable. If you use the right mouse button to click this
icon, Work Offline is selected on the menu that appears.

CAUSE
=====

The Adobe Acrobat PDFWriter prints to a port named "Disk:." This is not a valid
name for a local port in Windows 95. If a port name is not listed in the [Ports]
section of the WIN.INI file, Windows 95 assumes the port is a network port.
Therefore, Windows 95 assumes the PDFWriter is a network printer. Because this
network port does not really exist, the printer is set to offline.

RESOLUTION
==========

Use any text editor (such as Notepad) to edit the WIN.INI file. Add the
following line to the [Ports] section of the file:

  DISK:=

After you add this line, save the WIN.INI file and close it, and then restart
Windows 95.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The PDFWriter is part of Adobe Acrobat 2.0. It is a utility to convert
PostScript files to a viewable format (Portable Document Format). This
conversion is for cosmetic purposes only; the functionality of the program is
not affected when this symptom occurs.

The third-party product discussed in this article is manufactured by a vendor
independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding
this product's performance or reliability.

======================================================================
Keywords          : win95 appscomp kbAppCompatibility 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3
Version           : 95

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.