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Q148891: PRB: Printer Setup Not Remembered When Using Visual C++ 4.x App

Article: Q148891
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 4.0,4.1,4.2,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbprint kbMFC kbPrinting kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbOSWinNT400sp4fix kbGrpDSMFCATL
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), used with:
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 4.0, 4.1 
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, versions 4.2, 5.0, 6.0 
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, versions 4.2, 5.0, 6.0 
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition, version 6.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

As you run an MFC application that was created with Visual C++ 4.0 and greater
on Windows NT 3.51, the printer setup is not remembered. This behavior occurs
only with Windows NT 3.51, not with Windows 95.

CAUSE
=====

When an application displays the Print dialog box, displays the Print Setup
dialog box, or goes into Print Preview, MFC calls the function
CWinApp::UpdatePrinterSelection(). MFC checks for the following conditions if
the default printer is being used:

- Default printer no longer has a printer.

- Default printer has changed.

- Default printer has not changed.

Depending on the results of these tests, MFC sets up the Device Names and the
Device Mode variables in the PRINTDLG structure (m_pd) of the CPrintDialog
object.

In evaulating whether the default printer has changed, MFC checks to see if the
Driver Name, Device Name, and Port Name has changed by comparing these
parameters against the defaults obtained from using PD_RETURNDEFAULT. In Windows
NT 3.51, ::PrintDlg() is not obtaining the same Port Name when using
PD_RETURNDEFAULT as it does when it obtains the Port Name from displaying the
print dialog. Therefore, the overall "IF" check succeeds making MFC think that
the default printer has changed. This forces the Print dialog box to repopulate
itself with the original default values.

This was not a problem in earlier 32-bit versions of MFC because there the port
name was not checked.

STATUS
======


Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in Windows NT version 3.51. This problem
has been corrected in Windows NT Service Pack 4. For information on how to
obtain it, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q128465 How To Obtain Windows NT Version 3.51 U.S. Service Pack

There is no programmatic workaround in MFC. The user should select the printer
properties button from the print dialog in order to set the paper orientation or
any other settings.

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

Sample Code
-----------

To recreate this problem, create an AppWizard-generated application, run it, and
choose Print Setup from the File menu. Change the page orientation to landscape,
and click OK. Bring up the Print Setup dialog box again, and notice that the
orientation has been set back to portrait.

Additional query words: 4.00 4.10

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Keywords          : kbenv kbprint kbMFC kbPrinting kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbOSWinNT400sp4fix kbGrpDSMFCATL 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbMFC
Version           : :4.0,4.1,4.2,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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