My printer does not work

[SuperFuzz]

You were absolutely right. I went to word pad and IT PRINTED!!!
What now?

Well it's clear it's not a problem with your printer. It appears to be a problem with your email client. If you are using a web based email service, check printing options within the email service and be sure printing is enabled. If you are using a dedicated email client such as outlook, go into your tools menu and then options and look for printing settings and be sure your default printer is selected.

If you can leave me specific information on the email client or web based email service you are using, I'll try to get more specific information for you. Right now, I have to go to work. Unfortunately my creditors appreciate it when I go to work and pay my bills. I'll check back tomorrow and try to help some more if you haven't gotten it ironed out by then.

 

[Bobh]

Thanks you have been wonderful. I would have never gotten an answer if you hadn't been so patient. I am learning, though slowly. I'll let you know tomarrow. Bob

 

[SuperFuzz]

Thanks you have been wonderful. I would have never gotten an answer if you hadn't been so patient. I am learning, though slowly. I'll let you know tomarrow. Bob

Okay Bob, I've done a bunch of research on this issue since I got home from work this morning and I'm finding a boatload of hits around the web on forum posts all over, with people having the same problem. It doesn't appear to be specific to any brand of printer, but does appear to be specific to Outlook Express. There only appears to be one fix listed and it is specific to one error message when printing, which I don't think you are getting. In addition, it's a convoluted difficult fix that requires extensive altering of your registry, which is not something you want to mess with until you are MUCH more comfortable with computers.

I'm going to recommend you try using Mozilla Thunderbird instead of Outlook Express. It is an alternate free email client made by the same group that produces the Firefox web browser. You can download it here for free. When you install Thunderbird, it will automatically ask you during the installation if you want to import emails, addresses and settings from Outlook Express. You click yes and it will copy everything over with one click.

After you've installed Thunderbird, try printing the email you're having trouble with from Thunderbird and see if it works. If so, we definitely know it's a problem with Outlook Express and you have an easy fix in just using Thunderbird instead. If it doesn't, well then we need to dig some more.

 

[Bobh]

I apparently get my e-mail through Verizon. My e-mail address is: @verizon.net. Does this mean that Verizon is carring my e-mail? To review: my printer will not print my e-mail when I click on the icon which is on the e-mail. It will not print when I click on the print icon which is on the status bar on my home page. I don't mind switching to another mail if you still recommend that. Can I do it even though I am not on Outlook Express?
What kind of work do you do that you work at night?

 

[Bobh]

I started to install Mozilla which was going good until it wanted to know what my incoming and outgoing servers were. I don't know. Do you? Is it Verizon?

 

[Bobh]

I found out what servers are but how do I find out what mine are?

 

[SuperFuzz]

Okay, Verizon is your internet service and email provider, but they are the service carrier, not your email client program. Verizon provides the service but you have to have a program such as Outlook Express (the most common email client most people use prior to Vista since it comes with windows by default) to access that service and receive your emails.

My concern is that Mozilla usually automatically imports server settings from Outlook Express (OE) during the installation, and if it didn't and couldn't find them, that means OE probably isn't your email client. In fact if memory serves, I think they did away with OE in Vista and went to "Windows Mail" or something like that (I've used Thunderbird since I was using Windows XP and have never used Vista's email client so I'm not extremely versed there). It would really narrow things down if you could find out what your email client program was then I could give you more specific information.

I have never used Windows Mail, so if that is your client, it may be very different but try these instructions and see if they point you to the right area of the program.

To find your incoming and outgoing POP3/SMTP servers, open your email client and click on tools at the top of the email client window, then scroll down the list and you should see "accounts" or something similar. Click on that and you should see a window with your name, or your email address on the left hand side. There should be a "settings" button on the right or something like that, or you should also be able to double click on the name or email address in the pane. That should bring up a window listing your incoming and outgoing SMTP servers. (Something like mail.verizon.net would be my guess). Copy those over to Thunderbird, enter your password to access your email accounts and tell Thunderbird to save it, and you should be up and running.

I also did some digging for you and found an extended tutorial blog with a full walkthrough on setting up Thunderbird that may be helpful.

Once your done and have the servers set up and your email working, let me know and I'll help you export your emails from the old email client to Thunderbird if they didn't move over automatically as well.

 

[Bobh]

I started installing Mozilla and was going great until they wanted to know the name of my incoming and outgoing servers. I could not find anything about what the servers were. My friend said they were POP3 and SMPT but he did not know where to find their names. I don't know any thing to do. Bob

 

[Bobh]

I think I could switch to Yahoo mail and try to print e-mail from there. Would you recommend that? Bob

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

Your ISP web site will have a FAQ on e-mail setups.

 

[SuperFuzz]

I think I could switch to Yahoo mail and try to print e-mail from there. Would you recommend that? Bob

If you could figure out what email client you are using, I could tell you how to find that information, but without knowing what email client you're using, my hands are pretty tied. When you open your email there should be a program name at the top of the program window identifying which email client you are using. The only time there wouldn't be is if you are using a web based email client and check your email through your web browser.

If you aren't able to determine what program you use to access your email, then just proceed as suggested by ASCIraidGURU, and either check Verizon's website or contact their tech support by phone and they can give you that information and even help you set Thunderbird up with the correct server information.

As for using Yahoo, that is up to you. You are paying for email service through Verizon and will have much more storage as well as be able to accept larger attachments through their paid service than Yahoo's free service.

 

[Bobh]

OK I appreciate all the effort both of you have put out. I'm sure if I was smarter the problem would have been fixed. Let us give up. I will keep trying to get another e-mail service and if I ever get anything postive I will post the results. Maybe Verizon will fix the problem. I am going to call them. You certainly got farther than HP people did. Maybe Verizon will tell me who my e-mail client is and where my ISP web site is. Thanks again. You were very patient with a person who knows so little. Bob

 

[SuperFuzz]

OK I appreciate all the effort both of you have put out. I'm sure if I was smarter the problem would have been fixed. Let us give up. I will keep trying to get another e-mail service and if I ever get anything postive I will post the results. Maybe Verizon will fix the problem. I am going to call them. You certainly got farther than HP people did. Maybe Verizon will tell me who my e-mail client is and where my ISP web site is. Thanks again. You were very patient with a person who knows so little. Bob

Here is a link to Verizon Internet tech support page. You should be able to find contact information there to get assistance from them. Good luck!

Verizon | High Speed Internet - Top Questions

 

[Bobh]

I got on Verizon and they fixed the problem!!! They took control of my computer and worked so fast I could not follow him but what he did was put me in "windows mail". I asked about the Thunderbird but he said this was better. Some salesman!! Anyway you were right, just get out of the bad mail service and into another. They acted like they had done it before. One more lesson behind me!! Thanks again Bob

 

[SuperFuzz]

I got on Verizon and they fixed the problem!!! They took control of my computer and worked so fast I could not follow him but what he did was put me in "windows mail". I asked about the Thunderbird but he said this was better. Some salesman!! Anyway you were right, just get out of the bad mail service and into another. They acted like they had done it before. One more lesson behind me!! Thanks again Bob

Well, while I would disagree with him about windows mail being better than thunderbird (thunderbird has a calendar add on, windows mail does not), lets just run with the fact they got it working for you and you can print emails now!

Glad we got it resolved for you and happy computing! Take care.

 

[garysgold]

Hi SuperFuzz,

Just so you know, WMail does have a link to the calender.

Gary

 

[SuperFuzz]

Yeah, but it's not directly integrated like it is with Thunderbird and Lightning, or Outlook Express. That's my beef with it.

 

[garysgold]

Ahh. I have never used outlook express so didn't know. I use Outlook.

Gary

 

[SuperFuzz]

My error. I meant to say Outlook not Outlook Express. OE does not have an integrated calendar. It's worse than WM and doesn't even link to one! At least WM links to one. I prefer the direct integration of Outlook and Thunderbird/Lightning, so you get your appointment reminders when you open your email.

 

[garysgold]

Agreed. I tried thunderbird a while back, but didn't like it. I wouldn't import my contacts correctly, mostly the business accounts since most don't have first and last names, and there was no way I was going to re-enter them all by hand. When I imported them into Outlook, I had to fix 3 of them.

Gary