Solved Reinstall Microsoft Print to PDF?


brucemc777

Active member
Local time
7:14 AM
Posts
64
OS
Windows 11 for Workstations with 6 or more cores
Thank you for considering my panic!

I regularly use MS Print to PDF, it gives me a much more suitable output than either Adobe PDF (It doesn't help that i am beginning to develop a hatred for Adobe constantly resurrecting their updater and reinstalling their program into components of Office 365).

This morning i ran into a big problem - MS print to PDF was generating 0 bit files. Correct name, just nothing there. So i started searching and tried the first idea of unchecking it from the Windows Features, then checking it again to make Windows load all the files, except it would not - it errored before it could complete the process. And so i followed another one that instructed to remove all the drivers from the pdf properties and subsequently run a few commands to bring it back. Nope. Then i worked through the material found at another site, but that didn't bring back Microsoft Print to PDF either (though i was successful at all steps).

If i have to do a full re installation of Windows i can live with that, but it is a HUGE PITA. Is it not possible to download a set of files from MS that would "reconstruct" this "printer"?

Thank you VERY much for considering my problem!
 
Windows Build/Version
Processor Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-1370P @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz Installed RAM 64.0 GB (63.7 GB usable) Device ID 3B3F6463-0503-4BE7-98A5-45740BA2A2F5 Product ID 00391-50000-00000-AAOEM System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display Edition Windows 11 Pro for Workstations Version 23H2 Installed on ‎9/‎19/‎2024 OS build 22631.4391 Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22700.1047.0

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 for Workstations with 6 or more cores
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-1370P @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz
    Memory
    16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)
tried the first idea of unchecking it from the Windows Features, then checking it again to make Windows load all the files, except it would not - it errored before it could complete the process.....
As your first idea failed with an error it suggests that your Windows may need repairing.
Open Terminal as admin (press WinKey+X and select from the menu). Type these two commands:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
SFC /ScanNow

Then try adding Print to PDF in Windows Features again.


....If i have to do a full re installation of Windows i can live with that, but it is a HUGE PITA....
If that doesn't fix it, then an in-place repair install can reinstall Windows while keeping all your installed apps and files.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
As an alternative, try PDF24 Creator - it is much more sophisticated & FREE
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.3624)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Precision 3660 Tower Workstation
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-12900 5.10 GHz
    Motherboard
    64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
    Memory
    32.00 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 770
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell P2714H Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x 512GB NVME PC801 NVMe SK hynix - BOOT
    1 x 1TB Seagate ST1000LM049-2GH172 Internal HDD
    1 x 1TB Seagate STGX4000400 External HDD
    1 x 2TB Seagate STGX4000400 External HDD
    1 x 4TB Seagate STGX4000400 External HDD
    PSU
    300 Watts
    Cooling
    Air
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600
    Mouse
    Microsoft USB Basic Optical Mouse v2.0
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender + Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    BaseBoard Manufacturer Dell Inc.
    BaseBoard Product 0J1CP3
    BaseBoard Version A01
may i ask have you tried removing Microsoft print to PDF.

please browse to ..
settings > system > optional features > more Windows features
you can remove print to PDF on this menu, restart, then re-install print to PDF.

best of luck, Steve ..
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    .. Debian 'Testing' .. Win 11 24H2 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP 24" AiO
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    64GB DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    Ryzen 7 5825u
    Sound Card
    RealTek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HP AiO
    Hard Drives
    1TB WD Blue SN580 M2 SSD Partitioned.
    2x 1TB USB HDD External Backup/Storage.
    Internet Speed
    900MB full fibre
    Browser
    Firefox ESR & Thunderbird
    Antivirus
    ClamAV TK
    Other Info
    Mainly Open Source Software
  • Operating System
    Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell 13" Latitude 2017
    CPU
    i5 7200u
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13" Dell Laptop
    Hard Drives
    250GB Crucial 2.5" SSD
    Mouse
    Gerenic 3 button
    Internet Speed
    WiFi only
    Browser
    FireFox
    Antivirus
    ClamAV TK
    Other Info
    Mainly Open Source Software
@XxXxXx: Unfortunately too many times yesterday! I wish that worked but something just is possessed in my computer. Perhaps from Halloween? No, mu computer regularly acts possessed...
@IanMosely: Funny, i recently downloaded PDF24 and am checking it out-
@Bree: You have helped me out enough times before that i well recognize your name; thank you my friend! In that multiple DSIM SFC runs were also made yesterday, i will follow the in-place restoration with a prayer!

Thank you, EVERYONE, for coming to my aid. This is a great community!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 for Workstations with 6 or more cores
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-1370P @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz
    Memory
    16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.4890
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Build by vendor to my specs
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    MSI PRO B550M-P Gen3
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 2x16GB DIMM DDR4 2666 CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce GT 730 2GB LP V1
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24E450F 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1. SSD Crucial P5 Plus 500GB PCIe M.2
    2. SSD-SATA Crucial MX500-2TB
    PSU
    Corsair CV650W
    Case
    Cooler Master Silencio S400
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper H412R with Be Quiet Pure Wings 2 PWM BL038 fan
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream (wired, scissor keys)
    Mouse
    Asus WT465 (wireless)
    Internet Speed
    70 Mbps down / 80 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox 130.0
    Antivirus
    F-secure via Internet provider
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZBox 7490
    Oracle VirtualBox 7 for testing software on Win 10 or 11

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
@Kees: Thank you, i suspect i will be giving it a try sooner than later!

@Brink: Another "old friend" that has bailed me out on multiple occasions! Many thanks for all the help you have given others and i over the years!
Unfortunately i honestly tried every one of those Enable options yesterday, and very likely more than once, though there might be a difference now-

After doing the "In place upgrade" i now have the correct port available to which one is to install Microsoft Print to PDF. Only problem is that "Microsoft Print to PDF" neither shows up in the Microsoft printers when i look through them, nor does it show up when i select Update, wait a good five minutes, then go through that listing. One interesting thing i noticed was that in the Microsoft Printers prior to trying the ones pulled over from the update, i have a number of regedit keys listed in apparent sequence. These are likely from running the routines that required me to try to make changes via elevated privileges (including a couple mistakes) from WinHelpOnline where it was necessary to run the commands from a local system account.

Unless someone see an obvious flaw in my thinking and catches me before i do something stoopid, i intend to next try the Control Panel Options & Features method including Off and On if need be, and then if no success, those outlined as referenced by Brink. Seems to me a safe way to go.

Trying to exhaust all options before nuking the OS, wish this was late on a Friday on a three-day weekend, but then, i wish i could win that Powerball lottery thing without playing it also...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 for Workstations with 6 or more cores
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-1370P @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz
    Memory
    16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)
Hallelujah

Though not on initially, this time turning it off and then back on actually worked (instead of erroring out).

Many THANKS to everyone!!!

So ends another day and a half of arguing with my computer...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 for Workstations with 6 or more cores
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-1370P @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz
    Memory
    16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)
Great news. :shawn:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
As an alternative, try PDF24 Creator - it is much more sophisticated & FREE
Thanks for this, I installed it but the PDF Editing does not seem to allow editing of a PDF which works fine with pdfgear, Nitro Pro, Wondershare PDFElements.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10/11, Linux, Android, FreeBSD Unix
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
    Motherboard
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Memory
    64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC3266-CG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
    PSU
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Case
    Dell XPS 15 9570
    Cooling
    Stock
    Keyboard
    Stock
    Mouse
    SwitftPoint ProPoint
    Internet Speed
    Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender that came with Windows
Just FYI: Microsoft addresses this issue by saying "Instead of Print to PDF, select Print > Save as PDF. This allows inclusion of headers & footers (ie, source URL)."
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Gigabyte
    CPU
    i7-12700
    Motherboard
    B760M G P WIFI DDR4
    Memory
    128GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti, 4GB discrete memory
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD switching output between each monitor, a soundbar, headphones, earphones
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 Vizio 40" D-series LED Smart TV in Monitor-Mode
    Screen Resolution
    1080p 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Internal: Bootdrive WD_Black SN850X Gen4 NVMe 1TB SSD; secondary WD_Black SN770 NVMe SSD GAME DRIVE 2 TB PCI Gen 4 x4
    External: 2 Seagate 6TB Backup Hubs, 2 Seagate 6TB Expansion Drives
    NAS: WD EX2 Ultra 16TB Cloud Server, with WD 8TB HD attached
    PSU
    ATX - RM750e-Modular
    Case
    CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case
    Cooling
    Laminar CPU Cooler plus two CORSAIR 120mm AirGuide fans, utilizing anti-vortex vanes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K740 Illuminated Keyboard
    Mouse
    LogiTech M720 Triathlon Multi-3-Device BT & Wireless
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps
I had a similar issue and had to do a repair install to fix it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build
    CPU
    Core i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Plus WiFi Z790
    Memory
    64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1200A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VP2770
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 2TB NVME SSD & SATA HDDs & SSD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
    Case
    Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Digital Media Pro
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50 Mb / s
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.2894
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
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