Many thanks to all who suugested reasons for the problem which I was
having with printing Microsoft Word documents to a file. I discovered
that Microsoft maintains a list of questions and answers about its
products. In that I found the answer. There is a bug (only one? I hear
you ask) in Word 6.00 and 6.00a concerning printing to a file. The
official Microsoft explanation follows though even that does not seem
to be entirely correct. You will see from the date that Microsoft have
only just figured this one out!
Raymond Dalgleish
DOCUMENT:Q112166 24-OCT-1994 [WORD6]
TITLE :Filename Truncated When You Print to File
PRODUCT :Microsoft Word Version 6.x
PROD/VER:6.00 6.00a
OPER/SYS:WINDOWS
KEYWORDS:kbusage buglist6.00 buglist6.00a
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0, 6.0a
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SYMPTOMS
========
When you print to a file, Word for Windows may truncate the filename of the
file you create and place it in the wrong location. When Word does this, it
also places a second file in the correct location, with the correct
filename, but the size of this file is 0 (zero) bytes. This happens whether
you print to a file by selecting the Print To File option in the File Print
dialog box or by selecting FILE: as the output port under Printers in
Windows Control Panel.
For example, if you print to the following file
C:\WINDOWS\MSAPPS\EQUATION\LONGNAME\OUTPUT1.PRN
Word creates a file named OUTP in the EQUATION subdirectory, and Word
creates a file named OUTPUT1.PRN in the LONGNAME subdirectory (the correct
location), but OUTPUT1.PRN has a file size of 0 bytes.
CAUSE
=====
Word truncates the name of your print file and places it in the wrong
directory if either of the following conditions exist:
1. The path contains more than one directory and one subdirectory (two
levels) AND the entire path (excluding the filename) contains more than
11 characters. For example:
C:\DIRECTRY\SUBDIR1\SUBDIR2\OUTPUT1.PRN
By contrast, Word does NOT truncate the filename of the following print
file, even though the file is located more than two levels deep in the
directory structure, because the entire path consists of only 11
characters:
C:\USER\ME\94\JAN\OUTPUT1.PRN
2. Any directory name contains more than eight characters, even if the path
contains only one directory and one subdirectory. For example:
C:\DIRECTRY.NAM\SUBDIR\OUTPUT1.PRN
STATUS
======
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word versions 6.0 and 6.0a
for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information
here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
WORKAROUNDS
===========
Method 1: Place the print file no deeper than two levels deep in the
directory structure. Make sure neither the directory nor the
subdirectory name has more than 8 characters.
Method 2: Place the file deeper than the second directory level if the
entire path consists of 11 or fewer characters.
KBCategory: kbusage buglist6.00 buglist6.00a
KBSubCategory:
Additional reference words: 6.00 missing lost lose zero incorrect
winword
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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.
