document printing out with large blank areas

[nursebetty]

Help!
Okay, yesterday morning I decided to un-install all this game software that my son likes to download onto my computer.  I dont know if I accidentally un-installed something important.  vista.
I opened an adobe document which I can view normally, but when I print it out, it prints only the header and the checked boxes.
So I un-installed and re-installed my printer software AND adobe, with no sucess.  Its doing it intermittently on several other adobe documents which I know printed out normally in the past. 
Anyone have a clue?  I tried the help at Dell, no luck.  I cant seem to google and find anyone with a similar problem.   I can e-mail the document and then scan and e-mail what prints out, if that would help. 

[Hardist]

All other documents, such as a webpage, a word document, printing fine?

[nursebetty]

Thanks for asking.
Web pages print out normally.
Microsoft word documents print out normally.
Adobe documents that dont have the little square boxes for checkmarks print normally.
Adobe documents that have little square boxes so you can check (like on a form to fill out and check appropriate boxes) only print the little boxes and randomly other areas of the document. 
Both adobe documents that have printed out normally in the past,  AND new adobe documents that I just downloaded are doing this.

Any clue?

If I had printed out a document normally in the past and now it prints out wierd like this......... that would lead you to conclude that its not a corrupted file right?  It must be something in my computer missing or corrupted, right?  I dont know if a file can be corrupted after its already been downloaded normally or not.

[Hardist]

Normally, no, when you download a file which isn't corrupted, it will not become corrupted by itself, so I highly doubt it's because of a corrupted file. Mind sending me that file via PM so I can test if it works with my printer? If it doesn't work, the file is probably corrupted, if it does work, then obviously it's something else and we need to find out what that is, but first I want to test out that file myself.

[nursebetty]

sure! absolutely.  I really appreciate it.  Let me figure out how to send that to you real quick

[nursebetty]

I sent it to your hotmail address, did you get it?

[Hardist]

I've got it, thanks.

I just actually figured out my own printer isn't working, so I will have to check this tomorrow when I fixed it. I will get back to you tomorrow.

[nursebetty]

no problem!  I am going to go to the library tomorrow and print it out to see if it works also, I suspect that it will work at the library though. 

[cruisin702]

Have you tried selecting "print as image" on the print options screen?
There is  also an option to Print "document" or "document and markups".

[nursebetty]

Brilliant! 
That worked!  The box, for print as image was  not checked so I checked it and it works now.  Now the box remains checked.  Is it suppose to be checked?  Is there something wrong with my computer because I never checked that box before.  Print as image.   How about printing regular word documents?  Can I print as image?  Is there something malicious about leaving it on print as image?
Thank you!

[cruisin702]

Leaving the print as image box checked won't hurt anything but it shouldn't have to be checked.It will take a little longer to print and may use a little more ink. This was just a test to see if it worked. The first thing to try is open up the document that won't print and click on "save as" and rename the document and see if the new document will print without the print as image checked. If so it was just a corrupted file. If that doesn't work the problem is most likely due to your printer drivers. Did you have your printer unplugged from the computer when you uninstalled and reinstalled your printer software and drivers?

[nursebetty]

Im pretty sure I had the printer unconnected when I re-installed but it was probably connected when I initially un-installed. 
I did try saving it to the desktop and under documents, neither one of them printed normally. 
should I try to uninstal and re-instal it again.  What about the drivers that came with my computer, I have a seperate disc for the drivers.  Will it harm anything or loose any files if I re-install the Dell drivers?

[cruisin702]

You don't want to re-install your drivers from the Dell CD unless it's a Dell printer CD your talking about. If you still have the CD that came with the printer I would unplug the printer from the computer, uninstall the printer, then insert the cd to install the printer software and drivers, then plug the printer back in.

[nursebetty]

Thanks I am going to do that.  I will let you know if it works!