troubleshoot print issues in Microsoft Edge

If you are encountering printing errors inside the Microsoft Edge browser on Windows, here we present some of the most common issues as well as tips to diagnose and resolve them.

Printing issues can occur from a variety of different reasons and it is hard to make assumptions. However, the first step of any troubleshooting method is to determine the source (component) of the issue.

A typical source could be any of the following: 

  • A damaged document or problem with the website 
  • Microsoft Edge itself 
  • The printer driver 
  • The Windows operating system 
  • Connectivity or hardware 

Step 1: Test printing from other websites or documents

  1. Open a website or online document other than the one you’re unable to print.
  2. Go to  Settings and more  > Print or press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog. 
  3. Select the printer with the settings you were trying to print with earlier, and then click Print. 

If the document prints successfully, it may suggest a problem with the original website or document you were trying to print. In this case, the issue might be caused by a style element on the page.

To try to eliminate the style elements as a cause, use the following steps to print only a plain version of the web page or online document:  

  1. Open the website you want to print. 
  2. Click the Immersive Reader icon in the address bar.

    Select Immersive Reader
  3. After the website opens in reading mode, try to print it again.

Step 2: Test printing from other applications

Some printing problems affect only Microsoft Edge, while other printing problems affect several or all Windows-based programs. 

The following tests can help determine whether this problem involves programs other than Microsoft Edge. 

Test in Microsoft Word 

  1. Open a new blank document in Word. 
  1. On the first line of the document, type “=rand (10)” and press ENTER to insert 10 paragraphs of sample text. 
  2. Try to print the Word document. 

If the Word document prints, try printing from WordPad or other Office applications. If you can’t print from these applications, the issue may be with the printer driver, the hardware, Windows operating system, or a connectivity issue.

If you can print with all programs other than Microsoft Edge, the issue may be related only to Microsoft Edge itself. Go on to the next step. 

Step 3: Test printing with latest printer driver

If you can print from all applications except Microsoft Edge, it may indicate that the problem is with the browser itself. However, it could be that problems with the printer driver affect Microsoft Edge differently than other programs, which may indicate that you need to update the printer driver.

Diagnose errors in print preview

If you get an error message in the Print dialog saying, “Print preview failed,” try the following to address the issue: 

Check your printer or select another printer. It may be that the printer you chose is not available or isn’t installed correctly.  

To resolve this error, try the following: 

  • Select another printer since the one that you have selected may not be available or may not be connected. 
  • Try reopening the Print dialog and selecting the printer again. A temporary connectivity issues might be interfering with printer connectivity.

Microsoft Edge can’t show a print preview when the built-in PDF viewer is missing. 

To resolve this issue, try the following options:  

  • Option 1: Retry printing
    1. Click Cancel if the Print dialog is still open. 
    2. Try printing again by pressing on Ctrl+P or right-click on the page or online document, and then select Print.
    3. Select your preferred settings in the Print dialog, and then click Print.  
  • Option 2: Restart Microsoft Edge and retry printing 
    1. Close the current Microsoft Edge window. 
    2. Launch a new Microsoft Edge session by clicking on the Edge icon in the Windows taskbar or by searching for it in the Start menu. 
    3. Navigate to the page or online document you were trying to print. 
    4. Press Ctrl+P or right-click on the page, and then select Print. 
    5. Select your preferred setting in the Print dialog, and then click Print.  
  • Option 3: Try repairing Microsoft Edge to ensure that it is installed correctly and was not corrupted by any other application or setting 
    1. Go to Start  > Settings  > Apps > Apps & features.
    2. In the list, select Microsoft Edge. 
    3. Click Advanced options. 
    4. Click Repair to try and fix Microsoft Edge without affecting your browser data. 

Print preview failed 

To fix this error, please try the options below.  

  • Option 1: Retry printing
    1. Click Cancel if the Print dialog is still open. 
    2. Try printing the website again by pressing on Ctrl+P or right-click on the page or online document, and then select Print.  
    3. Select your preferred setting in the Print dialog, and then click Print.  
  • Option 2: Try restarting Microsoft Edge and printing again  
    1. Close the current Microsoft Edge window. 
    2. Start a new Microsoft Edge session.
    3. Navigate to the page or online docuement you were trying to print. 
    4. Press Ctrl+P or right-click on the page or online document, and then select Print. 
    5. Select your preferred settings in the Print dialog, and then click Print.  


Source: Microsoft

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