Devices and Printers Dialog Box Empty

Anonymous
2009-10-30T22:04:54+00:00

When I open my "Devices and Printers" dialog box, it is empty; nothing shows up and the item listing says "0 items". 

The devices and printers showed up in the Devices and Printers dialog box earlier, but now are gone from the dialog box.  However, they are still in the system as everything seems to work.  The problem comes with trying to set the preferences for any of the devices or printers since they can't be seen or accessed. 

Anyone got any ideas of how to get the devices and printers to show up again?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2010-03-07T06:22:04+00:00

Devices and printers will show one device when you have configured multiple printers for the same device.   There is a fly out menu to get to all the other printers on the device.    Use the spooler teams UI, printmanagement.msc to view all local printers on Pro and Ultimate.

The old printers folder can be launched if you are running Home versions.

Open a command prompt and paste this in.

start shell:::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}\0::{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

Alan Morris Windows Printing Team; Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here: http://support.microsoft.com/search/Default.aspx?adv=1

Was this answer helpful?

5 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2009-11-27T18:23:06+00:00

I am having the same problem. I did a clean install from Vista and the computer has worked fine for weeks.  Today, my devices and printer window is empty. I can still print from some applications, but Windows Live Mail gives me an error when I select print:

'an error has occurred in the script on this page'

line:291

char: 1

error: interface not registered

Code: 0

URL: res://ieframe.dll/preview.js

Do you want to continue running scripts on this page - Yes or No?

Barry

By the way, no new hardware has been installed recently.

I found another post that solved my problem.  I was about to give up and re-install Windows 7, but tried this and it worked.

Go to: http://iefaq.info/index.php?action=artikel&cat=42&id=133&artlang=en

for the CMD file and explanation.

Was this answer helpful?

0 comments

142 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2012-10-18T22:10:28+00:00

    I have had this problem pop up several times since we started purchasing Windows 7 (Professional version) computers.  This week I installed 7 identical computers for one department with identical software and 4 identical network printers selected.  By the third day each computer gave me messages indicating a number of Microsoft updates needed to be done.  In the afternoon on day 3, 2 of the 7 computers would not display the devices and printers dialog box, it took forever to try to load and then finally nothing.  I tried booting in safe mode and the devices and printers displayed properly (which I knew from the previous times I encountered this problem.  Previously I I reinstalled Windows 7on computers that were only a few weeks/months old.  Since I had not brought the new computers to the department yet, I decided to use the system restore and I restored both computers to the previous day and the devices and then the printers dialog box displayed fine on both.  I have been checking these two computers on and off for two additional days and the devices and printers are still displaying.  If you have not waited too long to research the problem, try restoring the system to the day before the problem occurred worked for both of mine.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2012-10-04T10:52:14+00:00

    Free access to typing tutor courses for 6 months for everyone! Just register here: www.solotyping.com

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2012-10-04T02:40:15+00:00

    printmanagement.msc

    start shell:::{26EE0668-A00A-44D7-9371-BEB064C98683}\0::{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

    Shell command work fine, yet Devices and Printers still yields an empty panel.

    Pined the MSC to taskbar as a work around for printers, but still does not resolve all the other devices being absent too.

    Is there another MSC for devices besides the printers?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments