SAP Knowledge Base Article - Public

3021423 - Warning: 'The default printer is not valid. Printing will be disabled.' when opening a report in Crystal Reports

Symptom

  • Warning: 'The default printer is not valid. Printing will be disabled.'
  • In the report "Page Setup", the option "No Printer" is checked, and grayed out.
  • How to stop showing the warning message every time a report is open in Crystal Reports?
  • When creating new reports, it does not display the warning when opening those reports.
  • When opening any report in Crystal Reports, on a specific computer, it always shows the warning:
      
        "The default printer is not valid. Printing will be disabled."
           
      
         Printer_Warning.png

Environment

  • SAP Crystal Reports 2013
  • SAP Crystal Reports 2016
  • SAP Crystal Reports 2020 

Reproducing the Issue

  1. Start Crystal Reports.
  2. When opening any report, the following warning displays:
      
     "The default printer is not valid. Printing will be disabled." 

Cause

  • Reports were based on a specific printer, and since no printers have been defined on the local computer in MS Windows, it displays the warning when opening the reports; or
  • The MS Windows Print Spooler service is not running.

Resolution

  • To no longer show the warning message when opening reports in Crystal Reports:
      
    1. In MS Windows, add a printer to the local computer.
       
    2. In MS Windows, ensure the Service: "Print Spooler" is running.
          
    3. In Crystal Reports, open the report, and under the menu "File", select "Page Setup"
        
    4. Check the printer options: "No  Printer (optimize for screen display)"

       No_Printer.png
        
    5. Click "OK" to accept the change.
        
    6. Save the updated report.

Keywords

CR , KBA , BI-RA-CR , Crystal Reports designer or Business View Manager , Problem

Product

SAP Crystal Reports 2013 ; SAP Crystal Reports 2016 ; SAP Crystal Reports 2020