Printer not activated, error code -20 when printing from QuickBooks.

Legacy KB ID: 4735

Question

After having no problems printing from QuickBooks since upgrading, why can I no longer print from QuickBooks?  I get the error: “Printer not activated, error code -20”.  I have no problems printing from any other device.

 

Answer

You may also receive other errors like:

  • Could not print to printer. Check your printer selection. 
  • QuickBooks could not save your form as a PDF file

You will experience this problem if you recently installed ReckonAccounts 2013.  It has a new PDF printer called Reckon PDF Printer that installs on the same printer port as the existing QuickBooks V303 PDF Converter.  The error message is a result of this conflict. 

 

Workaround

Assign the Reckon PDF Printer to a separate port

1.    Close QuickBooks;

2.    Start > Printers & Devices;

3.    Right-click the quickBooks V303 PDF Converter and select See what’s printing;

4.    Delete any items in the printer queue and close the window;

5.    Right-click the Reckon PDF Printer and select Printer Properties and the Ports tab;

6.    You will see Reckon PDF Printer and QuickBooks V303 PDF Converter appear in the Printer column of the same port;

7.    click the Add Port button.

8.     Select Local Port and click the New Port button;

9.     Enter Reckon in the Enter a port name field, click OK, and then click Close.

10.  Be sure that the NUL port is selected in the Ports list and click Apply. 

11. Click the Advanced tab.

12. Select Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster.

13.  Clear the checkbox labelled Enable advanced printing features.

14. Select Print directly to printer.

15.  Click the Driver drop-down arrow and select Amyuni Document Converter 300.

16. Click Apply and then click OK.

17. Right-click the Windows taskbar and choose Task Manager.

18.  Click the Processes tab.

19. Select splWOW64.exe and click the End Process button

a.    Windows Vista: Click End Process in the warning window.

b.    Windows Server 2003: Click Yes in the warning window.

20. Close all applications and windows and reboot the PC.

You should now be able to print. 


If problems continue then reset the Windows default printer settings

1.    Start > type regedit in the Search field and select regedit.exe from the list;

2.    Backup the Registry by

    1. Windows 7 & Vista: Start button > type regedit into the search box > Enter;
    2.  Windows XP: Start button > Run > type regedt32 > Enter;

 If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

    1. On the top menu line, click on File >Export
    2. Select a location to save the file and in the File Name box enter a name;
    3. In the Export Range section, click on All;
    4. Click Save.

3.    Go to HKey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\ (if the Windows key doesn't exist, create a new key).

4.    Export this key to the desktop (for safety reasons)

5.    Then check for the Device string value (create it if it is not there)

Also you may have to give the user account full control over the Device key to make this change

6.    Give it the value: winspool,Ne00 (if there is anything else there, change it to this value.)

7.    Press OK to save that value.  Close the Registry.

8.    In Devices & Printers you will now notice there is no default printer set.  Set your preferred printer as the default printer.

9.    Open QuickBooks and email an invoice.  The printer window will no longer come up (if it does or if you get a different error like error -41 go back follow KB ID 4546 again).

 

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