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One of the nicest things about Windows is that it handles all printing. You don't have to install your printer over and over again in different programs -- once your printer is installed in Windows, it should work with all Windows programs. If you're having trouble printing from Family Tree Detective, you may have an outdated printer driver or an incorrect setting in your print setup.

• Make sure that your selection in print setup exactly matches the kind of printer you have. To check this, from the File menu in Family Tree Detective, select Print and then click on Setup. Using a driver other than the one specifically designed to work with your printer can cause unpredictable results. If you don't have the correct printer driver, contact your printer manufacturer or Microsoft for information on how to get the most current version.

• Family Tree Detective allows you to have different settings in print setup for each view. For example, you could choose legal-size paper and one-inch margins for your trees, but letter-size paper and half-inch margins for your search reports. If you find that you can print correctly from one view, but not from another, compare the settings in Print Setup for each view to determine what is different.

• Try printing from another Windows program, such as Wordpad or Notepad. If you experience the same problem, then the problem lies somewhere in either your printer or Windows setup. Contact Microsoft or your printer manufacturer for assistance. You might also try your Windows or printer documentation for tips.

• Check your settings to verify that they match your system. From the Windows 95/98 Start menu, select Settings and then Printers. Click once on your printer icon to select it, then from the File menu, select Properties. The Properties dialog box will tell you through which port Windows is printing. (A port is a place on your computer that the printer can plug into.) Check the documentation that came with your computer to find out which port your printer is connected to. This port should be the one shown in the Properties dialog box. In particular, if you are printing through a COM port (e.g. COM1), make sure that the settings for baud rate, parity, and stop bits match those set on your printer. If you aren't sure what the settings should be, consult your printer manual. You may also want to try decreasing the baud rate. Sometimes there's simply too much going on for Windows to talk to your printer at a high speed. Decreasing the speed will usually solve the problem. This is particularly true when printing to plotters.

• Make sure you're using the most current driver available for your printer. (The printer driver is the piece of software that manages the communication between your operating system, such as Windows, and the printer itself.) Check with your printer manufacturer to see if you have the latest version of the driver. Most manufacturers update their drivers fairly frequently and post them to their Web sites. We've also provided instructions for installing a printer driver in Windows 95/98. If you do not have online access or cannot locate the driver, you can also contact them by phone and have them send you the driver on floppy disk.