- You are using MYOB accounting software (any version) and are receiving error "Print Error #5" (MYOB printer error 5)
- You cannot open the Print Setup screen in MYOB
- Client is running Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows Server / SBS 2003.
- The issue often presents itself when you first start or re-start the computer.
- It is most prevalent on computers that have networked and/or USB printers.
SOLUTION THAT WORKED FOR ME:
If you have already processed transactions in MYOB and need to produce a session report before closing (but can't due to the printer error), you will need to manually export the session report to PDF in order to print out later:
- If you have set MYOB to prompt for printing of session reports upon exit, cancel out of the prompt window (either click the Session Report button or the red cross, then Cancel in the print window) to go back to MYOB without closing
- Enter into reports area
- Click the Accounts tab then click Session Report at the base of the reports list
- Click Send To then PDF
- Choose location of report and click Save. You will receive the print error dialog again at that point but you can ignore this.
Note: some people have suggested re-starting your computer instead of just logging out/in however this doesn't always work and of course, it takes longer.
OTHER POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
MYOB support blames Windows software (refer to their rant here http://bit.ly/b7567j) but it's actually an MYOB software design problem, as is the issue of having to run software as an administrator in Vista / Windows 7 not to mention the random crashes.
- Ensure you have a physical printer (not a network printer) set as your default printer in Windows.
- MYOB lazily recommend turning off UAC in Vista and Windows 7. You can do this but obviously, you lose the benefit of UAC. Not only that but many users have already tried this solution and failed, which is not surprising since Windows XP has exactly the same print issue and it doesn't even have UAC - even if you have administrator privileges in Windows XP, you can still get this error.
- Uninstall MYOB, clear registry of any MYOB references and re-install. I haven't found this useful but some people have.
- Update your printer driver, as it may be incompatible with MYOB.
- If running on Windows Server / SBS2003, check security permissions on the default printer.
- Change to another accounting product, such as Quicken or Xero.
