PC Training & Consulting Weblog

A reader (Art P.)  wrote to say he hasn’t been able to find a way to print just selected pages of a document in Windows 8, as opposed to the entire document. The problem stems from inconsistency in the print options exposed by different apps.

Take this web page for example. If you are viewing it in the modern version of Windows 8 (not the desktop version), you can print with the following steps:

Charms > Devices > [select your printer] > Print

[display the Charms using a swipe from the right edge with touch, or moving the mouse pointer into the upper-right or lower-right corner, or by pressing Win+C (Win+K is a shortcut directly to devices; Ctrl+P goes directly to print in many programs)].

The following screenshot shows the options for my printer; I can’t select pages to print in Internet Explorer and many other modern apps. If I continue, I’ll print 11 pages. Note that you can preview the print job by selecting the > on the right edge of the page preview.

There are two workarounds to this problem:

(1) Print to XPS > Open in Reader > Use Readers’ custom print option
(2) Open the document in a desktop program, most of which support selecting pages

Workaround #1: Using Reader

Windows 8 installs a “printer” called Microsoft XPS Document Writer.

When you select the XPS printer, a file is created automatically in your Documents folder. A notification pops up (the duration of which is controlled in PC Settings > Ease of Access – make notifications stay on screen long enough to be useful). Select the popup notification, if you can. If you are prompted with which app to use, select Reader (XPS Viewer is a desktop program, but OK to use, if you prefer)

If you miss the popup notification or want to print later, open Reader and select the document in Reader.

The app bar in Reader features a Print button, although you can also use the standard technique of Charms > Devices.

Reader’s print options include Pages which defaults to All Pages. Select that option, then select Custom, which in turn reveals a Range option into which you can enter a page number (see the next screenshot).

To print more than one page, enter pages separated by commas, such as “1,4” to print just those pages or print all the pages in a range using a dash, such as “1-4”. Then, select Print.

Although this may seem like a lot of steps, they aren’t difficult. However, we can hope that print options will become more consistent as Windows 8 evolves.

Workaround #2: Using a desktop program

On the desktop, the print dialog box includes an option for selected pages. In the case of Internet Explorer, you can easily open a web page in the desktop version of IE. Starting from the modern version of IE, display the app bar, then select the wrench button, then View on the Desktop.

The web page opens in the desktop version of IE. Select the gear icon to the right of the star (below the x – see a picture really is worth a thousand words), then Print.

I recommend selecting Print Preview next, although you can go directly to Print. If you use Print Preview, select the Printer icon on the preview screen to get to the next dialog box.

In the Print dialog box, select Pages, the enter individual pages separated by commas or a range separated by a dash. Then Print, and you’re done.

Bonus tip: If you just want to print this one blog entry (or another), the desktop version of IE lets you select text first, then go through the Print steps using the Selection option. However, it may be even easier just to select the title of the one blog entry you wish to print to open that entry alone in the browser. Then just print any old way, although this particular entry may be several pages long. (Surprises are one reason I like to preview before printing.)

Windows 8 is designed to updated at any time. We will continue to see updates, sometime minor, but a major one between June and October, 2013 (“Windows Blue”).

Bing apps get updated

The Bing team announced today several major updates for the Bing app which include News, Finance, Weather, Sports, Maps and Travel. [mjh: the Weather app is not yet out, but the others are available.]

Bing apps get updated

I noted the following when the essential apps, including Mail, People, Calendar, and Messaging, were updated near the end of March, 2013:

Windows 8 App Updates for Readers » PC Training & Consulting Weblog

Updates affect all users, hopefully for the better in the long run. However, readers need to take care with updates because screens and options change which may affect some of the steps and illustrations in the book. (See below for an example.) If you want every screen and step in the book to agree with what you see on your computer do NOT install any app updates through the Store app until you complete Chapter 9, which includes the steps to install updates. In this respect, if you follow the book in order, you avoid some problems unless someone else installs these updates for you.

I regret any inconvenience readers may experience. Over time, software changes. Problems are fixed and features are added. Check the book website (www.win8mjh.com) for updates. Please feel free to write me directly with questions, comments or suggestions (mark@mjhinton.com). peace, mjh

Windows 8 App Updates for Readers » PC Training & Consulting Weblog

Thursday, March 28, 2013, 7:17 AM

I completed Windows 8 for Seniors for Dummies in the fall of 2012, just before Microsoft released Windows 8 to the public. On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, updates became available for many of the apps that ship with Windows 8.

Updates affect all users, hopefully for the better in the long run. However, readers need to take care with updates because screens and options change which may affect some of the steps and illustrations in the book. (See below for an example.) If you want every screen and step in the book to agree with what you see on your computer do NOT install any app updates through the Store app until you complete Chapter 9, which includes the steps to install updates. In this respect, if you follow the book in order, you avoid some problems unless someone else installs these updates for you.

I regret any inconvenience readers may experience. Over time, software changes. Problems are fixed and features are added. Check the book website (www.win8mjh.com) for updates. Please feel free to write me directly with questions, comments or suggestions (mark@mjhinton.com). peace, mjh 

An example of changes to the Mail app

Arguably, the Mail app has changed the most (and for the better) since the book was printed. Below is Figure 7-3 from Chapter 7, which covers the Mail app.

Below this paragraph is roughly the same figure after installing the latest updates. (There is some unrelated difference due to screen size changes because I’m using a different computer.)

One or two things have moved or been renamed. An option or two has been added or dropped. Some users will hardly notice the difference, but others could be thrown for a loop.

Changes Before – After

1. [none] – Save Draft (now on app bar, was under Delete button)
2. Copy – Copy / Paste (or just Paste)
3. Font Color – Text Color
4. Highlight – [option gone]
5. [none] – Insert Link (on More button)
6. “Sent from my Windows 8 PC” – “Sent from Windows Mail.” (You can change this signature in Settings > Accounts.)
7. Attachments link (on left) – Button with paperclip (on right)
8. More Details link (on left) – Show More
9. In the To, CC and BCC fields, your most frequently used recipient addresses pop up automatically for easy of selection.