Solving an IE 6.0 Printing Problem

Ever since I upgraded to Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0, I've had trouble printing from a browser window. I usually get an IE Script Error message that states An error has occurred in the script on this page. Line: 508, Char: 1, Error: Permission denied, Code: 0, URL:res://c:\winnt\system32\shdoclc.dll/preview.dlg. Do you want to continue running scripts on this page? The message prompts me to click Yes or No, but whichever button I choose, I still can't print. I never had this problem with IE 5.x. Do you have any idea what's wrong?

I've run across this problem on more than one occasion (usually with IE 6.0, although I have seen it occur with IE 5.x as well). You can try several things to resolve the problem. First, if you have more than one printer installed, determine whether the problem is printer-specific—that is, if you get the mystery message only when a particular printer is set as the default printer. If so, download and install the most recent printer driver from your printer manufacturer—even if the driver isn't signed. I've found that even many Microsoft-provided signed drivers cause the problem you describe.

If the problem isn't printer-specific or if a new driver doesn't help, try repairing IE. Open the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs applet, select Microsoft Inter-net Explorer 6 and Internet Tools, click Change/Remove (on your system, the option might be Add/Remove), then select the Repair Internet Explorer option. If for some reason the repair option is unavailable, you can access it manually. To do so, click Start, Run from the toolbar and enter the following case-sensitive command:

rundll32 setupwbv.dll,IE5Maintenance

I hate to say it, but my experience with IE 6.0 thus far has been poor. The product seems awfully rough around the edges and seems to be more prone to crashes, printing problems, and other odd behaviors than IE 5.x. Hopefully, Microsoft will have addressed some (or all) of IE 6.0's problems by the time you read this answer.