XL98: Print Preview Button Is Unavailable in the Print Dialog Box (176159)

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, if you click Print on the File menu, and then click Entire Workbook, the Print Preview button in the dialog box may become unavailable (dimmed). This prevents you from viewing the entire workbook in Print Preview.

NOTE: This problem does not occur in Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0, or in any version of Microsoft Excel for Windows.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if two or more of the worksheets in the workbook use different page orientation settings (portrait or landscape), paper size settings (letter, legal, and so on), or print quality settings (normal, high, and so on). When you print this kind of workbook, multiple print jobs are required; this is reason the Print Preview button becomes dimmed.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

Hold down the CONTROL key and click any sheet tab. On the shortcut menu, click Select All Sheets.
On the File menu, click Print Preview.

When you close print preview, you can click any sheet tab to select just that sheet.

NOTE: After the problem occurs in Microsoft Excel, it may also occur when you attempt to view other workbooks in print preview even if they would not normally be affected. In this case, quit Microsoft Excel, restart it, and then view the worksheets in print preview.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.