Web Browser Prints HTML Instead of Web Page

Subscriber Susan Earle wrote to ask about a strange problem she was having with her web browser:

Terry,

I initially was trying to find out why when I print from a web browser I get nothing but the source code when I should be getting what I see on the website. I used to be able to print from the browser. Now I have to use SnagIt to capture parts of the webpage into Word and then print it. I do not know what the issue is. I tried to find some setting that may have been changed since getting my pc back from the pc doctor. I know that my browser default is not IE anymore but I can’t find out what it is. My default home page is Google. So how can I fix my print issue?

I wrote back that, in order to solve the printing problem from the web browser, first, she needed to solve the web browser issue — since the fix, if there is one, is by changing what the web browser is doing.

On the browser's menu bar, select Help > About. That should tell you what the web browser is.

If you're using IE8, you can fix all its settings back to the defaults by Tools > Internet Options. Select the Advanced tab and then the "Reset..." button in the Reset Internet Explorer Serttings section.

If you want IE as your default web browser, start IE — you should find it under the Start Button > All Programs.

Then, Tools > Internet Options. Select the Programs tab, and then the Make Default button.

Those instructions are for IE8 - if you don't have 8, then IE7 should work similarly - but you ought to update to IE8.

IF you want Firefox as your default, go to www.mozilla.com/firefox and download the latest version of Firefox.

Similarly, if you want Opera, go to www.opera.com .

Both Firefox and Opera will ask if you want them to be the default web browser.

Susan figured out that she was now using Internet Explorer 8.

Unfortunately, the "Reset..." button did not solve the problem. After using the Reset... button, IE8 no longer prints the web site's HTML content. However, after printing its page header (which shows the path to the HTML file), it does not print anything for the page contents.

At that point, she switched to Firefox — and reported that she could print successfully with Firefox.

Copyright © 2009 Terry A. Stockdale. All rights reserved.