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when i try to print a document it wants to convert to .pdf

Steven Allen 0 Reputation points
2026-03-15T13:32:58.8+00:00

I'm trying to print a protected word document. It opens a window that saves it as a .pdf. No other option. And the .pdf is not protected. Makes absolutely no sense.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Charles Kenyon 167.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-03-15T16:17:08.52+00:00

    The web app does not interact with any printers. You can print to the pdf and then use a pdf viewer to print a physical printout. You can then delete the pdf if you wish.

    The web app is fundamentally a different program from the desktop applications. https://addbalance.com/word/download.htm#MicrosoftWordProgramshttps://addbalance.com/word/download.htm#MicrosoftWordPrograms

    This is a user-to-user support forum.

    Microsoft is not hearing about your problems from what you post here. You are discussing a problem with your fellow users here. We can give good advice about how to work with Word as it is and give suggestions for making it work properly.

    Designers and their supervisors do see feedback. (You will almost certainly not get a direct response to that feedback but they do see it.)

    Here is more about that:

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/giving-feedback-on-microsoft-word-or-other/8df81a9b-84aa-46ef-bf88-24fb7fec96ba

    I suggest using the public feedback portal so other users can see your feedback, comment and vote. If you want, you can post the URL of your feedback with your question here to lead others with the same problem to your feedback. Be the “squeaky wheel” that gets fixed!

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  2. Stefan Blom 340.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-03-15T18:13:01.48+00:00

    Check if your default printer in Windows is one of the virtual PDF printers / converters, such as Microsoft Print to PDF. Of course, at the time of printing, you can choose a different printer (via File > Print in Word). You can also change the default; for more on that, have a look at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/set-a-default-printer-in-windows-e10cf8b8-e596-b102-bf84-c41022b5036f .

    Note that if you are using the online (web-based) version of Word, you will always get a PDF which can then be printed.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-03-15T13:33:13.68+00:00

    The print command is going to “Save as PDF” because a virtual PDF printer (such as Microsoft Print to PDF or another PDF device) is selected instead of a physical printer.

    To print the protected Word document normally and keep its protection:

    1. In Word, select File > Print.
    2. Under Printer, open the dropdown list.
    3. Change the selected device from Microsoft Print to PDF, XPS Document Writer, or any other PDF printer to the actual physical printer (for example, an HP, Canon, Brother device).
    4. Print again.

    If a physical printer is already selected but Word still asks to save a file instead of printing, check the printer’s port configuration:

    1. Close all Office apps.
    2. Open Control Panel (press Start, type Control, press Enter).
    3. Set View by to Icons, then select Devices and Printers.
    4. Right‑click the physical printer and choose Printer properties.
    5. Go to the Ports tab.
    6. If the port is set to Print to File, change it to the correct port for the printer (for example LPT1 for USB or WSD for a wireless printer).
    7. Select OK, then try printing again from Word.

    Once a PDF is created, it is a separate file and will not automatically carry over Word’s protection settings; printing directly to a physical printer avoids that conversion.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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