printing, Chrome, “loading preview”, error message

Topic

New Reply

My machine uses Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 and Chrome browser.  Stable installation for a long time. Last week printing any document while using Chrome hung up, displayed “loading preview”, did not display what ever content was intended to be printed, and never escaped from the loading hang. Result: no printing.

Suggestions online include disabling a chrome flag, adding a key to the registry, deleting the Chrome Preferences folder at “User/App data/Local/Google/Chrome”, disabling a Chrome extension for Hewlett Packard printers, “resetting” Chrome, and a suggestion for Linux users. I wasn’t convinced about those ideas, and some comments indicated that some of the “solutions” did not work

Today, I uninstalled Chrome and downloaded a new installation of Chrome browser.  No change as to printing for me.  Does any member of this group have a likely to succeed solution for overcoming the interminable hang while “loading preview” is displayed while attempting to print?

Reply | Quote

Replies

Can you print anything?
Is it the W10 printing patch bug?
Try uninstalling and reinstalling the printer.

cheers, Paul

Reply | Quote

Carl,

No printing succeeds while I am using the Chrome browser. It appears that printing operates normally while I am using the Microsoft Edge browser.  I had no knowledge about the W10 printing patch bug. The link that you graciously provided indicates that the bug was known by ISSUE 18.25.1 • 2021-07-07.  My problem began this week. I don’t suspect the 2021 patched bug as the cause of my problem only became evident recently.

Tom

Reply | Quote

Further, I can successfully print a “test” page to the printer while using the W10 settings printer manager. That makes me think that the windows driver is properly installed and working.  The problem seems  limited to printing while using the chrome browser.

Tom

Reply | Quote

Can you print from another application?

cheers, Paul

Reply | Quote

For some time now I too can’t print from Chrome (Gmail attachments, online PDF files..). Printer prints fine with other software.
So, instead of direct printing I download the files and then print.

Reply | Quote

This problem is resolved as of today.  My Google Chrome Browser experience deteriorated after I first posted. The “help” function somehow became linked to a German language function.  That was not a translate page issue. The URL identified as German.  Late last week, the Google Chrome browser failed to “open” when “called” by its previously working shortcut, or by selecting the Google Chrome browser app from a list.  Reinstallation of the Google Chrome browser failed. Uninstallation of the Google Chrome browser did not complete: the uninstaller halted because not all Chrome browser processes were closed. By that time, I could “run” it, reinstall it or uninstall it.  All of those occurrences are described to give context to a future thread reader who might use a comparable search term.

The fix that worked was that using Task manager, I “ended” all Chrome browser processes, including two instances of Google crash handler that I found quite deep in the list of background processes. After ending those processes, I was able to invoke and run a session of  Google Chrome browser. And, printing now works as normal while using the Google Chrome browser.

Reply | Quote

This is a known bug in Chrome V112, and other Chromium based browsers.

Print preview can be very slow, depending on the amount of printers you have. It seems to affect HP printers mainly.

More information here: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1424368

Reply | Quote