Fix Office 365 for Mac Not Printing or Opening Print Dialog
Question details
The user is unable to print or open the print dialog using Office 365 on a Mac, though other applications print without issues.
- Product
- Office 365 for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Attempting to print a document via the Print menu or the Command+P shortcut in Office 365.
- Observed behavior
- The application becomes unresponsive or ignores the print command completely, failing to open the print dialog, whereas a temporary workaround involves changing Page Setup to a specific printer.
Before resetting your printing system, ensure your Mac is connected to the printer, other applications can successfully print, and you have saved your current Office documents to prevent data loss.
Reset the Mac Printing System
Resetting the printing system clears corrupted printer queues and settings that prevent the print dialog from appearing in Office 365.
This is the official recommended fix for Office 365 print dialog failures. It will clear all current print queues and require you to re-add your printer.
Click the Apple menu icon in the top-left corner of your screen and select 'System Preferences' (or 'System Settings' on newer macOS versions).
Click on the 'Printers & Scanners' icon to view your installed printers.
Hold the Control key on your keyboard and click anywhere inside the blank space of the printer list on the left side.
Select 'Reset printing system' from the context menu and confirm your choice when prompted.
Once the reset is complete, click the '+' (Add) button to re-add your printer using its latest Mac drivers.
Change Page Setup to a Specific Printer
If you need to print urgently, changing the Page Setup from 'Any Printer' to your specific printer can temporarily bypass the unresponsive print dialog.
Try WPS Office for Mac for a Seamless Printing Experience
If Office 365 continues to have printing issues or bugs on your Mac, WPS Office provides a lightweight, free, and highly compatible alternative. Enjoy seamless printing without the hassle of unresponsive dialogs.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office application for Mac.
- 2. Open Your Document: Open your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files directly in WPS Office.
- 3. Print Effortlessly: Press Command+P or click the print icon to open the native print dialog and print your files instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Command+P work in Safari but not in Office 365 for Mac?
Office 365 for Mac uses a custom print dialog interface that interacts differently with the macOS print spooler. If the Office print preference files or Mac printer queues are corrupted, Office will fail to launch the print dialog, while native apps like Safari remain unaffected.
Will resetting the Mac printing system delete my printer drivers?
Resetting the printing system removes the printers from your queue and clears print jobs, but it does not delete the actual printer drivers from your Mac. You can easily re-add your printers using the existing drivers immediately after the reset.
How do I fix Office for Mac if resetting the printer doesn't work?
If resetting the print system fails, try updating your Office 365 applications via Microsoft AutoUpdate, updating your macOS to the latest version, or removing the com.microsoft.Word preferences file from your Mac's Library folder to clear corrupted app settings.
