Runtime Error 482 is caused by a system’s inability to connect to the Windows “Printform” library from applications that still use the VBA (Visual Basic) integration engine.
Although the error is displayed on Windows 10, it usually occurs when using Adobe Acrobat or another “Print to PDF” application.
The solution to runtime error 482 is to first make sure you have the proper printer installed (most don’t) and then, if the error persists, change/remove any reference to the printer settings from any VBA application.
If you see the error when you try to “Print to PDF”, you’ll want to make sure you have the correct PDF drivers installed and that the application you’re using is compatible with Windows 10.
The steps outlined in this tutorial should explain how to fix it…
Cause
The underlying problem with Runtime Error 428 stems from the way Windows works with its underlying hardware.
When you use Windows, there are a number of “subsystems” that allow the system to interface with a number of peripherals and other devices. These subsystems are called “controllers” and require other software to connect to them.
It is the case with this error that the hardware you are trying to connect to your system is not responding, you will get error 428. Now, while the error used to be quite common (and still is for Windows 10), most people are unaware the cause of the problem and that it is actually caused by the Visual Basic runtime environment: a series of different files/applications designed to interface applications with deeper Windows processes.
Visual Basic is old technology now, but it is still used by Excel and a number of third-party applications (including Citrix and Adobe Acrobat) to provide built-in functionality for a system. It is this integration that is damaged and corrupted on your PC (causing the error to be displayed). When you try to use “printer” on your system, the problem is that the application you are using will basically be using an outdated or broken version of the Printform VBA engine, causing the error to be displayed.
The solution is to make sure that your printer is installed and working properly, and then that there are no underlying issues with your system.
Solution
While Microsoft recommends using the SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tools to resolve any underlying issues with the system itself, the issue may be a bit more acute/easier to deal with than that.
We found that often the problem is VBA, and updating the application in question, or the underlying application, or the various VC++ Redistributable applications resolves the issue.
That is how…
1. Reinstall the printer
The first step is to reinstall the printer on your system.
This may sound drastic, but it’s actually a very good way to resolve most “printer” errors, usually due to how printer drivers can sometimes become damaged or corrupted.
To do this, you must use the following steps:
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Right click on the “Start” button (bottom left screen)
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Select “Device Manager”
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Scroll down to “Printers”
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Right click on any of the printers causing the problem
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Select “Uninstall”
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Follow the steps on the screen
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Restart your PC
After restarting, Windows 10 should automatically start adding the printer again.
To verify this, you can use the following steps:
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Left click on the “Start” button (bottom left screen)
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In the “charms” menu on the left, select the “cog” (this is for the “settings” applet)
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Click “Devices” (top row)
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In the menu on the left, select “Printers and scanners”
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If the printer does not appear, select “Add a printer or scanner”
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Follow the steps on the screen
Let this process happen and then try to print with it again. If the error is not resolved or your printer is not listed, continue to the next step.
2. Clear print queue
The next problem could be that the “print spooler” has been causing problems.
The print queue is basically a queue through which Windows can manage the various print jobs. Anyone familiar with Windows 95/98 will probably remember the joys of dealing with a constantly corrupting print spooler.
To resolve one of the most common reasons for Runtime Error 482, you need to clear the print queue:
- Press “Windows”+”S” keys on the keyboard
- In the search box, type “CMD”, right click and select “Run as administrator”
- Type: net stop spooler and then press Enter
- Type (pay attention to the spaces): DEL /F /S /Q %systemroot%System32spoolPRINTERS and then press Enter
- Type: net start spooler and then press Enter
This will restart the spooler, having cleared any underlying queues/pools that may have existed on the system.
3. Reinstall the affected software
Several people have reported that the error occurred while using Adobe Acrobat as well as other tools.
You need to reinstall any affected software because firstly there may be updates available and secondly there may be some underlying issues in terms of compatibility or the like.
Doing this (if you don’t already know) is relatively simple:
- Right click on the “Start” button (bottom left of the taskbar)
- Select “Apps & Features”
- From the list, select the app causing the errors
- Select “Uninstall”
- Allow the process to continue
- Restart your PC
- Reinstall the software (preferably by downloading the latest version from the Internet)
If you are an experienced computer user, you have probably already tried this. If not, you should at least make sure that the app that’s causing the error is running as up-to-date as possible.
4. Reinstall .NET and VC++
If the above doesn’t work, it *could* be the case that some of Windows’ core dependencies (libraries of software it uses to run) are corrupted, damaged, or outdated.
There are two systems that are most relevant here: .NET or Visual C++ (VC++). Reinstalling both gives you the ability to make sure your system can use the necessary files/settings to work properly…
- Press “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard
- In the “Search” box, type “Control Panel”
- Scroll down to “Programs and Features”
- Look for the listings for “Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable”
- From the list, note the “year” number for any of the versions you have installed (e.g. “2012”), as well as the “architecture” version (x86/x64)
- Right click on each one and select “Uninstall”
Once you’ve uninstalled them all (don’t worry, it won’t do any harm to your system, though it will likely stop several apps from working until they’re reinstalled), navigate to the search engine of your choice and type ” download vc++”.
The first result should display a page from Microsoft showing the “Latest Supported Visual C++ Downloads”; this will give you a full list of the libraries you just removed.
From the list, you need to download each one and install them again.
When this is complete, you need to click “Turn Windows features on or off” in the left pane.
At the top there should be several “.NET” listings. Click on version 4.7 and make sure it is installed correctly. If not, we will have to reinstall it:
- Go to your search engine of choice
- Type “Download .NET”
- This should open a Microsoft “.NET Downloads” page
- Click on it and then download the latest version of the .NET Framework
- Save it to your hard drive and let it install on your system
This should ensure that any application accessing VBA can access the correct files etc.
5.Run SFC/DISM
Finally, you should consider running the SFC/DISM tools.
This won’t fix the error directly, but it will ensure the system runs as smoothly as possible…
- Press “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard
- Type “CMD” then right click + select “Run as administrator” on the app it shows
- When CMD loads, type “SFC /scannow” and press Enter
- Let the system run (it shouldn’t take long) and it will resolve any issues it finds automatically
- After this, type the following: “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” and press “Enter”
- This should take a lot longer than SFC, but it should eliminate most problems within the Windows system.
If the error persists after doing this, it suggests a more specific problem with your PC. It could be anything from an antivirus to a specific setting causing problems; the next step would be to get a technical opinion OR get information from the manufacturers of the software causing the problem. In either case, there will be a core issue that will cause the error to be displayed.