Solution for “Error code: 2147500037” while printing in Windows 7
Posted by jpluimers on 2010/05/20
Recently I got the messagebox below with “Error code: 2147500037” when I used Windows 7 to print some settings (in this case the homegroup password, so I could store it in a safe place).
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Your homegroup password couldn't be printed
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An error occurred while Windows was trying to print your homegroup password. (Error code: 2147500037)
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OK
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It seems I am not the only one having this problem, and the solution was simple:
Windows 7 cannot print certain things when Internet Explorer is not the default browser.
Or in other words: this error message means: “Windows 7 cannot print this for you because it needs the default browser to be Internet Explorer“.
Was it that hard for Microsoft phrasing the message in such a way?
Changing the default browser is simple (some of the steps are in screenshots below):
- Press the start button
- Type “default programs”
- Choose “Default Programs” from the list
- Choose “Set your default programs”
- Click “Internet Explorer”
- Click “Set this program as default”
- Press “OK”
- Choose “Set your default programs”
- Click your favourite browser (in my case Google Chrome)
- Click “Set this program as default”
- Done!
As promised, some of the screenshots:
Step 3: after selecting “Default programs”
Step 4: “Set your default programs”
Step 5, 6: Click “Internet Explorer”, then click “Set this program as default”
Step 10, 11: Selecting your favourite browser, then click “Set this program as default”
Hope this helps some of you!
–jeroen
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 
hp printer suport said
Content is king, and real content like this hard to find now days.
jpluimers said
thanks!
Slinky Manatee said
I have Windows 10 Home, N5010, version 1607. I got this error code from same attempt as others did — trying to print Homegroup info. My default browser was set to Edge, I changed it to IE, but I still got the error message and still can’t print. The only time I’ve gotten this error message is when trying to print Homegroup info.
jpluimers said
I’ve no idea: I’m not using Windows 10 yet, and certainly won’t use the “Home” edition of Windows.
Mike B said
Windows engineers are toads. They only survive because there is no warranty on software. We don’t buy the software, we buy just a license to use it. Amazon uses the same scam for Kindle books. But Microsoft has gone over the top with selling crap. I also blame the computer press. They should be screaming and cursing about how low Microsoft has sunk. Instead, they rehash Microsoft’s marketing blurbs.
Richard brown said
Doesn’t work my friend and it’s silly to have to do that.
jpluimers said
Sorry for that. Please let me know if you resolve this in another way.
WDF01 said
My solution was to use the built-in Snipping Tool to copy the part of the screen in which I was interested and paste it into PowerPoint and print from there. Takes seconds…
The issue is simply ridiculous and should have been fixed long ago.
jpluimers said
I like your practical solution (:
recoloniser said
This solution doesn’t, ridiculous and unacceptable from MS as it is, doesn’t even work anymore, because Win 10 won’t accept IE as you standard browser. If select it, Win automatically changes it to Edge and Edge cannot cope with the print job.
The easisest solution is to do a ‘Print Screen’ and print that.
jpluimers said
Wow. I’m not running Windows 10 yet, but this is indeed ridiculous.
roel schuil said
But it does work under windows 10
jpluimers said
Thanks for confirming this.
Barb K. said
Perfect! Thanks!
Paul Haley said
Ludicrously, this problem persists in Windows 10 and changing the default browser to IE11 fixes the problem
Frank T said
This is beyond ridiculous! The first posts reporting this problem date from somewhere around 2008. Shame on MS
scuncon said
Thank you. This fault also occurs in Windows 10. You still need IE as the default browser – using Edge as the default browser does not work
jpluimers said
Thanks!
Miken said
Thank you. This error also occurs in Windows 10. Bizarrely IE is still needed as the default browser – using Edge as the default browser does not work.
elpampa61 said
Muchas gracias
Henry said
I have the new Windows 10 and I was getting this message because Edge was my default browser. Now that I changed it to Explorer I was able to print my HomeGroup Password. Thank you for the tip.
jpluimers said
Good to know they still didn’t fix this in Windows 10 (;
–jeroen
Kat said
Thanks, it worked for me. much appreciated. Kat
jpluimers said
Glad it worked for you.
l gibbs said
I can’t print pass code but was able to get it accepted by my other machine by changing the 1 to a lower case L (l).
Old Gobbo said
Thanks from me too, well done for finding it ( and as for Microsh*t, …..)
Paul said
Do you have any idea how this will work in IE 11, as I can not see the print default setting.
jpluimers said
I’ve no idea.
JR said
Your advice from three years ago has helped me today. I love how the internet allows such sharing. Thank you.
sizzler27 said
Thanks for the help. The most annoying thing is micro$oft know about this problem but do nothing about it. It’s been around since win7 and is still occurring in win8.
Disgusting.
Raghu said
Thanks a lot Jeroen. Apologies for being a late bloomer here, earliest acknowledgement & thanking comment posted byEmily was way back in ’08 …. oops … I also happy to note that your step by step help with pictures shows how meticulous you could be …. thanks I again, I would have been very proud writing this help myself to say least …. :)
jpluimers said
You are welcome (:
emily berke said
Thank You it all actually worked
Emily
mendoza said
excellent. thanks very much. have the latest version of IE and worked straight away. couldn’t have worked it out without your help
keep up the good work
jpluimers said
You are most welcome (:
Ethan said
another workaround…when the error window appears, press Ctrl+print screen. You’ve save (to your clipboard) an image of the desktop. Now open your image processor (e.g., Photoshop), open new file, paste (desktop image) from the clipboard, crop the portion you find useful, save image and then print it (and/or save it for reference).
jpluimers said
I usually print to PDF so I have an electronic copy from which I can copy/paste text.
–jeroen
misun said
Excellent! Thank you very much for my haceadache disappeared….
Chad said
Excellent! Thank you!
Ron Richter said
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Afetr installing a new modem it screwed up many of my programs due to a bad installation disc. This fix was a definate BIG help and now I can move on to the other problems created, my e-mail. Again, thank you for making this soooo simple. The next beer or two is on me.
adam said
I worked out why it needed IE to print. so after the document printed it printed like a web page printed on IE. so on the bottom of the page the location of the document was there. i went into the document in IE and Firefox and the results:
It looks like it cant just directly print the page from IE. it needs to be default first.
jpluimers said
thanks for sorting that out.
–jeroen
George said
I thought that type of bundling was illegal in the EU.
jpluimers said
I’m not sure if there is a provision for particular things not working with one kind of browser (or even browser version, I didn’t do any further checking), but working with the stock browser.
Let me know if you find out.
Vernon Bird said
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you again.
The Old Wolf said
Wish this had helped me. IE8 is my default browser (not by choice, beleive me – I work for a company that has webapps which depend on MicroDung). I still get the error, sadly.
jpluimers said
Sorry this was not of help.
Please let me know if you find a solution that works with IE8.
–jeroen
Devin Garrity said
Thank you for solving an annoying problem. Long live Chrome!
barry said
your advice was VERY helpful. thanks for being there.
OngoingProblem said
Well, they *said* IE was an integral part of the operating system . . .
jpluimers said
It is; but it isn’t always the default browser.
It seems they did not test everything when IE was not the default browser.
–jeroen
HavanaClub said
Thanks! Hope Crosoft will do something because the source of the problem is… again… IE… long live the free browsers! (Firefox Opera Chrome ………. )