Solutions To Common Printing Problems


How do I print

There are two ways to print

To print from the file menu

  1. Pause using the "state" command on the top menu or by typing alt-s
  2. Click on the window you want to print
  3. Click on Edit and select all
  4. Go to the file menu and hit the print command

To print from the pause and restart menu

  1. Invoke the pause and restart menu by clicking on pause and restart or typing alt-r. That should give you a menu like:


  2. Click on the print button

    You might want to check the printer defaults and make sure that your printer is in landscape mode.


Nothing Printed when I hit the print button

If Nothing printed, there is something wrong with the printer setup or the setup for ReactMD

  1. Check that your printer is attached to the printer port and that the printer is turned on.
  2. Try printing from a word processor. Can you print? If not, the printer is not connected properly.
  3. If you can print from a word processor but not ReactMD then there is probably a setup problem. ReactMD prints by first creating temporary files and then printing the temporary files. The temporary files are called md_image1.bmp, md_image2.bmp, md_image3.bmp, md_image4.bmp. ReactMD needs to have permission to create the temporary files in order to get the printing to work. (If you do not know about permissions talk to your systems administrator). ReactMD should give you an error message if it was not able to create the temporary files, but you can check if the files have been created by opening "my computer" go to the reactMD directory and see if the md_image1.bmp, md_image2.bmp, md_image3.bmp files have been created. If the files have not been created, then the permissions are such that ReactMD cannot create the files. Please see your systems administrator to change the permissions.
  4. If the temporary files exist, then there was a problem invoking the print command. ReactMD uses a windows function "pbrush.exe" to do the printing. pbrush.exe must be executable and in the default path.
    1. Find a copy of pbrush.exe in your windows directory. If pbrush.exe does not exist look for mspaint.exe
    2. Check that the pbrush.exe or mspaint.exe is executable by clicking on it and make sure it opens.
    3. Create a simple graph in the paint program and try printing it. You need a working version of pbrush.exe or mspaint.exe to print from ReactMD
    4. Copy either pbrush.exe or mspaint.exe to the ReactMD directory. If you use mspaint.exe, rename the copy pbrush.exe


The screen did not print correctly

If the screen did not print correctly, something is wrong with the printer setup. Try changing the printer to landscape mode and print again. If that does not work, see your system administrator.


Printer errors

Could not create temporary files

ReactMD prints by first creating temporary files and then printing the temporary files. The temporary files are called md_image1.bmp, md_image2.bmp, md_image3.bmp, md_image4.bmp. ReactMD needs to have permission to create the temporary files in order to get the printing to work. The permissions can fail if there is a previous READ_ONLY copy of the temp files on the hard drive, or if the ReactMD directory is read only.

ReactMD first tries to write the files to the ReactMD home directory and then to the C:/TEMP directory, and then gives the error message.

If you get the error message, find the ReactMD directory and use the properties tab to remove the read only. Alternatively you can ask your systems administrator to fix it.

Could not execute pbrush.exe

ReactMD prints by first creating temporary files and then printing the temporary files using a windows utility called pbrush.exe. ReactMD gives an error message if it cannot execute pbrush.exe. To fix the error:
  1. Find a copy of pbrush.exe in your windows directory. If pbrush.exe does not exist look for mspaint.exe
  2. Check that the file is executable by clicking on it and make sure it opens.
  3. Create a simple graph in the paint program and try printing it. You need a working version of pbrush.exe to print from ReactMD
  4. Copy the file to the ReactMD directory : rename it pbrush.exe if necessary.


How do I print multiple copies?

You cannot automatically print multiple copies with ReactMD. If you want several copies, hit the print button several times.


There is more information on the ReactMD website.
Click here to visit the ReactMD website
Click here for updates to the documentation

For further information about applications of this program please look in Chapter 9 of R. I. Masel, Principles of Adsorption and Reaction on Solid Surfaces, Wiley 1996 or Chapter 8 of R. I. Masel, Kinetics and Catalysis, Wiley 2000