Runtime Error 482 is caused by the inability of a system 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 references to the printer settings from any VBA applications.
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 app 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 “drivers” and need 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, error 428 will appear. Now, even though the error used to be quite common (and still is for Windows 10), most people are unaware of it. 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you try to use the “printer” on your system, the problem is that the application you are using will basically use an outdated or broken version of the Printform VBA engine, which causes the error to be displayed.
The solution is to make sure that your printer is installed and working correctly, and then that there are no underlying problems 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 start automatically 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 printing 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 corrupted print spooler.
To resolve one of the most common reasons why Runtime error 482 appears, you need to clear the print queue:
- Press the “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 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 of the underlying queues/groups that may have existed on the system.
3. Reinstall the affected software
Several people reported that the error occurred while using Adobe Acrobat, as well as other tools.
You should 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 and features”
- From the list, select the application that is 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’re an experienced computer user, you’ve probably already tried this. If not, you should at least make sure that the app that is 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 (software libraries it uses to run) are corrupted, damaged, or out of date.
There are two systems that are most relevant here: .NET or Visual C++ (VC++). Reinstalling both gives you the ability to ensure that your system can use the necessary files/settings to work properly…
- Press the “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 (for example, “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, although it will probably stop several apps from working until they’re reinstalled), navigate to your search engine of choice and type “vc++ download “.
The first result should display a page for 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 have 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.
Several “.NET” listings should appear at the top. 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.
These won’t fix the error directly, but they will ensure that the system works as smoothly as possible…
- Press the “Windows” + “S” keys on your keyboard
- Type “CMD” and 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 (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 much longer than SFC, but it should eliminate most of the problems within the Windows system.
If the error still occurs 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 the opinion of a technician OR obtain information from the manufacturers of the software causing the problem. In either case, there will be a core issue causing the error to be displayed.
