The Microsoft XPS Document Writer (MXDW) is a print-to-file driver that enables a Windows application to create XML Paper Specification (XPS) document files on versions of Windows starting with Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2). The Microsoft XPS Document Writer (MXDW) is a print-to-file driver that enables a Windows application to create XML Paper Specification (XPS) document files on versions of Windows starting with Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2).
The XML Paper Specification, or XPS, is a file format designed by the Microsoft Corporation and released with Office 2007. According to the knowledge base at Indiana University's Information Technology Services Department, it was designed to compete with Adobe's PDF file format that has been the industry standard since 1993. Since the XPS format is newer than several versions of Windows, a driver will need to be installed on many computers before they can view or print XPS documents. This driver is offered as a free download from Microsoft's website. Any computer with Windows Vista or later already has the XPS driver.
Step 1
Visit Microsoft's website to download the XPS viewer software. You can find a download page by searching for 'XPS' under the Windows Hardware Developer Central section. Click 'Download the Microsoft XPS Essentials Pack' to continue. Alternatively, you can select to download only the viewer, but you will be provided with fewer features. Save the file, and when it has finished downloading, click 'Run' or 'Open' to begin the installation.
Step 2
Walk through the steps in the installer, which will copy the files to your computer. The XPS file viewer, document writer, thumbnail handlers, filters and print drivers will all be installed. You must read through the Microsoft Software License Terms and agree to them for the installation to continue.
Test the installation. Open any printable file, such as a document, image or website, and click 'File' at the top of the screen, then 'Print.' Select the 'Microsoft XPS Document Writer' as the printer, and click 'Print.' The program will then ask you where to save the file, and after a moment of rendering, an XPS file will be created.
Video of the Day
Brought to you by Techwalla
More Articles
The Microsoft XPS Document Writer is an essential core software component that comes pre-installed on Windows Vista and Windows 7. Windows XP users will have to install it from scratch, unless it was previously installed by you or an administrator. The first thing you must do is to check and see if the XPS Document Writer is already installed. If not, Microsoft makes it simple to install the component.
Checking for XPS Document Writer
Step 1
Open any Windows program, like Microsoft Internet Explorer or Microsoft Word.
Step 2
Click the 'File' menu and select 'Print.' This action will open the 'Print' dialog box, giving you access to all your printers and document writers.
Click the down arrow next to the drop-down box for the 'Name' option. If you see 'Microsoft XPS Document Writer' listed as a printer choice, then it is fully installed and you need not take an further action.
Installing the XPS Document Writer
Step 1
Open a Web browser and type 'Microsoft.com/download' in the address bar. Press 'Enter' to load the website. You will arrive at the Microsoft Download Center, where you can obtain many new software components, patches and extensions for the Windows operating system.
Step 2
Type 'xps document writer' in the top search box. Hit 'Enter' to load the search results. On the next page, click the 'Microsoft XMP Paper Specification Essentials Pack' link.
Step 3
Choose which versions is compatible with your operating system and click the 'Download' button. If necessary, agree to any prompts to download the file.
Double-click the downloaded file, which usually ends with a .msu file extension. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the new software component. It may take several minutes to install, but once completed the Microsoft installer will notify you.