Problem with Print dialog box (changing focus)

When I am about to print a document, I click on the "Print" icon and the Print dialog box appears. When I want to select the duplexing option to print double-sided, I click the "Properties" button from within the "Print" dialog box. I have been doing this for a long time without any problem, but now when I click "Properties," instead of seeing the Properties dialog box, the focus shifts to a completely different application, usually to the browser window that I have open at the time. I then have to click on the Word application in my task bar to return to the Print (Properties) dialog box to finish the request to print my document double-sided. I have a new Dell laptop XPS L701X with Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit installed, and as I mentioned, this problem just started a couple of days ago for no reason that I can ascertain.

Thank you, but when I do what you suggest, I don't see any options in Printer Properties that would seem to address my issue.

Another way to state my problem is that when I click "Properties" in the Print dialog box (to select duplex printing), the focus is then shifted to another application (usually a browser window) instead of staying focused on the newly generated Print Properties dialog box. The dialog box I want to see (Print-Properties) disappears, and I have to re-focus on the application from where I'm printing.

Thanks, Jacee, but my problem really has to do with the Print Properties dialog disappearing behind another open window - my problem isn't about being able to print double-sided. (I switch back & forth between printing single-sided and double-sided, so I don't want to set my Printer Properties to print duplex all the time.) Sorry if I was unclear.

My problem is this: When I click "Properties" from within the Print dialog box, the focus shifts to a completely different application. In other words, instead of seeing the Properties dialog open, a different window comes to the foreground, and the only way I would even know that the Properties dialog actually opened is because the application I'm printing from (usually Word) is flashing on the task bar. So then I have to click on the flashing icon (Word application) to see the Properties dialog, and then I can select duplex and send the print request. It's very annoying.