Printing to DOS with a broken LPT1 Port 1

[niallo32]

I use a payroll application called Pascal (DOS) which only prints to the LPT1 Port on a Windows 2000 Workstation. The LPT1 port is damaged on my pc and I need to capture DOS to print to a network Printer.

The Printer is an Oki393c attached to a Jet Direct Card with an IP Address of 10.0.2.20.

I created a batch file called 'Printer.bat' and put it in the Startup folder of All Users, with the following text in it: net use lpt1 \\Servername\Sharename

I tried printing and it still doesnt work - any ideas

 

[Buff1]

If the LPT1 port is still activated deactivate it in you
bios, or if it's a card, remove it then reboot and try it.

 

[edfair]

Try a google search for "print to file". There is one on the web somewhere. Just don't know where it was.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[dbMark]

EdFair was taking about a program named PrintFile from Lerup which monitors a directory you specify and whenever a file (a print job) is placed there it forwards the job to the printer.

Is the printer with JetDirect connected to a print server? If so then you could run this in a DOS window:

NET USE LPT1 \\{PrintServerName}\{PrinterNameOrIP}

To close the redirection:

NET USE LPT1 /DELETE

Also: thread182-155776, thread182-866061, thread290-881855

dbMark

 

[edfair]

There is one for redirecting lpt data to a file. Did a google search and found several on the first couple of pages. Unfortunately I didn't see the free one.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[niallo32]

Thanks for the reply guys - I was out of the office for the last few days.

I've deactivated the LPT1 Port in Device Manager.

From Start/Run \\Servername\Printername calls up the Printer Window of the Printer I want to print to, but when I issue the NET USE LPT1 \\Servername\Printername command from DOS, I get the following error:

System Error 85 has occured.
The Local Device Name is already in use

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[dbMark]

You do not have to deactivate LPT1 in Device Manager. What NET USE does is redirect data headed for that port to another destination, in this case the network printer.

 

[dbMark]

Oh, DOS is older technology and so handling things in Windows is a bit awkward. Don't forget that in Windows NET USE does not allow you to connect directly to a JetDirect-connected printer. The printer driver must be installed on a computer or server somewhere and have sharing enabled with a share name. (Start, Settings, Printers, Add Printer, etc.) Then NET USE can connect you to the shared printer.

NET USE LPT1 \\{ComputerOrServerName}\{PrinterShareName}

 

[niallo32]

I have the Printer setup as a Network Printer and issue the NET USE LPT1 \\{ComputerOrServerName}\{PrinterShareName} command from a DOS Prompt/Batch File etc but I still get the error 'System Error 85 has occured.
The Local Device Name is already in use'.

I have reactivated LPT1 in Device Manager.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[dbMark]

Did you issue this first to ensure any current connection was removed?

NET USE LPT1 /DELETE

If your version of Windows wants you to confirm the deletion, then you can add the /YES parameter.

NET USE LPT1 /DELETE /YES

If you are doing this in a program, you may want to send any resulting message to la-la-land so your screen isn't needlessly cluttered with messages.

NET USE LPT1 /DELETE > NUL

Possibly you can specify either LPT1 or LPT1: with the colon added, since for me it worked either way. Look at all the NET USE options:

NET USE /?

 

[niallo32]

Thanks a lot DBMark - the NET USE DELETE Command seemed to be the problem, and when I put a Semi Colon after LPT1 it printed fine. Much appreciated!

 

[dbMark]

Due to the underlining it may have looked like a semicolon ";" but it was really a colon ":" as in "LPT1:"

In any case it does seem to be optional.

 

[ltromans]

Just my 2 cents, but I had a similar situation that was resolved when I first "added" the printer as a local printer directly connected (just removed the plug and play option and install the drivers)to lpt1. Then the net use command redirected to the networked printer and I was able to print.

 

[niallo32]

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll look into it.

Cheers

 

[bluegroper]

I'll look into it."

Like a mirror.