ms-dos printer

[ronaries]

How can I be sure that a printer will print in ms-dos ? My ms-dos program
software has HP laserjet II drivers ... but I have not found that all
printers will print it. I am running WindowsXP and considering buying a
Dell or Okidata printer. Is it sufficient to see that the printer's
language is pcl5e? What about pcl6 ?
thanks

 

[Alan]

How can I be sure that a printer will print in ms-dos ? My ms-dos program
software has HP laserjet II drivers ... but I have not found that all
printers will print it. I am running WindowsXP and considering buying a
Dell or Okidata printer. Is it sufficient to see that the printer's
language is pcl5e? What about pcl6 ?
thanks

PCL5e printers will definitely print PCL4 (HPII). I'm not sure about
PCL6, this is radically different from previous PCLs. But most PCL6
printers, at least those from HP, also include PCL5.

See
<http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=940074>


You might also do it in software, especially if your app can print to
PostScript. (Using GhostScript.)

 

[zakezuke]

PCL5e printers will definitely print PCL4 (HPII)

Point of note... lasers typicaly require a form feed to indicate an end
of job when dealing with dos printing. One can either hit the form
feed button on the printer or alternativly one could issue the correct
ctrl-key to the printer using the following syntax

x:\>echo ^l > prn:
x:\>echo ^l > lpt1:

Where ^l = ctrl-L (IIRC this is form feed, but I could be incorrect
it's been a while). PRN is the printer device, where lpt1: is the
first parallel port. Only one of those two is required.

Large dumps of text will continue printing till you reach a point where
the last page sits in the printers buffer waiting for more data.
Either hit form feed or issue a form feed.

 

[Warren Block]

How can I be sure that a printer will print in ms-dos ? My ms-dos program
software has HP laserjet II drivers ... but I have not found that all
printers will print it. I am running WindowsXP and considering buying a
Dell or Okidata printer. Is it sufficient to see that the printer's
language is pcl5e? What about pcl6 ?

PCL5, 5e, and 6 are supersets of PCL, so any printer with them should
be able to handle the older LaserJet II PCL.

Seems like there have been some host-based printers that claim to
support PCL. These printers won't work in DOS.

 

[Bennett Price]

One thing to consider is whether a USB port is supported by the DOS
program. You may want to buy a printer that has a parallel port just to
be safe. (Is there a way to redirect lpt1 to usb?)

 

[Ron Martell]

How can I be sure that a printer will print in ms-dos ? My ms-dos program
software has HP laserjet II drivers ... but I have not found that all
printers will print it. I am running WindowsXP and considering buying a
Dell or Okidata printer. Is it sufficient to see that the printer's
language is pcl5e? What about pcl6 ?
thanks

What printer port options does your DOS app provide?

If your chosen printer uses USB rather than Parallel for connecting to
the computer then when you install the printer you have to configure
it so that it also captures the LPT port that your DOS app will be
printing to.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Andrew Rossmann]

One thing to consider is whether a USB port is supported by the DOS
program. You may want to buy a printer that has a parallel port just to
be safe. (Is there a way to redirect lpt1 to usb?)

If you want a DOS program to print to a printer on a USB port, you
need to share your printer, then connect to your own share. This
requires that the 'Server' service is running.

Type from Start/Run, or make a SHAREIT.BAT text file and put it in
your startup folder:
NET USE LPT1 \\yourcomputer\yourshare

The above won't work if the DOS software tries to directly access the
parallel ports, which a few did. They will usually fail under NT/2K/XP
even if you have a parallel port printer.

There are some programs out there that somehow capture DOS printing
and can let you use printers that are 'Windows only' (host-based
printers).

 

[Warren Block]

If you want a DOS program to print to a printer on a USB port, you
need to share your printer, then connect to your own share. This
requires that the 'Server' service is running.

Type from Start/Run, or make a SHAREIT.BAT text file and put it in
your startup folder:
NET USE LPT1 \\yourcomputer\yourshare

The above won't work if the DOS software tries to directly access the
parallel ports, which a few did. They will usually fail under NT/2K/XP
even if you have a parallel port printer.

There's a basic misunderstanding here. The question was about a printer
that would work for MS-DOS. What you are describing is for using
Windows to run an MS-DOS program. But there are still users of MS-DOS
out there, and the Windows procedures and host-based printers will not
work for them.

 

[Alan]

There's a basic misunderstanding here. The question was about a printer
that would work for MS-DOS. What you are describing is for using
Windows to run an MS-DOS program. But there are still users of MS-DOS
out there, and the Windows procedures and host-based printers will not
work for them.

Actually, the original poster said:
:How can I be sure that a printer will print in ms-dos ? My ms-dos program
:software has HP laserjet II drivers ... but I have not found that all
rinters will print it. I am running WindowsXP

Which I read as running a DOS app under WinXP. So various workarounds
for USB ports and Winprinters apply. Though life is simpler if it all
works under DOS.

PCL5, 5e, and 6 are supersets of PCL, so any printer with them should
be able to handle the older LaserJet II PCL.

There is a paucity of information about PCL6 online. But I've seen
some mentions of compatibility problems with earlier PCL drivers, so I
wouldn't assume it will work without testing. Should be possible to
take a copy of the app on a floppy or CD and run it at the shop, or
print to file and take the .prn file.