DOS printout to USB printer on standalone computer with XP

[James Shilstone]

I have checked out the Google archive on this and can't find an
answer. My customer has a WinXP Home computer and is using a USB
printer. He wants to print from our DOS program, which only prints to
LPT1. We have shared the USB printer, even though he is on a
standalone computer. When we go to the DOS prompt and type:

NET USE LPT1: \\computername\printername /persistent:yes

we get a message "Network location cannot be reached". We have also
tried:

NET USE LPT1: \\localhost\printername /persistent:yes

with the same result.

When we type "NET VIEW" we get a message "There are no entries..."
with no error number.

I have double checked on the printer is definitely shared. We have
even shared a folder to make certain something would be shared. I
found the Microsoft bulletin on "DisableDHCPMediaSense" in the
registry and we have made that entry. We have enabled his network
adapter "just in case".

I am totally stumped. I have a lot of users of our DOS program who
want to print to a USB printer. I have found a few third party printer
drivers and redirectors, but don't want to have to go that route. We
are upgrading our software to Windows, but some of the programs are 6
months off.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
Jay Shilstone

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

You appear to have missed out step 2 in Bruce Sanderson's instructions.
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/printfromdos.htm

 

[James Shilstone]

Actually I did do that part. I have confirmed that the printer is
shared. I also shared a folder, so for certain the computer should
have shown up with the NET VIEW command, but it didn't.

Jay

 

[James Shilstone]

Jay,

As a work around, you could install a generic text printer to LPT1, then
set that printer to print to file, then use your program to print to that
printer.

You should get a text file that could then be printed in DOS using a text
editor. This will work but involves a few steps.

Fred

We are also printing graphics and not just text. I can send the text
part of the output to a file within our program, but not the graphics.

Thanks anyway,
Jay Shilstone

 

[Alex Nichol]

I am totally stumped. I have a lot of users of our DOS program who
want to print to a USB printer. I have found a few third party printer
drivers and redirectors, but don't want to have to go that route. We
are upgrading our software to Windows, but some of the programs are 6
months off.

Anyone have any ideas?

Not really. The trouble is that DOS does not normally deal in USB and
so in a true DOS you need to load (real mode) USB drivers, which you
cannot do in XP. Best suggestion is to make sure the USB printer is
seen in Windows as the default printer, and make sure (Advanced) that
printing is being spooled. Also in its Properties if it has a sharing
page that allows adding additional driver add one for Win95. Then do
the printing to PRN:

But I don't hold out much hope