Print to File Hangs

[David E. Ross]

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>.

Don't ask "Why is there road rage?" Instead, ask
"Why NOT Road Rage?" or "Why Is There No Such
Thing as Fast Enough?"
<http://www.rossde.com/roadrage.html>

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.

 

[Johnw]

David E. Ross submitted this idea :

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215
However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Maybe the answer is here.

xp Print to file
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=xp+Print+to+file&btnG=Search&meta=

http://advancetechnology.today.com/2009/02/13/print-through-prn-files-through-usb-printers-attached/

http://support.mfm.com/support/std_procedures/xpgenericprinter.html

 

[David E. Ross]

The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.

I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>.

Don't ask "Why is there road rage?" Instead, ask
"Why NOT Road Rage?" or "Why Is There No Such
Thing as Fast Enough?"
<http://www.rossde.com/roadrage.html>

 

[Lem]

The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.

I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

Terry's suggestion will work just fine for you. Download a free pdf
creating application such as CutePDF (http://www.cutepdf.com/) and
install it on the Win98 laptop. You can then transfer the resulting pdf
file to your computer (or any other computer) and print it on any
printer you like.

As for why the obsolete "print to file" check box doesn't work on the
Win98 computer, that may be caused by a corrupt printer driver. If
there is more than one printer installed on the Win98 computer, try
selecting a different one than the default and "print to file" using
that printer driver. If there is only one printer installed, then clean
it out and reinstall it. See
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[David E. Ross]

The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.

I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

As for why the obsolete "print to file" check box doesn't work on the
Win98 computer, that may be caused by a corrupt printer driver. If
there is more than one printer installed on the Win98 computer, try
selecting a different one than the default and "print to file" using
that printer driver. If there is only one printer installed, then clean
it out and reinstall it. See
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

No, you have it backwards. Print to file works just fine on my wife's
Windows 98 PC (a desktop, not a laptop). It doesn't work on my Windows
XP PC (also a desktop).

My wife's problem is that there is NO Windows 98 driver for our new
printer. She easily uses Print to file. Then she transfers the file to
me over our ethernet cable LAN. From my PC, I can print the file using
an application called PrintFile, which works quite okay with .prn files.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>.

Don't ask "Why is there road rage?" Instead, ask
"Why NOT Road Rage?" or "Why Is There No Such
Thing as Fast Enough?"
<http://www.rossde.com/roadrage.html>

 

[Lem]

On 6/10/2009 7:25 PM, Terry R. wrote:
The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.
I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

As for why the obsolete "print to file" check box doesn't work on the
Win98 computer, that may be caused by a corrupt printer driver. If
there is more than one printer installed on the Win98 computer, try
selecting a different one than the default and "print to file" using
that printer driver. If there is only one printer installed, then clean
it out and reinstall it. See
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

No, you have it backwards. Print to file works just fine on my wife's
Windows 98 PC (a desktop, not a laptop). It doesn't work on my Windows
XP PC (also a desktop).

My wife's problem is that there is NO Windows 98 driver for our new
printer. She easily uses Print to file. Then she transfers the file to
me over our ethernet cable LAN. From my PC, I can print the file using
an application called PrintFile, which works quite okay with .prn files.

Ah. The whole discussion of the Win98 computer was a red herring.

For some unexplained "test purposes," you want to use "print to file" on
your XP machine and it doesn't work.

Although the output of "Print to file" doesn't have to have a prn
suffix, the *contents* of the file generated when you select this box
are the same no matter what suffix you use. "Print to file" captures
the output of the print driver that normally would go directly to the
printer. The resulting file, whether you use the default prn extension
or not, includes the printer control commands generated by the print
driver. That's why you see all those "unprintable" characters if you
attempt to view a *.prn file in Notepad or the like.

Generally, *.prn files will only print reliably on the same type of
printer that was used to create them. They are intended to be used by
copying the *.prn file to the printer (the PrintFile website recognizes
this: "the program can be seen as a Windows replacement for the DOS
command "copy/b filename LPTx").

The fact that *.prn files generated on your wife's Win98 laptop can
actually be printed on your HP CP1215 suggests that your wife is
generating the *.prn file using a driver for some printer that's "close
enough" to the CP1215. I'd guess it's some earlier HP LaserJet printer,
but probably any simple HP printer driver would do. You might even be
able to use this driver to print directly to the CP1215 over your
network. If you're interested, I'd go to one of the HP forums and ask
"What Win98 driver can I use to print to a CP1215 over a LAN?"
http://www.hp.com/#Connect

If you're having a problem with "print to file" on your XP box, clean
and reinstall the printer driver in question as described in my previous
post.

If you want to actually print to a file, the usual method is to install
the Generic/Text only printer, although, as the name implies, this won't
work well with material other than simple text.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[David E. Ross]

David E. Ross wrote:
On 6/10/2009 7:25 PM, Terry R. wrote:
The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.
I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

As for why the obsolete "print to file" check box doesn't work on the
Win98 computer, that may be caused by a corrupt printer driver. If
there is more than one printer installed on the Win98 computer, try
selecting a different one than the default and "print to file" using
that printer driver. If there is only one printer installed, then clean
it out and reinstall it. See
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

No, you have it backwards. Print to file works just fine on my wife's
Windows 98 PC (a desktop, not a laptop). It doesn't work on my Windows
XP PC (also a desktop).

My wife's problem is that there is NO Windows 98 driver for our new
printer. She easily uses Print to file. Then she transfers the file to
me over our ethernet cable LAN. From my PC, I can print the file using
an application called PrintFile, which works quite okay with .prn files.

Ah. The whole discussion of the Win98 computer was a red herring.

For some unexplained "test purposes," you want to use "print to file" on
your XP machine and it doesn't work.

Although the output of "Print to file" doesn't have to have a prn
suffix, the *contents* of the file generated when you select this box
are the same no matter what suffix you use. "Print to file" captures
the output of the print driver that normally would go directly to the
printer. The resulting file, whether you use the default prn extension
or not, includes the printer control commands generated by the print
driver. That's why you see all those "unprintable" characters if you
attempt to view a *.prn file in Notepad or the like.

Generally, *.prn files will only print reliably on the same type of
printer that was used to create them. They are intended to be used by
copying the *.prn file to the printer (the PrintFile website recognizes
this: "the program can be seen as a Windows replacement for the DOS
command "copy/b filename LPTx").

The fact that *.prn files generated on your wife's Win98 laptop can
actually be printed on your HP CP1215 suggests that your wife is
generating the *.prn file using a driver for some printer that's "close
enough" to the CP1215. I'd guess it's some earlier HP LaserJet printer,
but probably any simple HP printer driver would do. You might even be
able to use this driver to print directly to the CP1215 over your
network. If you're interested, I'd go to one of the HP forums and ask
"What Win98 driver can I use to print to a CP1215 over a LAN?"
http://www.hp.com/#Connect

If you're having a problem with "print to file" on your XP box, clean
and reinstall the printer driver in question as described in my previous
post.

If you want to actually print to a file, the usual method is to install
the Generic/Text only printer, although, as the name implies, this won't
work well with material other than simple text.

Please reread the first paragraph of the original message in this thread.

When I check the Print to file checkbox and then select the Print button
on my PC, whatever application from which I'm attempting to print hangs.
I have to resort to Ctrl-Alt-Del (to get the Windows Task Manager) in
order to kill the application. This seems to happen with ALL
applications that have a printing capability.

No, I have no trouble actually printing to my HP Color LaserJet CP1215.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>.

Don't ask "Why is there road rage?" Instead, ask
"Why NOT Road Rage?" or "Why Is There No Such
Thing as Fast Enough?"
<http://www.rossde.com/roadrage.html>

 

[Lem]

On 6/11/2009 6:21 AM, Lem wrote [in part]:
David E. Ross wrote:
On 6/10/2009 7:25 PM, Terry R. wrote:
The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.
I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

As for why the obsolete "print to file" check box doesn't work on the
Win98 computer, that may be caused by a corrupt printer driver. If
there is more than one printer installed on the Win98 computer, try
selecting a different one than the default and "print to file" using
that printer driver. If there is only one printer installed, then clean
it out and reinstall it. See
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

No, you have it backwards. Print to file works just fine on my wife's
Windows 98 PC (a desktop, not a laptop). It doesn't work on my Windows
XP PC (also a desktop).

My wife's problem is that there is NO Windows 98 driver for our new
printer. She easily uses Print to file. Then she transfers the file to
me over our ethernet cable LAN. From my PC, I can print the file using
an application called PrintFile, which works quite okay with .prn files.

Ah. The whole discussion of the Win98 computer was a red herring.

For some unexplained "test purposes," you want to use "print to file" on
your XP machine and it doesn't work.

Although the output of "Print to file" doesn't have to have a prn
suffix, the *contents* of the file generated when you select this box
are the same no matter what suffix you use. "Print to file" captures
the output of the print driver that normally would go directly to the
printer. The resulting file, whether you use the default prn extension
or not, includes the printer control commands generated by the print
driver. That's why you see all those "unprintable" characters if you
attempt to view a *.prn file in Notepad or the like.

Generally, *.prn files will only print reliably on the same type of
printer that was used to create them. They are intended to be used by
copying the *.prn file to the printer (the PrintFile website recognizes
this: "the program can be seen as a Windows replacement for the DOS
command "copy/b filename LPTx").

The fact that *.prn files generated on your wife's Win98 laptop can
actually be printed on your HP CP1215 suggests that your wife is
generating the *.prn file using a driver for some printer that's "close
enough" to the CP1215. I'd guess it's some earlier HP LaserJet printer,
but probably any simple HP printer driver would do. You might even be
able to use this driver to print directly to the CP1215 over your
network. If you're interested, I'd go to one of the HP forums and ask
"What Win98 driver can I use to print to a CP1215 over a LAN?"
http://www.hp.com/#Connect

If you're having a problem with "print to file" on your XP box, clean
and reinstall the printer driver in question as described in my previous
post.

If you want to actually print to a file, the usual method is to install
the Generic/Text only printer, although, as the name implies, this won't
work well with material other than simple text.

Please reread the first paragraph of the original message in this thread.

When I check the Print to file checkbox and then select the Print button
on my PC, whatever application from which I'm attempting to print hangs.
I have to resort to Ctrl-Alt-Del (to get the Windows Task Manager) in
order to kill the application. This seems to happen with ALL
applications that have a printing capability.

No, I have no trouble actually printing to my HP Color LaserJet CP1215.

You don't seem to understand.

In *whatever* application you use to print, when the print dialog box
opens (the place where you see the "print to file" checkbox), there is a
drop-down box to select the printer to which you want to print. What
happens when you select a printer and click "Print" is that the
application sends its output to the printer driver that was installed
for the printer you selected. The printer driver processes the output
from the application, inserts printer control commands as needed, and
sends the resulting output to the printer. If you check the "print to
file" box, only the last step changes: the printer driver sends its
output to a file instead of directly to the printer.

If the "print to file" option isn't working, that suggests that there is
something amiss with the printer driver, whether or not you have any
problems printing to the actual printer.

I don't know that for certain, of course, but the easy way to determine
if that's the cause of your problem is to uninstall and reinstall the
driver. If you don't want to do that, that's your choice.

I have no further suggestions for you.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Paul]

On 6/11/2009 6:21 AM, Lem wrote [in part]:
David E. Ross wrote:
On 6/10/2009 7:25 PM, Terry R. wrote:
The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.
I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

As for why the obsolete "print to file" check box doesn't work on the
Win98 computer, that may be caused by a corrupt printer driver. If
there is more than one printer installed on the Win98 computer, try
selecting a different one than the default and "print to file" using
that printer driver. If there is only one printer installed, then clean
it out and reinstall it. See
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

No, you have it backwards. Print to file works just fine on my wife's
Windows 98 PC (a desktop, not a laptop). It doesn't work on my Windows
XP PC (also a desktop).

My wife's problem is that there is NO Windows 98 driver for our new
printer. She easily uses Print to file. Then she transfers the file to
me over our ethernet cable LAN. From my PC, I can print the file using
an application called PrintFile, which works quite okay with .prn files.

Ah. The whole discussion of the Win98 computer was a red herring.

For some unexplained "test purposes," you want to use "print to file" on
your XP machine and it doesn't work.

Although the output of "Print to file" doesn't have to have a prn
suffix, the *contents* of the file generated when you select this box
are the same no matter what suffix you use. "Print to file" captures
the output of the print driver that normally would go directly to the
printer. The resulting file, whether you use the default prn extension
or not, includes the printer control commands generated by the print
driver. That's why you see all those "unprintable" characters if you
attempt to view a *.prn file in Notepad or the like.

Generally, *.prn files will only print reliably on the same type of
printer that was used to create them. They are intended to be used by
copying the *.prn file to the printer (the PrintFile website recognizes
this: "the program can be seen as a Windows replacement for the DOS
command "copy/b filename LPTx").

The fact that *.prn files generated on your wife's Win98 laptop can
actually be printed on your HP CP1215 suggests that your wife is
generating the *.prn file using a driver for some printer that's "close
enough" to the CP1215. I'd guess it's some earlier HP LaserJet printer,
but probably any simple HP printer driver would do. You might even be
able to use this driver to print directly to the CP1215 over your
network. If you're interested, I'd go to one of the HP forums and ask
"What Win98 driver can I use to print to a CP1215 over a LAN?"
http://www.hp.com/#Connect

If you're having a problem with "print to file" on your XP box, clean
and reinstall the printer driver in question as described in my previous
post.

If you want to actually print to a file, the usual method is to install
the Generic/Text only printer, although, as the name implies, this won't
work well with material other than simple text.

Please reread the first paragraph of the original message in this thread.

When I check the Print to file checkbox and then select the Print button
on my PC, whatever application from which I'm attempting to print hangs.
I have to resort to Ctrl-Alt-Del (to get the Windows Task Manager) in
order to kill the application. This seems to happen with ALL
applications that have a printing capability.

No, I have no trouble actually printing to my HP Color LaserJet CP1215.

If you wanted to debug the problem, you could use Process Monitor from
Sysinternals.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx

The trick to using that tool, is knowing the name of the executable
that does the actual printing. Then watch its final sequence of
events, leading up to it freezing or jamming in a loop. If the thing
was looping, perhaps it generates the same events in the window, over
and over again. Or, if the executable is waiting for some other
resource, it might just be stuck, and no further events for
that executable would be evident. The stuff leading up to the
freeze, could hint at why it is upset.

There are no guarantees with tools like that, because you're wading
in a sea of data. If you can use the "filter" feature in the
tool wisely, the amount you have to look at can be considerably
reduced.

I've used that tool, to identify an entry to remove from the
registry. So you can get enough evidence from it, to fix problems.

But that is only if you're curious.

Some of the Sysinternals tools, don't get along that well with
certain AVs. On my other machine, Kaspersky and Sysinternals
would get a choke hold on one another, and then I'd have to
push the reset button, and reboot On that machine, I
had to sort the various Sysinternals into two piles - one
pile that freezes the computer, the other pile, the stuff
that works. So before you run the Process Monitor, I recommend
closing all other applications the first time. Until you
get some idea how well it works in your environment.

Paul

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:14:28 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

The date and time was Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:54:23 PM, and on a
whim, David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

However, I would like to use "Print to file" on my own PC for occasional
test purposes. This doesn't have to be .prn files; it can be with other
file-types.

Hi David,

Good to "see" you on another server.

Doesn't answer your question specifically, but I'm curious why you
wouldn't just print to a PDF file instead? It's platform independent
and you don't need to print to any specific printer as the PRN files do.

Print to file had a purpose once, but that time has passed IMO.


Terry R.

I think I explained why my wife must use "Print to file", but I'll do it
again. Her PC is too old to have the capacity for Windows XP; she has
Windows 98. There is no print driver for Windows 98 to drive an HP
LaserJet CP1215, which is on our LAN. So she prints to a file, which
she then sends to me. I can print it using PrintFile.

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

There isn't any reason your wife "must" use "Print to file". Installing
a free PDF driver like I suggested would work for EVERY application, AND
you could access the files from the network and print to ANY printer,
not just a specific printer as the PRN file does.

I don't see why you want to keep trying to use an outdated method when
there are new ones available.

I'm not trying to resolve your current issue, just give you new options
that work better.



Terry R.

 

[Richard]

Obviously your "Print to file" option in your Print dialog is not working as
it should. Was there a time when that option did work? With my XP-pro SP3
system, after selecting a Printer, and then check Print to file, and click
Print, then a file save dialog appears to enter a filename, and then click
OK, which completes the operation. How you could get a file, empty or
otherwise, before getting to the enter filename dialog is strange. What is
the name of the file created? Does it appear on your desktop, or whatever
default folder your application is using? What applications? Word? WordPad
NotePad? Outlook Express? Internet Explorer? The problem does not appear to
be application specific, therefore the problem is either with the printer
driver, or corruption in the Windows file that handles the Print dialog.
Have you had a virus or malware invasion that may have left residual
effects? If you have more than one printer, try selecting another, observe
that the Status says "Ready" and try the Print to file again.

My wife's PC (Windows 98) can print to a file, creating .prn files. I
have an application on my PC (PrintFile by Peter Lerup at
[http://www.lerup.com/printfile/]) that will print a .prn file. This is
important because, although my wife's PC is networked to mine, there is
no CP1215 driver for Windows 98. Thus, I use PrintFile to print the .prn
files she sends me over our LAN.

You should be able to drag and drop the PRN file directly onto a printer
shortcut on your desktop to print it. (If you don't have a shortcut, go to
Control Panel and open your Printers folder, right click on the printer and
create shortcut and move it to your desktop or wherever it is handy.)

Print To File factoid: "Prints the document to a file instead of routing it
directly to a printer. You will be prompted to specify the filename and
location." - "The document is saved with the printer formatting, such as
font selection and color specifications, in a .prn file that can be printed
on another printer."

Therefore, the file extension doesn't matter. The printer driver formats the
information sent to the file the same way it is sent to the printer. The
file is essentially a temporary holding area for something that could have
been sent directly to the printer. There are mainly 2 formats that most
printers use:

[begin quote:]
Printer Control Language (PCL)
The page-description language (PDL) developed by Hewlett Packard for their
laser and inkjet printers. Because of the widespread use of laser printers,
this command language has become a standard in many printers.

PostScript (PS)
A page-description language (PDL), developed by Adobe Systems for printing
on laser printers. PostScript offers flexible font capability and
high-quality graphics. It is the standard for desktop publishing because it
is supported by imagesetters, the high-resolution printers used by printing
services for commercial typesetting.
[:end quote - from Windows XP Help]

If there is a problem printing a file from my wife, I will want to
experiment from my own PC (Windows XP) to diagnose the problem. For
that, I would need to print to a file.

Your other messages seem to indicate that you have had no problems printing
any of the PRN files from the other computer. If the hypothetical
possibility happens, it would be a problem with the PRN file itself, which
needs to be corrected on the Win98 computer, since it is using an older
printer driver. You might try installing that old driver on your WinXP, and
select it, and see if your XP Print to File works that way. (Is there any
reason why you have not upgraded your XP to Service Pack 3? With dial up
connection, I have downloaded large updates for awhile one night,
disconnected, and then re-started the download the next night - they picked
up where they left off, and eventually installed.

Another related issue I noticed:

[begin quote:]
Help and Support Center
What's New In Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2):
Frequently Asked Questions.
How will my home network configurations change?
* If Windows Firewall is turned on, information about a printer, such as
"Ready" or "Paused," in the Printers and Faxes folder, will not appear
immediately (but it will appear soon), and your computer will not receive
notifications (such as "print job completed," or "printer out of paper")
from your printer.
[:end quote]

FWIW. --Richard

 

[David E. Ross]

Windows XP SP2
HP Color LaserJet CP1215

If I print from a Print dialog window, I see a checkbox for "Print to
file". If I select the checkbox, whatever application from which I am
trying to print hangs when I select the Print button. I have to use
Ctrl-Alt-Del to get the Windows Task Manager to terminate the
application. I do get a file from attempting to print to a file, but
the file is empty.

The problem was within the HP Color LaserJet CP1215 driver, which does
not support "Print to file". I used Windows XP to setup an older print
driver from Window's built-in inventory of drivers. That solved the
problem.

NOTE TO ALL THOSE WHO REPLIED:

My original question -- the problem I was trying to solve -- was NOT
about printing a .prn file in Windows XP; I am quite able to do that on
my own PC. It was NOT about creating a .prn in Windows 98; my wife is
quite able to "Print to file" on her PC.

The problem was that I could not GENERATE a .prn file in Windows XP on
my own PC. Any attempt "Print to file" caused my PC to hang until I
killed the application that tried to print. I would have to use Windows
Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) to kill that application.

Please read questions carefully before answering any post on this
newsgroup. I received many answers to questions I did not ask but no
answers to the question I did ask.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>.

Don't ask "Why is there road rage?" Instead, ask
"Why NOT Road Rage?" or "Why Is There No Such
Thing as Fast Enough?"
<http://www.rossde.com/roadrage.html>

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:17:03 PM, and on a whim,
David E. Ross pounded out on the keyboard:

The problem was within the HP Color LaserJet CP1215 driver, which does
not support "Print to file". I used Windows XP to setup an older print
driver from Window's built-in inventory of drivers. That solved the
problem.

NOTE TO ALL THOSE WHO REPLIED:

My original question -- the problem I was trying to solve -- was NOT
about printing a .prn file in Windows XP; I am quite able to do that on
my own PC. It was NOT about creating a .prn in Windows 98; my wife is
quite able to "Print to file" on her PC.

The problem was that I could not GENERATE a .prn file in Windows XP on
my own PC. Any attempt "Print to file" caused my PC to hang until I
killed the application that tried to print. I would have to use Windows
Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) to kill that application.

Please read questions carefully before answering any post on this
newsgroup. I received many answers to questions I did not ask but no
answers to the question I did ask.

Forgive us that offered another technology to bring you into 2009! If
you want to use a printing method that ONLY allows printing to a SINGLE
printer, fine.

Printing to a PDF file is just ONE way it's done now days David.


Terry R.