Printing to DOS apps in terminal services

[Dave Maier]

I have begun using a DOS app in terminal services, and am using the TAME
software (which is just fantastic!)

However, I'm trying to figure out how to get the DOS app to print in TS to
the default Windows printer. I can configure the app to print in a variety
of ways (to print to LPT#, to print to a file and copy to LPT#, or to print
to a file and copy to a NET USE resource). I could share the local printer
and print to that using NET USE, but I have several workstations and don't
want to have users select printers for each workstation they happen to be
on. I want the DOS app to print to the default Windows printer in the TS
session, which is the local printer on the workstation. Anyone have any
expertise or ideas on how to redirect a DOS app print job to the default
Windows printer in a TS session?

Thanks for your help,

Dave Maier

 

[Alan B]

Dave,

I don't think you can do it just using NET USE. All I can think of is to
write something that runs when the user logs in and does the redirect,
using the Windows API to determine what the default printer name is. Maybe
Windows Scripting could do it.

 

[Dave Maier]

Thanks for responding. It sounds like that's the only way to do it. I'm
exploring a script that someone else sent me which does what you are
suggesting. There are still some hurdles to overcome, but it's getting me
closer.

 

[Mark Jerome]

Yes you can use the Net use command for this but it will only work for
win98 and win2000 clients but not XP. Also this funky approach only works if
the same person is loging into the same remote PC. If it's different people
then it won't work or you need to use a generic user logon name that
everyone using the one PC will use.

Basically you name the machine name to be identical to the users logon name.

Name the printer share to be the same name on all remote PC's like: laserjet

Use the net use command you have always done for this but instead of
explicitely specifying the \\machinename use the username %username%
variable in it's place.

This one generic script will work for any machine as long as the user
logging on has the same name as the machine and that the printer share is
identical across the board. Was a nifty convenient thing until XP came
along and would not allow a user account to be built that matches the
machine name. Why I have no idea but XP pretty much killed this approach.




Basically name all the printer shares on the remot PC the same.

Name