DOS App - Printing - Port Capture

[rynox]

We have legacy DOS programs that print to LPT1. Can Windows XP be set up to capture LPT1 print requests like Windows 95/98 can be and send it to a network printer? Also, how is this done?

Ryan McAtee

Windows XP Professional
Novell NetWare 5.1
HP LaserJet 4000

 

[Masterpjz9]

I dont think it can using the Windows printers UI (user interface), but you could use a logon script (if your in a domain) or you could just have the program run at startup.
here are the steps:

1. open notepad in windows

2. type the following (without the quotes)
"net use LPT2 \\computername\printername /Y"

3. select file>save and save it in the C:\ as "filename.bat" (with the quotes!!!) and click save

4. copy it to the folder c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Startup

try this, it should work

 

[jackal63]

that seems to work, but check this out for bizarre. We have two printers set up to use our DOS legacy app. One has pre-printed paper on the back. We have batch files on the desktop to switch between two network printers that are both accessed through the domain computer. they both say:

delete lpt1 "the other printer"

net use lpt1 "the printer you want to use."

Now, one windows machine, when the users activates the work order printer, prints all windows files (MS office) to the work order printer and not the windows default printer. Even though the dialog box says that it's going to print to the default printer. WIERD. I thought that these LPT1 mappings only effected DOS programs ??