Disable LPT1 script

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jamie
  • Start date Start date
J

Jamie

I have an old dos app that prints to LPT1. I need to
allow a couple of WinXP PC's to map the print port to
LPT1. This is easy if the user is loging on locally (net
use lpt1: \\server\printer) but they are loging in using
their domain account.

I have read the following MS article but I dont really
understand it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;313644

I have downloaded Devcon and I can use it as desired when
logged onto the XP machine as local account with admin
rights (devcon disable *PNP0401). But I cant get it to
work in a group policy startup script. I have created an
OU with the relevant XPmachines in it. But I'm not sure
what to put in the script or where to locate the
devcon.exe for the script to work correctly.

Anyone got any ideas on this?
 
I guess I'm confused why they can't use the net use command while logged in
using their domain account - even with regular local user permissions, this
should work just fine. Can't you just put it in these users' login scripts,
or even just a batch file in their startup folders? If you try to run that
command manually from their computers while logged in as them, what errors
do you get?
 
If you read the kb article it explains exactly why it
cannot be done in the usual manner:

"When a user who is not an administrator tries to use the
net use command to remap an LPT port to a network printer
(for example, net use lpt1: \\printer server\print share),
and the LPT port is already assigned to the local parallel
port, the LPT port is not remapped. A use who is not an
administrator can still map a network printer to an LPT
port that is not already assigned to a local parallel-
port.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because only a member of the
Administrators group can use the net use command to map
the LPT port for a local (hardware) parallel port to a
network printer. This behavior is designed to help improve
security."

I need someone to explain to me how the recommended fix in
the article is supposed to work using devcon and start up
scripts. I cant get it to work.

Cheers
 
Ah, sorry, I hadn't read the article. Can your DOS app be redirected to use
LPT2 or 3, by any chance? Might be easier.

Not sure which permissions you'd need to change this behavior on the local
computer w/o granting full admin rights - I'm sure some guru will chime in
with another answer.
 
Back
Top