How to access a USB Printer from a Legacy DOS program or file prin

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I have been using the DOS Generic CADD6 for a decade or more. It ran very
badly under Windows 98 and runs very well under XP. Most of the time I do
not print from it but put the screen out to a BMP file, then edit that file
in a Windows graphics program to create accurate vector drawings for my web
site pages. Until last year I had an Epson printer with a parallel
connection. Then I bought a USB printer.
Today I wanted to print and the program just hung. When I went to
choices, of course all I was offered was LPT1 & 2, and COM1 ,2 ,& 3 and print
to file.
So is there a way to tell windows XP that DOS LPT1 prints go to the USB
printer?
Also, when I printed to file, the default was PRF, which XP has captured
as a Profile file. I downloaded a program PrintFile to print the file, and
it behaves as it is, but nothing is printed. The drawing on the screen is
white on black, while printing came out black on white paper. Any chance the
print to file thinks it should be putting out white lines?
 
Mike1942 said:
I have been using the DOS Generic CADD6 for a decade or more. It
ran very badly under Windows 98 and runs very well under XP. Most
of the time I do not print from it but put the screen out to a BMP
file, then edit that file in a Windows graphics program to create
accurate vector drawings for my web site pages. Until last year I
had an Epson printer with a parallel connection. Then I bought a USB
printer. Today I wanted to print and the program just hung. When I
went to
choices, of course all I was offered was LPT1 & 2, and COM1 ,2 ,& 3
and print to file.
So is there a way to tell windows XP that DOS LPT1 prints go to the
USB printer?
Also, when I printed to file, the default was PRF, which XP has
captured
as a Profile file. I downloaded a program PrintFile to print the
file, and it behaves as it is, but nothing is printed. The drawing
on the screen is white on black, while printing came out black on
white paper. Any chance the print to file thinks it should be
putting out white lines?
Click to expand...


The first part is easy. Share the printer, the from DOS-prompt "net use
lpt1: \\compname\sharename /persistent"

--
Tumppi
=================================
A lot learned from these newsgroups
Helsinki, FINLAND
(translations from/to FI not always accurate
=================================
 
You don't have to be networked to share a local printer, in this case it's a
way to satisfy your need..

Ah, well, the printer isn't shared. It is accessed with a splitter
from Belkin to connect to our two computers. On the other hand we
have a network so I suppose I could mark it shared and give it a name.
In a general context, I find it frustrating that there is no way to
expose the connections to USB devices.
Click to expand...

--
Tumppi
=================================
A lot learned from these newsgroups
Helsinki, FINLAND
(translations from/to FI not always accurate
=================================
 
Well, I gave the printer a short name as stated in Help and added the line
given to a batch file run during STARTUP
This is the result (copied from command page)
C:\DOCUME~1\Mike\MYDOCU~1\MYWEBS~1\BLINDA~1>net use lpt1:
\\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /persistent

You used an option with an invalid value.

The syntax of this command is:


NET USE
[devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
[/SMARTCARD]
[/SAVECRED]
[[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME

NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]


More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3505.

Suggestions for fixing this would be welcome.
 
Mike1942 said:
Well, I gave the printer a short name as stated in Help and added the line
given to a batch file run during STARTUP
This is the result (copied from command page)
C:\DOCUME~1\Mike\MYDOCU~1\MYWEBS~1\BLINDA~1>net use lpt1:
\\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /persistent

You used an option with an invalid value.

The syntax of this command is:


NET USE
[devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
[/SMARTCARD]
[/SAVECRED]
[[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME

NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]


More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3505.

Suggestions for fixing this would be welcome.
Click to expand...


As the error message shows, the command should have been:

NET USE LPT1 \\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /PERSISTENT:YES

You placed a what may have been superflous colon (:) after the device
name (LPT1), and then didn't complete the persistence switch (option
with invalid value).


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
Bruce said:
Mike1942 said:
Well, I gave the printer a short name as stated in Help and added the
line given to a batch file run during STARTUP
This is the result (copied from command page)
C:\DOCUME~1\Mike\MYDOCU~1\MYWEBS~1\BLINDA~1>net use lpt1:
\\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /persistent

You used an option with an invalid value.

The syntax of this command is:


NET USE
[devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
[/SMARTCARD]
[/SAVECRED]
[[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME

NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]


More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3505.

Suggestions for fixing this would be welcome.
Click to expand...


As the error message shows, the command should have been:

NET USE LPT1 \\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /PERSISTENT:YES

You placed a what may have been superflous colon (:) after the
device name (LPT1), and then didn't complete the persistence switch
(option with invalid value).
Click to expand...
According to the Net Help output the device should be LPT1:
 
Isn't this fun!!
Now we have

C:\DOCUME~1\Mike\MYDOCU~1\MYWEBS~1\BLINDA~1>net use lpt1:
\\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /p
ersistent:yes
System error 66 has occurred.

The network resource type is not correct.

So we have gotten past the syntax errors. Looking up system errors shows a
range from 600 to 800 which makes 66 the sign of a medium beast.
And every time this fails, for some reason the camera interface program
last installed opens 3 copies, each of which steps through 3 screens to be
closed.

Michael W. Ryder said:
Bruce said:
Mike1942 said:
Well, I gave the printer a short name as stated in Help and added the
line given to a batch file run during STARTUP
This is the result (copied from command page)
C:\DOCUME~1\Mike\MYDOCU~1\MYWEBS~1\BLINDA~1>net use lpt1:
\\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /persistent

You used an option with an invalid value.

The syntax of this command is:


NET USE
[devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password | *]]
[/USER:[domainname\]username]
[/USER:[dotted domain name\]username]
[/USER:[username@dotted domain name]
[/SMARTCARD]
[/SAVECRED]
[[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOME

NET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]


More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3505.

Suggestions for fixing this would be welcome.
Click to expand...


As the error message shows, the command should have been:

NET USE LPT1 \\D5LDYM11\EPSONC42 /PERSISTENT:YES

You placed a what may have been superflous colon (:) after the
device name (LPT1), and then didn't complete the persistence switch
(option with invalid value).
Click to expand...
According to the Net Help output the device should be LPT1:
Click to expand...
 
Michael said:
According to the Net Help output the device should be LPT1:
Click to expand...


That's not what my system says. And the command works perfectly
without the colon.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
Bruce said:
That's not what my system says. And the command works perfectly
without the colon.
Click to expand...

.... Or with it, for that matter....


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
Well, it helps if, instead of following the directions for setting the name
of the printer, you explore a bit and discover that inside Properties (not
mentioned in Help) on the tab called Sharing, there is a name for the printer
(Printer3) in this case, which when changed to the one in the command,
results in the command not only running successfully but printing out a
cheerful little message that it did so.
And CADD6, instead of locking up, behaves as tho it is printing and
cheerfully returns to permit additional work. Now there is the 'minor'
problem that the printing doesn't start until one leaves the program, at
which point a piece of paper is kicked out and another loaded for printing,
but no printing is done.
 
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