Microsoft KB Archive/78971

= FastTips: Printing in Windows 3.0 Questions and Answers =

ID: Q78971

SUMMARY
This article contains the complete text of the &quot;Printing in Windows 3.0&quot; fax script.

This fax script is available to customers who call the Microsoft FastTips Service for Operating Systems at (800) 936-4200.

MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Windows, Version 3.0 Automated Product Support Service Fax-Script Questions and Answers: Printing in Windows 3.0 --

1. Q. I want to install my printer but it is not on the list of     printers in the Windows Control Panel. How do I use my printer in Windows?

A. Your printer will work best in Windows if there is a printer driver written for it. If your printer is not supported by the original Windows disks, you may still be able to get a Windows 3.0 printer driver for it.

Many printer companies have arranged for their Windows 3.0 printer drivers to be put in Microsoft's supplemental drivers library. To determine if your printer is currently supported in     the Windows 3.0 Supplemental Driver Library, call Microsoft Customer Service at (800)426-9400.

If Microsoft doesn't yet have a driver for your printer, call your printer manufacturer's technical support number to see if     the printer manufacturer can supply the printer driver directly to you.

If they can't provide one, ask whether your printer will emulate a printer that Windows does support. Emulation is the least-preferred solution because this may or may not fully support all of your printer's features.

2. Q. I am using a network that's not on the list of supported networks that was in the box with my Windows disks. I can print to a network printer from DOS but I can't print from Windows. How do I print from Windows with this network?

A. Check with the company that makes your network and get its recommendations for using its network with Windows. The best solution is for your network manufacturer to provide software that allows Windows to use its network correctly.

If your network manufacturer or installer can't assist you, the following workaround may be helpful:

a. Start the Windows Control Panel. Open the Printers selection and select the printer you want to use from the &quot;Installed Printers&quot; list.

b. Select &quot;Configure.&quot; In the Configure dialog box, look at the &quot;Ports&quot; section. If your printer is currently set to LPT1, scroll down the list and select LPT1.OS2; if the current setting is LPT2, then change it to LPT2.OS2.

c. Press ENTER or click OK to return to the Printers dialog box. Confirm that your change is reflected in your printer's        listing, and that your printer is set to &quot;Active.&quot; Press ENTER or click OK to save the changes.

This setting causes Windows to send what it prints to MS-DOS so that your network can use it. This is a workaround, and it        has its limitations. Some large files, especially large graphics files, might not print correctly.

3. Q. I am having trouble printing from Windows when my computer is     connected to a printer through a printer sharing device. What can I do?

A. There is no standard for how printer sharing devices are designed. Windows prints directly to the ports on your computer. If your printer sharing device doesn't provide the signals Windows expects, Windows may not be able to print through it. However, if you can print from DOS through this printer sharing device, use the workaround described in steps 2a, 2b, and 2c above. This workaround should enable you to print from Windows.

If this workaround does not work satisfactorily, contact the printer sharing device manufacturer to see if the manufacturer has tested the printer sharing device with Windows, and to     request assistance.

4. Q. I can't print from Windows either to a printer connected directly to my computer or to one on a supported network. What can I do?

A. Here are three standard methods to troubleshoot and solve Windows printing problems:

a. Check your Windows printer settings:

1) Start the Windows Control Panel and open the Printers           dialog box.

2) Make sure your printer is listed and make sure that there           is a printer designated as &quot;Default Printer.&quot; The default            printer does not need to be the printer you are trying to            use but there does need to be one printer designated as            the default printer.

3) If there is no default printer, double-click the name of           the printer you want to be the default printer, or            highlight its name, hold down the ALT key and press D.

4) Check to make sure your printer setup and configuration           are correct by selecting the Configure button and then the            Setup button.

5) If these settings are correct, click the OK buttons all           the way back to the Control Panel. This will save your            changes. Choosing &quot;Cancel&quot; (or &quot;Close&quot; from the system icon in the upper-left corner) will abort any changes if           you decide not to save them.

b. Test to see if you can print from DOS. With printers other than PostScript printers, you can test to see if the computer and printer are communicating by entering this command:

copy c:\autoexec.bat lpt1

Press ENTER. In place of LPT1, use the port your printer is        connected to if it is different. If you are using a laser printer, you may have to press the printer's form feed button.

Serial printers may require special setting up. If you are not sure if this has been done, contact your dealer or local computer support person.

If the printer did not print then there is a hardware problem with your printer, computer, or cabling, which may need servicing. If it does print, try the next procedure.

c. Check the TEMP statement. Windows uses temporary files when printing. If Windows does not have a place to put these temporary files, you may not be able to print. To check this:

1) Start Windows Notepad and open the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in           the root directory.

2) Check it for a line that reads SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP.           In this example, the TEMP variable is set to a Windows            subdirectory of the same name.

While this TEMP statement is one that is commonly used, you can designate any existing directory on a hard drive or a RAM drive that has 2 to 3 megabytes (MB) of free space. Just make sure that there is a TEMP statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and make sure that the named path and directory actually exist as entered.

A common problem is hidden space characters at the end of the SET TEMP line. Since space characters don't show in Windows Notepad, the easiest way to make sure that there are none is        to delete the SET TEMP line and re-enter it. If there is no        TEMP statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or if you're not sure if it is correct, you can use the following setting:

SET TEMP=C:\ KBCategory: kbprint kbfasttip KBSubcategory: win30 Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a ivrfax QWW30

Last Reviewed: November 23, 1994