Microsoft KB Archive/314499

= How to print to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based program in Windows XP =

Article ID: 314499

Article Last Modified on 9/30/2007

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
 * Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1

-



This article was previously published under Q314499





For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 154498.



INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to print to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based program in Microsoft Windows XP.



MORE INFORMATION
By default, most MS-DOS-based programs print directly to either the LPT1 port or to the LPT2 port. However, the output is not automatically routed across a redirector to a print share unless you use one of the following methods.

Method 1
Use the net.exe command to establish a persistent connection. To do this, use the following syntax at a command prompt

net use lpt \\ \  /persistent:yes

where  is the number of the printer port that you want to map, where   is the print server that is sharing the printer, and where   is the name of the printer share.

For example, to map LPT2 to a printer shared as Laser1 on a print server that is named Pserver, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Start, and then click Run.
 * 2) In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
 * 3) Type net use lpt2 \\pserver\laser1 /persistent:yes, and then press ENTER.
 * 4) To quit the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER.

Note In Windows XP, non-administrative users cannot map an LPT port to a network printer path when the LPT port exists on the computer as a physical parallel port.

For more information about how to map LPT ports as a regular user, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

313644 Non-administrators cannot remap an LPT port to a network printer

Method 2
Print directly to the printer share by using the following syntax at a command prompt

print /d:\\ \ :\ \

where  is the print server sharing the printer, where   is the name of the printer share, and where ,  , and   make up the complete path of the document that you want to print.

For example, to print a document that is named letter.doc from the root directory of drive C to a printer shared as Laser1 on a print server that is named Pserver, follow these steps:  Click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK. Type print /d:\\pserver\laser1 c:\letter.doc, and then press ENTER.

The following command-line message appears:

C:\letter.doc is currently being printed

 To quit the command prompt, type exit, and then press ENTER.

Because Novell NetWare's CAPTURE command is not supported in Windows XP, use the following command to map the LPT port to a Novell NetWare print queue:

net use lpt \\server\queue

If the LPT port is redirected successfully, you receive the following message:

The command completed successfully.

To disconnect persistent LPTx connections, use the following syntax:

net use lpt /delete

Note When you try to use the CAPTURE command, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following:

CAPTURE-4.01-923: An unexpected error has occurred: 255 (00FF).

(SPOOL.C: [426])

For additional information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

156429 Supported 16-bit utilities and NetWare-aware applications

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

Additional query words: Capture Printer Port LPT1 LPT2 LPT3

Keywords: kberrmsg kbhowto kbinfo kbprint kb3rdparty KB314499

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.