314499 - How to print to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based program in Windows...
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Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 314499
How to print to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based program in
Windows XP
View products that this article applies to.
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 lptx \\printserver\sharename /persistent:yes
where x is the number of the printer port that you want to map, where printserver is the print server that is sharing the
printer, and where sharename 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 additional 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:\\printserver\sharenamedrive:\path\filename
where printserver is the print server sharing the printer, where sharename is the name of the printer share, and where drive:,
path, and filename 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:
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. Type print /d:\\pserver\laser1 c:\letter.doc, and then press ENTER.
The following command-line message appears:
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314499 - How to print to a network printer from an MS-DOS-based program in Windows... Page 2 of 2
C:\letter.doc is currently being printed
4. 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 lptx \\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 lptx /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
308028 Resources for troubleshooting printing problems in Windows XP
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.
The information in this article applies to:
z Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
z Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Last Reviewed: 5/27/2004 (3.0)
Keywords: kb3rdparty kberrmsg kbhowto kbinfo kbprint KB314499
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