Member Avatar for tmagee

I have a $6,000 design package which only “prints” its output to a file compatible with the HP PCL3 LaserJet coding language. With my old parallel port PCL3 compatible HP635 printer I can get hard copy by using DOS prompt in Windows 98SE to execute the command “COPY <File-name> LPT1”. I have now bought a HP C6180 USB printer which also claims to use the HP PCL3 coding language, but I have not yet found a way to get it to print a PCL3 formatted file.

1. Dragging and dropping it on the printer fails with a request for an associated application.

2. How do you send a file to the appropriate USB port ?

3. Can a LPT1 port be redirected to a USB port ?

4. I know that you can get a hardware “USB to Parallel” adapter, to connect a USB computer to a parallel printer, but is the reverse available ?

5. Is there a software program that I could get to send a file to a USB port ?

6. Will a solution to this problem be easier or more difficult after I get a new computer (as soon as Service Pack 1 is released for Vista) ? My new computer will still have a parallel port.

Any other inputs would be very welcome.

  • 4 Contributors
  • 7 Replies
  • 770 Views
  • 1 Year Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by blackturtoise

Dani AI

Generated

A short practical diagnosis and path forward based on the thread: the old COPY-to-LPT trick worked because a parallel port is a simple byte-oriented device that DOS/Windows exposed as LPT. Modern USB printers are USB devices managed by the Windows print spooler and drivers, not raw parallel ports, so a plain binary COPY to a USB port will usually do nothing. The usual Windows workaround is to expose the USB printer as a network share and redirect legacy LPT output to that share — that is exactly what proposed, and it is the reason that sharing+redirect works where a direct LPT copy fails. (en.wikipedia.org)

On Windows 98SE the missing step is often the network components: add the "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" service (Control Panel → Network → Configuration → Add → Service), make sure TCP/IP (and Client for Microsoft Networks if present) is installed, then share the printer from the Printers folder so the OS will expose a \computer\sharename path that legacy software can target. That step is what lets the spooler receive a raw PRN/PCL stream on behalf of the old DOS/command-line print path. (manualzilla.com)

If the shared-printer route is not feasible, or if the USB printer is a host‑based/GDI model (many consumer inkjets are), the PCL bytes in the .PRN/.DWG output may simply be ignored. Confirm the file is really PCL and that the printer supports that PCL level; if it does not, a utility that captures LPT output or sends a raw PRN/PRN-like file to an installed Windows printer (or converts PRN/PCL into a GDI print) will be needed. Commercial and small‑utility options exist for DOS/legacy programs (for example, Printfil captures LPT/PRN jobs and can forward or convert them), and there are Raw-Data printer libraries/components for developers who want to script sending binary jobs to an installed printer. ’s suggestion to use a third‑party tool is on the right track. (printfil.com)

Quick troubleshooting checklist (no commands shown here): 1) Verify the PRN file’s language and the printer’s supported PDLs (PCL level vs. PostScript vs. host/GDI). 2) On the Windows host, enable File/Printer Sharing and share the USB printer; test printing to the UNC share from the desktop environment (spooling vs direct printing can affect results). 3) If the PRN still fails, try a capture/redirect utility (Printfil or a raw-print component) or use a system with a real parallel port / a small network print server as a fallback. The experience reported by (sharing the printer and printing to the share from Vista) mirrors these same practical fixes. (pcreview.co.uk)

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for DenisOxon

You should be able to redirect the LPT1 port to USB - I have done for customers who have old software which only uses LPT1 port.

Steps are

1) get printer working on USB port

2) then share it from printer properties

3) then at dos prompt type

net use lpt1 printershare name

net use lpt1: \\computer\printershare name

That should do it

I suggest you keep printer share name to 8 letters with no spaces.

Also if you build this as part of a batch file to print the file you need to delete the assignment before resetting it

NET USE lpt1: | \\computer\printshare name /DELETE /YES

Member Avatar for tmagee

Many thanks for the promising suggestion you made to solve my USB printing problem. You did not however explain Step 2 of your method and I could not find a reference to “sharing” on any of the Tabs of the Property page of either printer. (Properties were accessed under Win98SE by Clicking “Start”, then Clicking “Settings”, then Clicking “Printers”, then Right Clicking the appropriate printer Icon and then Clicking “Properties”). My system has no networked peripherals and I could find no documentation relevant to networks in my DOS manual. I once had a network related Icon on my desktop but my ISP got me to delete this while searching for a solution to an email logon problem. Perhaps this explains the lack of sharing options on the Properties Tabs and I need to install an extra module of Win98SE ?

Can you please tell me exactly what I need to do and point me at the source of documentation for the suggested “net use” command and this method in general.

Member Avatar for DenisOxon

Firstly, my apologies for the delay in replying.

Secondly if you follow this link to Microsoft it details how to

Use a share name of 8 ltters or less and no spaces.

It is not a dos command to share a printer. It does not matter that you have no other PC's to share your printer with.

Then if you follow this link it will explain net use. (Again a Microsoft page)

Hope this makes my previous expanation clearer. Any more questions please ask.

Member Avatar for tmagee

Many thanks for your reply and offer of further help. I will go away and try again. As you can imagine, I am not a computer systems guy, but I am a professional analogue chip design engineer with a lot of experience using PCs an Sun workstations. Any help I can give you, just ask.

Terry

Member Avatar for gjraynor

You can use utilities like File2PRN.exe or WFil2PRN.exe to copy files to any type of printer - including USB printers. See

Member Avatar for tmagee

You can use utilities like File2PRN.exe or WFil2PRN.exe to copy files to any type of printer - including USB printers. See

Many thanks. I will check it out and see if it handles all aspects of ".DWG" files

Terry

Member Avatar for blackturtoise

Thanks for this thread. I had an important document that was "printed to file" as a zjs file and I couldn't print it out again. I'm using vista, and simply sharing the printer and copying the file to \\computer\<printShare name> worked fine.
I'm adding this info as others may find it useful - there does not seem to be much info around about how to do this.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.