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  • #2297157

    Printer redirect for 16-bit app

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    by mr. content ·

    I have a client with an old (1998) mission-critical office management system. This app forces output to LPT1 as defined by the application on the server. This means remote sites can’t print locally.

    The client wants a terminal services setup (be it from Win2003 Server or Citrix) for better remote access to this application. But it seems that even terminal services won’t fix the hard-coded printing issue.

    Any ideas on how to redirect the output request that the server wants to send to its LPT1 port in the main office to whatever network printer (or other port printer, such as USB01) the user wants, regardless of office?

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    • #2686250

      Reply To: Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      by carlos.nino ·

      In reply to Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      On the server you can redirect LPT1 to a net port like this:

      C:\> net use lpt1 \\path\sharedprinter

      Hope this helps!!!

      • #2686245

        Reply To: Printer redirect for 16-bit app

        by mr. content ·

        In reply to Reply To: Printer redirect for 16-bit app

        Thanks for the response.

        Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. The problem is not just a simple redirect to network printing. Multiple offices can use this application off of the server, so multiple users could issue multiple printing requests at the same time (depending on what function they’re doing in this office management system).

        So a net use redirect issued at the main office would screw the remote users, whose output would end up going to the main office.

        It’s almost as if the lpt1 output request needs to be embargoed, and some kind of script written or invoked that would then let the user choose the output device (redirect), print that request, and then return the redirect to null.

    • #2686246

      Reply To: Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      by mr. content ·

      In reply to Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      Clients using the application are all Win98SE

    • #2685622

      Reply To: Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      by mark ·

      In reply to Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      Most DOS apps let you setup multiple printers and different ports like LPT2, LPT3, etc. I would leave LPT1 for the local users and redirect any other ports as desired. You could also setup some batch files with ICONs on the desktop to redirect where desired and instruct the users to click them.

      I had one client where I just started the program with different batch files that redirected LPT1 differently. Like App-HP4, App-HP690, App-Epson, etc. The users started the App with the Icon that printed to their desired printer.

      One other route would be to print to file and then copy the file to the desired printer.

    • #2685302

      Reply To: Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      by joseph moore ·

      In reply to Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      When the remote clients log in via TS, do they all use the same user account to log into TS, or do they all have DIFFERENT accounts?
      If they are different, then you can just add the NET USE LPT1 to a unique logon script that user account only uses, and map to a local printer in THEIR remote office location.

      I don’t know, but it sounds like I am missing something in your query.

    • #3370010

      Reply To: Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      by mr. content ·

      In reply to Printer redirect for 16-bit app

      This question was closed by the author

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