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Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

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One of the PCs on a Win 2000 network cannot print from the DOS prompt to a local, physically attached printer. The printer has been uninstalled, and reinstalled a number of times. Printing from Win2K to the printer works fine but issuing a DIR >LPT1at the DOS prompt doesn’t print anything – nor is an error message generated at the DOS prompt or in the Win2K Event Viewer. This PC is also attached to a UNIX server and can print to two printers attached to that server.
Another Win2K PC, attachedto a Novell Netware LAN, has no problem printing from the DOS prompt to a local printer. Since it’s attached to Netware it requires the CSNW module to be loaded and configured. That, to the best of my knowledge, is the only difference between the two PCs as far as the network settings are concerned.
Does anyone know of any other trouble-shooting methods I should try in order to allow the first Win2K PC to print from the command prompt? I verified all the appropriate settings, referred to in a number of MS Knowledg

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Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

In reply to Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

I find that printing to lpt1 works fine on my W2K machine (Without CSNW). The job appears in the printer folder, LOCAL printer as expected.
Do you have a LOCAL printer attached? Mine does not seem to print to a network printer.
For once I found W2K’s on help files useful. Good luck

Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

In reply to Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

In reply to Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

Is it possible that some kind of capture command has been issued on this system so that LPT1 is being redirected to another location? I don’t have a locally attached printer on my WIN2K workstation, but I have captured a network printer to the LPT2port (virtual not physical), and I can print from the DOS prompt just fine. Open the command prompt and type “net use” and press enter. This will tell you if there has been any capturing of printer ports done. If you see LPT1 listed there (even if it says “DISCONNECTED”), then type “net use LPT1 /delete” to remove the mapping. Then try printing again. Hope this helps!

Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

In reply to Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

In reply to Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

In your question you neglected to provide a crucial piece of information … the make and model of the local printer on the PC having the problem. Could it be that the offending device is a WinPrinter ( i.e. only works when driven by Windows’ rasterizer )? From the behaviors you describe (can’t print locally but can print to remote printers on non-Windows OS servers … another computer CAN print locally from the DOS mode under Win2K (is the local printer the same make/model??)) this seems like the first thing I would suspect.

Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

In reply to Printing from the Windows 2000 Command/D

The printer is an HPLJ 6P, similar to an HPLJ 6L that does work with DOS redirection commands.

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