Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Printing problem with dot matrix

0 helpful
12 replies

by borg7of9

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I have a win2000 pro client that needs to print to dot matrix printer from a DOS application. All was working fine, and now all of a sudden, instead of printing, it will print something like " 10usOp10h12vOsOb3TL0o12a6Ds10h" then it will sometimes print the print job, and sometimes it will not. I changed printers to make sure its not the printer, and I tested also printing something from notepad. Same problem. When printing from notepad, it will print a line "01B>T" and then print the job. So I proved its not the printer, and its not the application, as I can make the problem occur with different apps and different dot matrix printers.

I also checked the dot matrix printers settings, and they are the same as before this problem occured. The printer is attached to lpt1, and is a local printer, not shared.

This is a critical printer, as it prints shipping labels. HELP!!!!!!

12 replies

by pierrejamme

Printing Notepad and printing DOS programs are two different animals. Try this at a command prompt:
c:\any.txt> lpt1
If that doesn't print yopu may need to re-install the DOS drivers for your printer.

by willcomp

Check printer settings and ensure that you are not spooling DOS print jobs.

Try printer redirection describe above. If it prints OK, means printer is working in DOS mode. Then you need to check printer driver for application. DOS apps normally have their own specific printer driver.

Happy hunting.

by maz1980

Try to remove the printer first from control panel. DOS application usually still able to print in that configuration.

by ewgny

This is a Driver problem. You can run a printer with the wrong driver, and have it print OK with basic ASCII characters, which is why notepad printed OK. However once the wrong or corrupted driver has to handle any more you'll print garbage.
Try reinstalling the driver, or try one listed as generic, or one from a slightly different model model printer

by borg7of9

I have already re-installed the driver, and this has not fixed the problem. This system has been working fine for years, and so the correct driver is being used with the correct printer. As I tried a different printer, with a different driver and I get the same problem, I am thinking it cant be a problem with the drivers.

by borg7of9

Also, I changed cables to make sure it was not a cable problem, and I tried printing directly to the printer, ( no spooling)

by borg7of9

Well, in the end, I could not solve this one, vert strange, what I did, is I removed the dot matrix printer, and set up a laser, and used another program to print labels.

This discussion is closed to new replies.