Printing from DOS Programs to USB Printers on 32-Bit Windows
This doesn't apply to 64-bit versions of Windows as they can't even run DOS programs. In that case you need to use vDOS or DOSBox-X.
If you are fortunate enough to have 32-bit Windows the problem is two-fold. Firstly DOS doesn't know what the hell a USB port is. There are ways to redirect what would in the old days have gone to a printer port but here we come to the second problem: a modern printer may not understand what it is being asked to do.
There are programs about which fix both these problems but they tend to need paying for. I've finally tracked down a free one which works very well indeed so here it is. Included is a manual on how to set it up which I wrote years ago. As I no longer use Windows I can't say how accurate this now is.
This doesn't apply to 64-bit versions of Windows as they can't even run DOS programs. In that case you need to use vDOS or DOSBox-X.
If you are fortunate enough to have 32-bit Windows the problem is two-fold. Firstly DOS doesn't know what the hell a USB port is. There are ways to redirect what would in the old days have gone to a printer port but here we come to the second problem: a modern printer may not understand what it is being asked to do.
There are programs about which fix both these problems but they tend to need paying for. I've finally tracked down a free one which works very well indeed so here it is. Included is a manual on how to set it up which I wrote years ago. As I no longer use Windows I can't say how accurate this now is.
winprint-1.5.0.50-beta-bin.zip | |
File Size: | 348 kb |
File Type: | zip |
A lot depends on exactly what software you are using and what printer. If your old DOS program could use an HP Laser Jet printer you MAY be able to operate it directly. This printer used HP Printer Control Language which a lot of modern ones do, albeit in up-dated form.
To redirect what the DOS program is trying to send to the old LPT1 printer port to a printer plugged into a USB port proceed as follows:--
Go to Settings, Printers — or Printers and Faxes on XP. Right-Click the one you want to use and then Click Sharing.
Tick the box to 'Share this printer' and give it a name. I called mine Dell.
Now open a command prompt and type:—
To redirect what the DOS program is trying to send to the old LPT1 printer port to a printer plugged into a USB port proceed as follows:--
Go to Settings, Printers — or Printers and Faxes on XP. Right-Click the one you want to use and then Click Sharing.
Tick the box to 'Share this printer' and give it a name. I called mine Dell.
Now open a command prompt and type:—
net use lpt1: \\computer name\printer name /p:yes
In my case that's:--
net use lpt1: \\sony\dell /p:yes
If this doesn't work or you want to switch it off for any other reason the command is:--
net use lpt1: /d
If for some reason your DOS program doesn't print to LPT1 change that to LPT2, COM1 or whatever.