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Q98585: Spooling Print Jobs from MS-DOS-Based Applications in Windows

Article: Q98585
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 3.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork kbprint kbPrinting
Last Modified: 07-SEP-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 
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This article contains information about the use of Windows for Workgroups
with third-party products or configurations that have not been tested and
are not supported by Microsoft.

If the steps or procedures described in this article do not function
properly, contact the manufacturer of the third-party product for more
information or use a supported configuration.

SUMMARY
=======

Windows does not have the ability to spool local print jobs sent to the printer
by MS-DOS-based applications. This article contains a potential workaround for
this situation. This workaround may also alleviate device- contention errors.

To spool print jobs from MS-DOS-based applications, you must print from one
computer to another using a dummy port and then redirect the job back to the
first computer. The print job is then put in the print queue. This process may
eliminate device conflicts when you try to print to the local printer.

NOTE: This workaround works only if the application has the ability to choose the
LPT2 port instead of the LPT1 port.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The following example shows how the print job is redirected over the network.
The diagram illustrates the flow of the data, and the text explains how to
configure your system to obtain this functionality.

----------------                                    --------------
|   Server     |=<<===LPT1=<<====<<====LPT2====<<===|   Client   |
----------------     (shared)       (to network)    --------------
      |     |                                           |
      |     |                                           |
      |      ==>>== LPT2 ====>>====>>==LPT2.DOS===>>====
      |         (to network)           (shared)
      |
      |  (Local, LPT1)
------------------
|  Printer: LPT1 |
------------------

1. From the server, share LPT1.

2. From the client, connect to the server using LPT2.

3. From the client, install a printer driver for the port "LPT2.DOS" and share
  it.

4. From the server, connect to the client's newly created share using LPT2.

5. From the server, print from the MS-DOS-based application to LPT2. Your print
  job is now effectively spooled to the printer.

Additional query words: 3.10 3.11 device contention printing dos msdos server client app apps spooler bounce prompt virtual machine vm printers drivers

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Keywords          : kbnetwork kbprint kbPrinting 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWFWSearch
Version           : WINDOWS:

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