Unable to initialize device prn

[Jens R. Rasmussen]

Hi,

I have a pc running XP and a printer connected to LPT3 (i dont know why 3,
for I only have one LPT port). From windows I can send a print job to the
printer without problems. However when I try to send a print job from command
promt, i.e. 'PRINT filename', nothing happens and I get the error message
'Unable to iniliatize device PRN'.

I installed the LPT device recently - so may be I have to set some
parameters for command promt somewhere?

Can anybody help me?

regards
Jens

 

[ANONYMOUS]

In windows you can't use a print command. This used to be a DOS command
but in Windows you can try this:

copy FILENAME.txt lpt3 /b

where FILENAME.txt is your file name and lpt3 is your printer port.
Please also note that DON'T send a binary file to the prn port because
you will only get gibberish and lots of paper waste.

If LPT3 gives you an error then just replace it with LPT.

Hope this helps.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

In windows you can't use a print command. This used to be a DOS command
but in Windows you can try this:

copy FILENAME.txt lpt3 /b

where FILENAME.txt is your file name and lpt3 is your printer port.
Please also note that DON'T send a binary file to the prn port because
you will only get gibberish and lots of paper waste.

True; but since that's the case, you don't need the /b (which says to copy BINARY
... meaning "Don't stop copying if you encounter a Ctrl+Z character, which'd
normally mean END OF FILE")

/B is useful if you've printed to file from the print dialog box; in that case,
the output might well BE binary. As long as you're COPY /B ing it to the same
printer type as was targeted in the print dialog box, it's the only way to make
it work.

 

[Jens R. Rasmussen]

Thanks so far to both Anonymous and Steve. But I think I forgot to tell You
the following important thing:

On my old pc I can print from command promt - but from the new pc, I can't.

Both pc's are running xp. The only differens is that the new pc was not born
with a LPT-port, so I had to buy such a port and install it. That is why my
guess is, that I have to configure it in some way - but which way?

Why do I want to print from command prompt? Because I have a very important
- but old - program, which makes and sends billings to a matrix printer - and
'yes' it is written in DOS. It works perfect from the old xp-computer - but
nothing happens from the new computer.

So do you know how I can configure the port or configure command promt - so
my DOS-program can send the print jobs to the new pc as well as it can to the
old pc?

regards
/Jens

 

[Bob I]

This groups primary focus is Microsoft Office applications, so perhaps
the folks over in the Windows XP hardware group could give you some
guidance. FWIW in the old DOS world, PRN was LPT1, and if you set that
port up to be LPT1 (check the documentation that came with the card) you
would probably have more success.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Why do I want to print from command prompt? Because I have a very important

- but old - program, which makes and sends billings to a matrix printer - and
'yes' it is written in DOS. It works perfect from the old xp-computer - but
nothing happens from the new computer.

So you have the same dot-matrix printer hooked up to the new parallel port on the new
PC, is that correct?

Check Device Manager to make sure that Windows properly recognizes the port and that
it's assigned to the same LPTx that you think it has been.

If so, copy /b to that port should work.

Another trick is to share the printer then

copy /b filename.ext PrinterShareName

 

[Jens R. Rasmussen]

Thanks to both of you. You gave me some guidence. And now it works. What have
I done?

I simply uninstalle the port LPT3 and reinstalled it as LPT1 - and now it
works.

I almost dont dare to close close down the pc and restarts it. Hopefully the
succesfully reinstallation keeps on working.

And once again - thanks for you quick answers to me, a dummy in this stuff.

best regards
Jens
PS: If you happen to visit Copenhagen one day, I own you a beer

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Jens,

Hey, glad to hear that it worked. Can I transfer my Beer Credit to my brother? He gets
to Denmark every so often; he doesn't like beer generally but very happily makes an
exception for Danish beer.

 

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