Print directly to USB printer?

Can you print directly to a USB printer like you can on a parallel port printer?

Sort of like this:

Copy con LPT1
-or-
copy text.txt LPT1

except how do you specify the USB port?

 

I didn't ask for a smart *** comment.

I figured out one way to do it.

+ Create a share for the USB printer
+ net use LPT5 \\COMPUTERNAME\SHARENAME /PERSISTENT:YES

copy con lpt5 works now. You can also specify LPT5 as the output file for most programs.

 

I didn't ask for opinions regarding operating systems. You could have left out the first line of your reply.

DOS is still alive and well in WinXP - there are many things you can do in the DOS window that are clumsy at best in the Windows GUI.

 

Ok, good grief. I'm fully aware that it's called a "command prompt window", but the LAST TIME I called it a "command prompt" in these newsgroups - it was interpreted as the AUTOCAD command prompt - and I got flamed for that.

I think everyone here knows what "DOS window" means.

 

sigh <<
___

 

ok, you got me confused with the > >> sigh <<
was that sarcastic?

 

If you give your computer and printer a name, you should be able to use
the network form of \\compname\printername.

One other thought. LPTn is the way of specifying a particular port.
PRN was the way of specifying the default printer, so replacing LPT1
with PRN might get it working.

Lastly, I have just installed a Brother HL-1430 laser printer and am
using is on a USB port. When installed there is a new port added that
is BRUSB, so replacing LPT1 with BRUSB (or whatever your USB printer
port is called should work.

--

Regards,

Ian A. White, CPEng

WAI Engineering
Sydney 2000
Australia

Ph: +61 418 203 229
Fax: +61 2 9622 0450
Home Page: www.wai.com.au

 

Here's another post, you can interpolate for your situation.... much better to print
to file and let a spooler do the work in the background, especially across a LAN!

Hi Just John!

First... Install WinXP SP1 and run MS Update. Second... get a generic USB v2 4-Port
Card (about $30... at CompUSA) and install it. If need be, get a 2nd card for
additional USB ports, but avoid the HUB. Third... To alleviate the USB / Printer
problem, try a print to file with a spooler approach as follows...

Install your Lexmark Printer Drivers (do not connect device at this time), only
setup for the port-- FILE; set this printer as default. Now... connect your device
and let winXP install it. Setup a C:\Spool Folder on YOUR PC and map as drive-- Y:
(or what you prefer!). Get printfile (via http://www.lerup.com/printfile/ ) and set
it up as a spooler with a link in the startup folder, to search for all files in
C:\Spool and send to local Lexmark USB Printer.

Then when printing to Lexmark FILE, type in Y:\ and give a basic name like, file.prn
or plot.plt ...then hit enter and away the print file goes to the spool folder, then
the printfile grabs it and sends it off to the printer!

Another option is to create PLT files and then use Govert's tool-- GoPlot and send
directly to device. Get it at-- http://www.output.tmfweb.nl/

Ciao!
~Terry