I'm trying to redirect my lpt1: port to my usb printer over the
network but when it prints I just get a blank sheet of paper. I used
net use lpt1: //user-xp/brother but when I send print jobs to lpt1:
from my DOS application I just get a blank sheet of paper.

Any ideas on what I need to do differently?

Thanks,
Pete

Are you sure that the DOS application can use the printer? Does the
application have a driver for the printer? Chances are that the printer
is not DOS compatible, many of the newer printers are GDi only and DOS
applications cannot print to them. If the printer doesn't do PCL
emulation chances are DOS applications can't use it, verify with the
printer manufacturer. What is the name of the DOS application and what
is the model number of the printer?

In days of old printers had "brains". The print processing was done by
the printer, the DOS applications only needed to send minimal
instructions to the printer and the printer did all the work of
preparing and assembling the printed documents. These printers were
more expensive than their newer counterparts. In a bid to save money
printer manufacturers have gradually striped all the "brains" out of
their printers in favour of software driven printers, now all the work
is done by software instead of the actual printer hardware, that has
reduced the cost of printers but these printers are "Windows" only
printers and DOS applications cannot use them, or at least cannot use
them without third party solutions. If you want the printer to be DOS
compatible you usually have to pay more for PCL emulation capability.

John

Peter wrote:

> I'm trying to redirect my lpt1: port to my usb printer over the
> network but when it prints I just get a blank sheet of paper. I used
> net use lpt1: //user-xp/brother but when I send print jobs to lpt1:
> from my DOS application I just get a blank sheet of paper.
>
> Any ideas on what I need to do differently?
>
> Thanks,
> Pete
>

net use lpt1 \\user-xp\brother
(no colon and back slashes instead of forward shashes)
I also had to add and select a Virtual printer port for USB
under the printer's properties > Ports.
JE

Peter,

> I'm trying to redirect my lpt1: port to my usb printer over the
> network but when it prints I just get a blank sheet of paper. I used
> net use lpt1: //user-xp/brother but when I send print jobs to lpt1:
> from my DOS application I just get a blank sheet of paper.

what John already said is true.

If your Brother is a GDI printer (like the MFC series for example), then you
may want to have a look at Printfil, an external utility which lets legacy
programs printing to any Windows printer (with many extras).

More info and a free trial version is available for download at
http://www.printfil.com

Regards,
Davide Guolo
aSwIt s.r.l.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Printfil - Windows Printing System for Applications
http://www.printfil.com
Odbc4All - Connection to ODBC Data Sources for any Application
http://www.aswit.com/odbc4all
@Kill - Batch Close Windows Applications - Freeware
http://www.aswit.com/akill
--------------------------------------------------------------

John John wrote:

> In days of old printers had "brains". The print processing was done
> by the printer, the DOS applications only needed to send minimal
> instructions to the printer and the printer did all the work of
> preparing and assembling the printed documents. These printers were
> more expensive than their newer counterparts. In a bid to save money
> printer manufacturers have gradually striped all the "brains" out of
> their printers in favour of software driven printers, now all the work
> is done by software instead of the actual printer hardware, that has
> reduced the cost of printers but these printers are "Windows" only
> printers and DOS applications cannot use them, or at least cannot use
> them without third party solutions. If you want the printer to be DOS
> compatible you usually have to pay more for PCL emulation capability.
>

Right. Printer manufacturers saved, oh, fifty-cents per printer by removing
the chip and replacing its functions with drivers.