TROUBLE SHOOTING

Printing from LIS or LDBScorer (a DOS) based program

PRINTING FROM A NETWORK
Here are two suggestions to try 1st before contacting the network administrator:

1) To print from MS-DOS applications under Windows 95 you must capture the output to the LPT1: printer port and redirect it to the Windows printer. This is done through the printer properties page. Follow these directions:

Double click My Computer
Double click Printers
Right Click on your Default printer
Click Properties
Click Details
Click Capture Printer Port
Now, Click End Capture.

2) From the DOS prompt type, net use lpt1: \\computername\printername /persistent:yes (replace the computername with the name given to the network computer that you are own, and replace printername with the name of the printer).

PRINTING FROM DOS IF NOT ON A NETWORK
If simply using Win95 without being on a network you're not supposed to have
any problems. The print spooling support for use with MS-DOS - based
applications is automatically installed and configured when you install
win95 and requires no user intervention.

However, here are four suggestions that may help:

1) A key thing to do in this troubleshooting is to go to START, CONTROL PANEL, PRINTERS, right click on the printer's icon, select the PROPERTIES option, and then select the DETAILS tab. Then click on the PORT button, and uncheck the CHECK PORT STATUS check box.

Next, still under DETAILS, click on the button to CAPTURE PRINTER PORT. If you normally print to LPT1:, for example, then make sure that LPT1: is being captured to your printer.

Also under the DETAILS tab, click on the SPOOL SETTINGS button. If you want to continue to SPOOL printer data, then change the SPOOL DATA FORMAT to the RAW option. If the printer is connected to your PC through a LAN, then there really would be no need to use SPOOLING in Win 95, as the network's spooler could handle this. So if that is your configuration, take the option to PRINT DIRECTLY TO THE PRINTER instead.

Doing the above will usually solve this problem. But if the above does not help, then another thing you can try is to follow the instructions in the Microsoft document for configuring output to the LPT1.DOS port. So if the above does not correct this, give that a try, as doing that will then give you maximum compatibility with DOS applications.

2) If this didn't work try this:

don't run LIS or LDBScorer using the Start and Run commands found on the
far bottom left of your Win95 screen. Instead, use the Start, Programs,
DOS-prompt commands. When in DOS, go to the folder where your program (LIS
or LDBS) is located and start it from there. (I hope you know how to
navigate around DOS).

3) If that didn't help, try this:

Double click My Computer
Double click Printers
Right Click on your Default printer
Click Properties
Click Details
Click Port Settings
Now, make sure the Spool MS-DOS option is selected.

4) However, if you are using a serial printer that uses Com1 or Com2.. this
is a different story. It should work if the printer port is configured for
Com1 or Com2. If you have set your printer set for Com3, this may not work
properly until the sytem is initiatlized.

Perhaps you have another app in your startup that needs to initialize/use
the device on COM1, and thus the interrupt is used while your DOS
application kicks in; as a result your DOS application may not be able to
successfully initialize your COM3. (Sorry for the gobbledegook). In
simple terms, there is some type of conflict between devices in DOS that
prevents you from printing. (This is assuming that you are using a serial
printer).

For additional printing support go to the Microsoft Help Page at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q128/3/45.asp