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jake
Asked: 2009-06-24 21:12:14 +0800 CST

How can I convert a USB printer to LPT?

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I have an Java enterprise app that only prints to LPT1. The problem is, the only printers available in my company are USB printers. The developers and support staff (InfoSys) for the app all say they require a DOS based printer which I took to mean LPT because USB has a BIOS setting to enable legacy support which I enabled.

I have tested connecting an LPT printer to the PC, and the app works and prints perfectly. What I would now like to do is use a USB printer connected directly to this PC. I have tried sharing the printer and using the command

net use lpt1 \\pcip\printername /persistent:yes

then installing the printer detected on the LPT port. While this works for a printer on the netowrk, it doesn't seem to work with a local printer. I would like to deploy this for 10 plus users each with thier own printer.

printing windows-xp usb printer

4 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Here is a software solution (20 USD or less if you buy more licenses):

    DOS2USB: Capture MS-DOS Print Job from any LPT or PRN and Redirect it to USB printer, GDI printer, Network printer etc.

    DOS2USB extends the printing ability of DOS programs by capturing MS-DOS print jobs and redirecting them to windows printer irrespective of Printer types including USB Printers, Network Printers, Print-Servers, and PDF-printers. The job redirection works even if a printer is physically connected to the captured port, on any PC running Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and 2003 (With Terminal Service Support).

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  2. Buy a USB print server and share the printer to the network using it. Then you can map the printer and print with the LPT1 mapping. It is probably the easiest solution since you know the LPT1 network connection works. Your time is worth money and the $40 or so for the USB print server is money well spent.

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  3. You could just have one of the computers share it out onto the network and then map it the way you described with net.

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  4. There are usb to LPT connectors so try searching for that

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