TSM NEWVIEWS - SEATTLE

Q. Printing from NV1 to a USB Printer 

A. If you Google "print to usb printer from dos" you will find that it is not just NewViews users asking this question.  You will find many links with many answers that may or may not work.  The frustrations in getting DOS printing to work on a current computer system are not the fault of any software vendor.  It is the nature of change.  Microsoft and hardware vendors have moved upwards and onwards in regards to printing (software and hardware).  This fundamental change has made it difficult for software developers and customers alike.  So we offer five possible solutions here.

1. If you must stay with old software keep your old hardware to run your old DOS software on.
    
2. Computers can still be equipped with parallel ports - you just have to specify one when you buy the computer. Also, parallel port add-on cards are available at every computer shop for $20 or so.  You can place this card into your new computer.  This will allow you to print to your old printer.  If you update your printer you will need to specify that it has a parallel port and that it understands PCL (printer command language).  There are still printers available from HP and Dell that meet these requirements.  If the printer does not support PCL you can be 99% sure that you will not be able to print to it from a DOS program no matter what tricks you try to implement.
    
3. Check out one or all of these links.
    
   (These links are not an endorsement from TSM NewViews. These links may expire or become out of date or not found.  We do not attempt to keep them up to date. 
    
   As such use them at your own risk.)
    
   http://geekswithblogs.net/dtotzke/articles/26204.aspx
    
   http://www.dosprn.com/
    
   http://www.dos2usb.com/
    
   http://www.printfil.com/
    
4. Print to a file.  In the Print Options dialog in NV-DOS (/PO) change the filename from LPT1 to C:\NV.doc and the Printer to NOFORM.  Then print the report as you normally would (/PD).  Then open My Computer and go to C: drive.  Now open the NV.doc file using Microsoft Word or WordPad and print the document on your printer. (The document may need format and layout changes to print in a readable form).
    
5. Upgrade to NewViews NV2 which has been developed to work with the latest operating systems (OS) such as Windows and the latest hardware such as USB and/or network printers.

 

 

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