Stupid Windows trick: print to your new USB printer from crappy old DOS programs

Plenty of people out there are still running the odd DOS application - many of them for business purposes. So what are you to do when that trusty old printer breaks down and you can't find a new one with a parallel port?

Why not buy a fancy new USB-only printer and make use of a stupid Windows trick that's been around for a while? It's a fairly simple process.

Step one is to install the printer as you normally would - making sure you follow the instructions provided, of course. Once that's done, you're set for Windows printing. Go to control panel and open your printers, then right-click on the newly installed one and choose properties from the context menu.

Once the printer properties are up, click the ports tab and make note of which port has the check mark in it. You'll need that information in just a minute.

Close that window, and choose to add a new printer (the option to do so should be on the file menu, or you may see an icon). Click next to start the process. On the second screen, select local printer but take the check out of automatically detect and install.
On the next screen select the appropriate port -- you didn't forget it already, did you? Click next, then choose the correct manufacturer (HP, Epson, Canon, etc.) and model for your printer. On the following screen, name the printer something simple -- like DOS. Click next, and then click share name to make your printer network accessible.

Give it a nice, easy share name -- like DOS (what the heck). Click next twice, choose no on the test page screen, click next, and then click finish. Now right-click your DOS printer and choose properties. Click the advanced tab and then click the print processor button. Change the selection to text, then click ok twice.

Now, find the name of your computer. Right-click My Computer and choose properties. Vista and WIndows 7 will show your computer name at the bottom of the page that appears. In Windows XP, click the computer name tab.

Now for the DOS printing magic. Go to start -> run (or press windows + r) and enter CMD in the box. Click ok to open a dos prompt. Type the following command:

net use LPT1 \\[computer-name]\DOS /persistent:YES [enter]

Obviously, if you chose a share name other than DOS type that instead. Windows should respond with an a-ok, and you're likely good to go! Unless your machine isn't networked. If that's the case, check this post from Microsoft on how to add the loopback adapter and then try again!

Tags: dos, hardware, howtos, legacy, lpt1, printers, printing, stupid windows trick, stupid-windows-tricks, StupidWindowsTrick, usb