Re^5: Raw Data to Printer on Win XP

As I said, I don't have a usb printer, so I cannot test he theory. However, I belive that usb printers are basically serial printers eg. COMn:-like. I do know that you can redirect LPT1 to COMn:

P:\test>mode /status

Status for device LPT1:
-----------------------
    Printer output is not being rerouted.


Status for device COM1:
-----------------------
    Baud:            1200
    Parity:          None
    Data Bits:       7
    Stop Bits:       1
    Timeout:         OFF
    XON/XOFF:        OFF
    CTS handshaking: OFF
    DSR handshaking: OFF
    DSR sensitivity: OFF
    DTR circuit:     ON
    RTS circuit:     ON

P:\test>mode /status

Status for device LPT1:
-----------------------
    Printer output is being rerouted to serial port COM1


Status for device COM1:
-----------------------
    Baud:            1200
    Parity:          None
    Data Bits:       7
    Stop Bits:       1
    Timeout:         OFF
    XON/XOFF:        OFF
    CTS handshaking: OFF
    DSR handshaking: OFF
    DSR sensitivity: OFF
    DTR circuit:     ON
    RTS circuit:     ON
[download]

So, if usb are (or present themselves to the system as) serial ports, then it is entirely possible to re-route LPT1 to a usb printer.

The OP chose to set his usb printer to masquarade as LPT1 directly. Personally I would have chosen to have it set as a COM1:, then, should I ever attach a second printer to a serial port or another usb, I could set that to COM2: and chose which of the two my CLI apps wrote to by using the MODE command above.

I've had this set up on networked systems with half a dozen different local and network printers and it make life quite convenient.

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