Printing a .PRN file - Comments Page 3

Bob. i followed the format for a USB printer, and DOS returned the message "Access Denied". I change the owner for the file, and still doesn't work. Any suggestion? Thank you inadvance for your kindness and knowledge.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Can you copy the file to another file? Sounds like a permissions problem.

Is it possible to associate an action with prn file type, name it "Print to printer_name" and use for printing. I tryed to associate action:

copy %1 "\\computer_name\print_name"

But File Type dialog tells application cannot be found.

If I type:

cmd.exe copy %1 "\\computer_name\print_name"

It finds it, but when run opens prompt and nothing happens.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't think so... You can only associate a filetype with a program, not a command string. It MIGHT work if you create a BAT file, then associate PRN with your BAT file.

The copy commands did not work for me. Microsoft Office Document Imaging does not recognize prn files. I'm no computer novice, but I have been trying for 15 minutes to print prn files. I can understand why non-computer folks think computer folks are all idiots: this is the only option I have to save, yet I'm not able to view or print it. I think programmers and technologists should be given several courses on USABILITY and USER-FRIENDLINESS.

Hi Bob

I get the same error as Gene when attempting to print a spl (spool) file directly:-

C:\>copy /B check.spl \\DAVES\Epson

The network path was not found.

0 file(s) copied.

I also get it with a PRN file, so its not just the format (copy /B test.prn \\DAVES\Epson)

I wanted to do this so I could print the printer cleaning file automatically from a VB script rather than manually through the printer preferences. I presume when it works, you can use a quoted network name like "\\DAVES\Epson Stylus Photo 830U Series"

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, a quoted name should work. Can you navigate to that printer through My Network Places?

Aha, I found this solution (since it wasn't a network place):-

1) Install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter

a) In Control Panel, double click on Add Hardware.

b) Click Next

c) When the scan finishes, select "Yes, I have already connected the hardware"

d) Click Next

e) Scroll to the bottom of the list and select "Add a new hardware device"

Click Next

f) Select "Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)"

g) Click Next

h) Select "Network Adapters"

i) Click Next

j) Select "Microsoft" under the Manufacturer list.

k) Select "Microsoft Loopback Adapter" in the Network Adapter list.

l) Click Next

m) Click Next

n) Click Finish

o) Ignore the limited connectivity message

2) Configure the Adapter

a) The loopback adapter is a virtual network adapter and can be configured the same as a regular network card. Thus Open the device manager and browse to the network card

b) Set the adapter to have a static IP address such as 192.168.1.1 or 255.255.255.0

3) Share the printer (go to the printer properties/sharing and select share this printer (give it a name to be your printer_share_name).

Now I can print spl (spooled files using the address:

COPY /B TMP.PRN \\computer_name\printer_share_name

Cheers for the original tip...

Davi

You could always download and install the free Adobe Generic PostScript Printer drivers then "print to file" with the "Generic PostScript Printer" selected as your printer. Then you can use the Open Source program GhostScript combined with the Open Source program GSView, a GUI interface for GhostScript, to view and convert the .prn file to many other file formats including pdf. You may also print directly from GSView.

Hi bob,

This tip solve me a lot of problems. It work perfectly.

Many thanks for it.

I have tried everything on this website and no luck! I am trying to print a prn file that was e-mailed to me, and I keep getting No Network found. I tried David Mckenzie 31 Oct 2007, because I don't have a Network printer and it still came up with the same error message. Is there anything else I should try?? Thanks

I typed in Copy /B mychart.prn \\computer_name\printer_share_name

EDITOR'S NOTE: I assume you entered the actual computer name and share name above, right? Can you navigate to that printer through My Network Places?

It did not work for me. I am still getting:

The network path was not

0 file(s) copied.

I installed Microsoft loopback adapter.

Referring Post: AV 10 Oct 2007

If the "Access Denied" occured, check the printer properties. Under "Advanced" tab, make sure that to select the radio button "Spool print documents so program finishes printing faster".

Do not select "Print directly to the printer" as it will send the PRN file to the printer directly (which will caused the Access Denied problem)

Here is a solution i found! Go to File, Print..., and choose as printer the "Microsoft Office Document Image Writer" then tick the "Print to file" option and press "Preferences". Choose "Advanced" tab and in the "Output format" section choose "TIFF-Monochrome fax". Press "OK" and then "Print", choose a name for your file and you are done. You can open the file saved with "Windows picture and fax viewer" in any computer and print it. I hope this helps!!

Bob, Your tip worked great from the DOS prompt. I'd like to do this from a batch file, using an input parameter (for the file name to be printed).

So I created the batch file with the line:

copy /b %1%.prn \\JD214DESK\ip4300

in it.

It works if I manually (from DOS) run the batch file followed by a space and followed by the FILENAME to be printed. My question is is there a way to create an icon on the desktop to this batch file THAT WILL TAKE THE INPUT PARAMETER (for the filename to be printed?) I'd appreciate your ideas how to do this.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Put that command in a file called C:\PRINTME.BAT, then create a desktop icon with the command specified like this: C:\PRINTME

Now you can drop the file you want to print on the icon.

In my case I had to make sure I was using the computer name of the computer the printer was attached to, not the computer the files were stored on. Once I did that it worked great!

Hi, Had similar probs to above found that you had to add the full path to the file ie

COPY /B TMP.PRN LPT1:

should be :

COPY /B C:\TMP.PRN LPT1:

were C:\ refers to the location of the file in this case the root directory

Hi, I've also had many problems using
copy /b \\computer_name\printer_name
The DOS prompt thinks for a second then states it cannot find the network(!)I've tried renaming the computer and printer and even tried the troubleshooting utils. Nothing. Is this an SP2 issue?
USB is UBS - come back parallel, all is forgiven.

if your printer name has a space in it, wrap it in quotes...

From the directory the file is in...

COPY /B file.prn "\\computername\printer name"

what do you do if the printer you have is a wireless printer then how you print a prm file

thanks for any help

!!!!NO PORT ON ANY COMPUTER USED IN THE NETWORK!!!!

Here's a much easier way to print a .PRN file:

http://www.lerup.com/printfile/

EDITOR'S NOTE: That page talks about Postscript and other formats, but does not mention PRN files.

I second using PrintFile (http://www.lerup.com/printfile) when you have to print to a USB or Internet Printing Protocol printer. Windows will not allow you to create a share for an IPP printer and using copy /b with "\\http://servername\printername" (or the any variation, both quoted and unquoted) does not work. So far PrintFile has worked with every PRN I've thrown at it and none have them have been for Postscript printers.

Convert to an Adobe PDF file & print, easier than any of the alternatives presented here.