[Niomar]

Greetings all,

On one of my company's new machines, we have Vista Business installed. The computer itself is a HP Compaq dc7700. We need to make use of the LPT1 port for printing from within DOS. So, first I try to use NET USE with the following result:

NET USE LPT1 \\server
System error 85 has ocurred.

The local device name is already in use.

So, I then attempt to disconnect:

NET USE LPT1 /D
The network connection could not be found.

More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 2250.

As such, it won't connect because LPT1 is in use, but I can't disconnect LPT1 either. Typing NET USE by itself to get a listing of the current connection also does not list LPT1 as being active.

Anyhow have any ideas on this? Thanks.

Niomar

[peterh40]

You need to run a DOS program first before you can redirect LPT1 elsewhere it is called DOSDEV:
http://blogs.msdn.com/adioltean/arch...04/477164.aspx

[Bob Cerelli]

Do you have any device already connected to LPT1?

Is so, can you net use to LPT2?

[Niomar]

I have briefly messed around with DOSDEV, but to no avail yet. I'm still needing to spend some more time with it.

To my knowledge, no other devices are connected to LPT1. I am not able to use LPT1-9 - they all produce the same results.

Niomar

[Bob Cerelli]

What happens if you use the full UNC path:

e.g.

NET USE LPT1 \\server\printer_sharename

[FlintEvans]

I had similiar experience, then found out that I left the colon out of the NET USE command after the LPT1: It is NOT a device without the colon. Try it, I'm sure it will work.
Flint

[Bob Cerelli]

Also you may need to disable the LPT1 port on the computer. Seen that be the solution recently.

[torsan]

Had the same issue, finally solved it. You must enable sharing on the printer you have, but I would avoid adding it to the directory. In the command, net use lpt1 \\%computername%\printer1 , it should return errors unless the printer1 has sharing enabled, also the lpt1 port must be disabled in device manager.

[Bob Cerelli]

Yes, it you want to connect to any type of shared device on the network, it needs to be shared.

Yes per my previous post - "you may need to disable the LPT1 port on the computer"