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Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: whammoed on November 01, 2004, 10:01:53 am

Title: Printer naming problem...HELP!
Post by: whammoed on November 01, 2004, 10:01:53 am
Since I now expect this forum to solve all of life's problems here is a little pickle I have at work:
I have four label printers in my lab that I would like to print the same kind of label.  In my Labs management program I have a report which I can format for a specific printer by the printers  name.  The problem occurs on the computers where the printer is set up as a shared printer accross the network.  When you add the printer it shows up as something like "LabelPrinter on Computer01" instead of just "Label Printer".  I am unable to rename the printer to take off the " on Computer01".  I want the labels to just print without having the users select the printer each time.  Any suggestions on a fix or a better place to post this?


*****if unclear see details below*****
Label printer is attached to Computer01...shows up as LabelPrinter
Report is formatted to print on "LabelPrinter" which works great on Computer01
Label Printer is added to Computer02 accross network and shows up as "LabelPrinter on Computer01"...Report does not work
Title: Re:Printer naming problem...HELP!
Post by: exph on November 01, 2004, 03:35:12 pm
This is assuming you are using some flavor of windows. Also leave "LabelPrinter on Computer01" as a valid printer right now.
We will add a local printer with the port set to the network printer.

1. go to Start->Settings->Printers->Add Printer
2. Select local printer and uncheck AutoDetect Plug&Play printers.
3. Select "use the following port" and select the port that the network printer is set up for. It should be in the list. The description may say LAN manager printer.
4. Continue the rest of the setup, show it where the driver is etc.
5. You should now have a printer that you can change the name of.

I've run into this several times and this is how I have solved it in the past. So basiclly you are setting up a local printer that you have the right to change the name of, but it is pointing at the network port that was previously set up.
Title: Re:Printer naming problem...HELP!
Post by: whammoed on November 01, 2004, 04:46:46 pm
thanks for the reply, however i am having trouble with this step.  There is no port in this step:

3. Select "use the following port" and select the port that the network printer is set up for. It should be in the list. The description may say LAN manager printer.

using windows 2000 on my machine and the printer is on an NT machine.


for now my program is looping through the printers on the machine, and when it finds the search string ("LabelPrinter") it assigns that printer to the document.  I do like your way better if I could get it to work.