Reference number: CH000199

Printing DOS output to printer.

Issue:

Printing DOS output to printer.

Reasoning:

In some cases you may need a hard copy of a particular directory or file listing. The below method will allow you to print that information.

This solution is also a great method of testing a printer or printer port, verifying that all hardware on the computer and printer is correctly working.

Solution:

MS-DOS 2.0 to MS-DOS 6.x users

MS-DOS users using 2.x - 6.x can also use the print command.

Windows 95 and above users

To print information from MS-DOS to the printer the '> LPTx' command needs to be used after the command typed. This tells the computer to reroute all information to the appropriate LPT port, x represent the number. An example and most commonly used command is:

DIR > LPT1

This command tells the computer to print a directory listing, however, instead of printing it to the screen, send it to the printer, which is located on LPT1.

This command can also be used to print files by using the type command, for example:

TYPE FILE.TXT > LPT1

If, however, multiple files need to be printed, using the copy command can also be used. Below is an example:

COPY /B *.TXT LPT1

The above example will copy all txt or text files in the current directory to the lpt1 port.

When using the above example, it is important to realize that this will only print ASCII files and not BINARY or Encrypted files. Meaning that only text files will print using this method; attempting to print a Microsoft Word, Excel, Works, Word Perfect or any similar program that requires a program will not work.

Note: When using the > LPTx command in MS-DOS, because the printer will not be sent a page feed command, the printer may not eject the paper from the printer. To eject the paper manually, use the button for FF (form feed) or page feed to eject your paper. If you have a Dot Matrix printer, use the hand wheel to manually eject the paper.

Additional information:

• Additional information about printing a directory listing to a file in MS-DOS and Linux can also be found on document CH000772.