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Print documents using another computer to a legacy printer.

Answered Print documents using another computer to a legacy printer.

  • Wednesday, January 23, 2013 3:55 PM
     
     
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    We have a Konica Minolta printer initially manufactured 2004 and the company did not release windows 7 compatible drivers.  No drivers available on their site work with windows 7.

    I need to keep using the printer because it would be too costly to replace it at this time.  I have to upgrade all the users in that department to windows 7 but need them to be able to print to this printer.

    Sharing the printer from an xp machine does not work because drivers still have to be installed on the win7 computer.  I have considered google cloud printing but our internet connection is too slow as is already.  I have considered xp mode in windows 7 but it would be a hassle for someone working with a document in 7 to have to browse to it in xp.  A program that prints documents dropped in a network folder may work but the problem is I am skeptical of these programs recognizing the document size and selecting the appropriate printer tray/paper but I only found one piece of software that does this so far which did not appear to be suitable.

    Is there some other solution that may work that I can't think of?


    • Edited by TMP.Matt Wednesday, January 23, 2013 10:10 PM
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  • Wednesday, January 23, 2013 6:59 PM
     
     
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    What type of file do you wish to print on that printer?
     
  • Wednesday, January 23, 2013 7:23 PM
     
     
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    PDF's, word documents, excel spreadsheets.  Documents that are both 8.5x11 and 11x17.
     
  • Wednesday, January 23, 2013 8:04 PM
     
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    PDF's, word documents, excel spreadsheets.  Documents that are both 8.5x11 and 11x17.

    This is not the world's most elegant solution but it will work.

    1. Create a folder c:\Print on the Windows XP machine.
    2. Map this folder to drive P: on the Windows 7 machines.
    3. Install a PDF printer driver on all Windows 7 machines.
    4. Instruct your users to select the PDF printer when they wish to use the Konika printer.
      Also instruct them to select an output file name of P:\Jack (for example)

    This covers the user part of the action. On the WinXP machine you need run a VBScript file or a PowerScript file permanently. Here is what it needs to do:

    1. When it detects a .pdf file in the folder c:\Print then it waits until the file is at least 60 seconds old.
    2. It then uses the command acrobat.exe /t <filename> <printername> <drivername> <portname> to print the file on the Konika printer.
    3. It deletes the file.

    A simpler solution would be to use a Postscript driver for the printer. AFAIK Postscript drivers are OS-independent.

    • Marked As Answer by TMP.Matt Wednesday, January 23, 2013 10:16 PM
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  • Wednesday, January 23, 2013 10:16 PM
     
     
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    I was wondering about doing something like that but didn't realize I could write my own script to do that with powershell.

    I had contacted the re-seller with whom we have a maintenance contract said no drivers were available.  I had also contact the company in the meantime and they said the drivers were available through windows update.  I ran the update and this ended up working.  Not having drivers on the website that worked and having the re-seller say no drivers were available made me miss thinking to check windows update.

    Thanks for your post regardless, I am sure this will help others who may not be able to obtain drivers for their printer.

     
  • Wednesday, January 23, 2013 10:35 PM
     
     
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    Thanks for the feedback.