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Printing To Network Printer With PCNFS
DocumentID: 619268
Revision Date: 29-Feb-96 1:38:32 PM

The information in this document applies to:
WordPerfect® 5.1 for DOS

Problem

Symptoms: When printing to a network printer using PCNFS on a UNIX file server, the document is full of garbage characters. The customer can print from DOS without any problems. Solutions: This problem was caused by an incorrect setup on the print spooler. PCNFS is a DOS-compatible operating system that uses MSNET methods of sharing and using devices. This means that at the file server, WordPerfect uses SHARE commands to make a device or printer available to everyone on the network. On the station, WordPerfect uses a USE command to assign drive letters and local ports to those shared devices. For example, if on the server you wanted to share the WP directory, you would first define a share name for the WordPerfect directory on the server. This can either be done through the menus or from the DOS prompt. If it were to be done at the DOS prompt, the syntax would be NET SHARE WP51 \\PCNFS\WP... (WP is the actual directory on the server and WP51 becomes the share name). To USE this on the station, you would use the following command syntax:
NET USE W: \\PCNFS\WP51 .... (Drive W: would actually then be the USED drive to the WP directory on the server).

Setting up printers is quite similar, with two exceptions. With PCNFS, these procedures are generally done through the NFSCONF.EXE program. When this program is run, it allows you to MOUNT (same as SHARE) directories and devices. Changes made there are automatically written to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

When a printer is mounted on the server, the START PRINT menu item is selected (this menu is a submenu of NFSCONFIG). Here you will be able to specify the port on the server to which the printer is attached (LPT1, LPT2, COM1 etc.). Then you must specify how you want the operating system to start printing. Unlike other operating systems, PCNFS does not automatically start printing once the job leaves WP. There are four options:
      1.      After five minutes
      2.      On program Exit
      3.      Enable Printer Hotkey
      4.      NET Print only.
WPCorp suggests that you choose Enable Printer Hotkey.

The next menu will ask you how the data from the printer is to be filtered. Always choose RAW. WP will send everything the printer needs. If you select something other than RAW, the print job will not print correctly. Once these selections are made, you should exit the menus, and you're ready to go. Finally, because you have chosen Enable Printer Hotkey (the only choice), users of WP will be required to use the Alt-P keystroke to tell PCNFS to begin printing. So, when the print job leaves Control Printer, press Alt-P, and the job will print correctly. If the user fails to do this, the job will not print correctly. The Alt-P macro is not a WordPerfect macro. It is set up on the PCNFS side of things when you select "Enable Printer Hotkey." Alt-P happens to be the default setup by PCNFS, customers can change the name to whatever they like.

In version 4.0 of PCNFS, the "Printer Hotkey" is Control-Shift-Left arrow and Right arrow all at the same time. This will get the print job out to the printer.

Answer:

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