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A4V7 New Printer Not Recognized

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    #1

    A4V7 New Printer Not Recognized

    Hi everyone,

    I'm new to this forum and just joined today in hopes of getting a bit of help on an Apha 4 V7 printer problem. I've searched the forum and tried a few things, but have had no luck so far.

    I have been using A4 versions since the early days and have never had this problem. I am running Version 7 on Windows XP Home edition. Recently we had to replace our faithful HP 4 printer and did so with a new Canon laser. The hp worked fine and was networked through another XP machine.

    My progblem is that in trying to configure the new printer I get no printers to select under the configuration>printer configuration>create/edit>select unused number or letter>windows printer. The list is not being populated from ptrinfo.a4 file because the ptrinfo.a4 file is empty of all networked printers (I have 2 networked printers defined in XP and one local) The local printer shows up on the selection list and is in fact in the ptrinfo.a4.

    I've tried reloading the program to no avail. I've run the .exe program that is supposed to load the ptrinfo.a4 file from the available printers, no help.

    I've sent a mesage to Alpha Software, but now I see that they will only respond to current versions. I would upgrade to version 8, if I thought it would solve the problem, even though I have no use for the V8 features as I understand them.

    Can anyone out ther point me in the right direction??

    Thanks

    Gary
    Tags: None
    #2
    Setup the network printer as a local windows printer

    and then have Alpha 4 look for it....

    Sounds like it is only setup as a networked printer.....
    Al Buchholz
    Bookwood Systems, LTD
    Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

    Occam's Razor - KISS
    Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
    Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
    When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
    "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
    Albert Einstein

    http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

    Comment

      #3
      Al,

      Thanks for the tip. I'll try that at the office tomorrow and let you know how it worked. BTW, should I setup the local version with the same name??

      Gary

      Comment

        #4
        Same name as the networked printer? Shouldn't matter, but I'm not sure.
        Al Buchholz
        Bookwood Systems, LTD
        Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

        Occam's Razor - KISS
        Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
        Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
        When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
        "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
        Albert Einstein

        http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

        Comment

          #5
          I'll try it a couple of ways.

          Thanks again,

          Gary

          Comment

            #6
            Al,

            No luck. I loaded the Canon driver as a local printer and it shows now as available device under the A4 configuration dialog. However that driver is pointed at the local printer port, and I can't seem to change it. Under the networked driver I'm showing the port as a virtual usb port, but this port is not one that I can select under the local driver port options. Maybe I'm just not technically proficient enough to figure this out. Or maybe it has something to do with Windows XP, service pack 2. Anyone you can point me to for additional help, I don't expect you to solve this for me.

            Gary

            Comment

              #7
              Alpha4 and Windows print drivers

              I have the answer; it is involved but may help. Go into the Alpha4V7 folder on your local drive, find the A4.EXE file in the Alpha4V7 folder, open its property sheet, click on the Compatability tab, and set the compatability of this file to Windows95. Any desktop icon you fire to run Alphava4 should target this A4.EXE file. It is the ONLY executable in the folder that runs the coveted printdump.exe file which finds the printer attached to the computer.

              Once you have double-clicked on the A4.EXE form the Alpha4V7 folder, got into the spool folder and find the ptrinfo.a4 file. Open this file in NotePad. The windows printers connected to the computer should be listed there. If they are, they will be accessable as "Windows" printers from the Printers Configuration utility in your Alpha4 application.

              I hope this helps.

              Randy Wood
              Last edited by randyw; 12-07-2005, 05:29 PM.
              Randall T. Wood (Randy)
              MED Associates, Inc.
              Software Support Representative/ Alpha Database Manager

              Comment

                #8
                Randy,

                You are the King......

                I did it just as you described, and I'm back in business.

                Thank you, thank you.

                Gary

                Comment

                  #9
                  Alpha4 and Windows print drivers

                  Gary,

                  This is kind of late, but I would like to share my solution to your problem.

                  When adding network printers don't use the network printer option. Use the local printer option and uncheck the Auto detect option. On the next screen select the "create a port" radio button then select the "local port" option. When prompted for the Port name, type the computer and share name (\\Computer\PrinterName) of the printer. When using this install option you may have to load the driver manually. It will not load automatically from the host machine the way it does when using the network option.

                  After installation, the printer it will appear as if it were a local printer. A4V7 will always see local printers. Printers connected to Netware queues do not pose this problem.

                  It seems that they are several ways to skin this cat.

                  Charles
                  Last edited by cahalsall; 01-22-2006, 03:09 AM.

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