Using the Windows Printing System with Windows 95/98

ID: Q138714

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

Windows supports the Microsoft Windows Printing System, but the Windows Printing System software is not included with Windows. When you install Windows on a computer that is already running the Windows Printing System, several key Windows Printing System files are automatically updated to newer versions. If you install the Windows Printing System after Windows is already installed on your computer, Windows detects that the Windows Printing System has been installed, and prompts you for the Windows CD-ROM or disks to update the Windows Printing System files.

Some printers (such as the Lexmark WinWriter 400) provide the same functionality as the Windows Printing System without having the Windows Printing System hardware installed. These printers require third-party software that provides the same functionality as the Windows Printing System software. If Windows detects one of these printers, and the third-party software necessary for the printer is not installed, you are prompted for the third-party Setup disks so that the necessary software can be installed. You are then prompted for the Windows CD-ROM or disks so that the third-party software can be updated with the newer Windows Printing System files that are included with Windows.

For a list of printers that use third-party software to provide the same functionality as the Windows Printing System, please see the "Windows Printing System-Compatible Printers" section later in this article.



Once Windows has been installed on a computer that is running the Windows Printing System, you may notice that some of the features of the Windows Printing System appear to be missing, or appear to function differently in Windows. This article discusses these features and how they function in Windows, and provides general troubleshooting tips for using the Windows Printing System in Windows.


MORE INFORMATION

Windows Printing System Features

Separator Pages:

When you use the Windows Printing System in Windows or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 or 3.11, you can configure the printer to print a separator page with each print job by clicking the Options button on the Windows Printing System Setup screen, and then clicking the Header Page or Trailer Page With Statistics check box in the Separator Pages box. In Windows, these check boxes are unavailable.

For information about how to configure a printer to use a separator page in Windows, view the "Separating your print jobs with a banner page" online Help topic in Windows.

NOTE: Both the Full and Simple separator pages that are included with Windows are header pages that are printed before each print job. You cannot configure a printer to use a trailer page that is printed after each print job in Windows.

Printing to a Network Printer:

To reliably print to a Windows Printing System printer that is not attached directly to your computer in Windows, you should capture a printer port and print to that captured port, instead of printing directly to a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) share name.

For information about how to capture a printer port in Windows, view the "Capturing A Printer Port" online Help topic in Windows.

Windows Printing System Troubleshooting

If incorrect characters are printed at the top of the first page, followed by several blank pages, when you attempt to print to a local Windows Printing System printer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q139425
TITLE : Windows Printing System Prints Incorrect Characters

For information about troubleshooting printing problems in Windows, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q128345
TITLE : Troubleshooting Printing Problems in Windows 95

If you are having a problem with the Windows Printing System in Windows 95, and the information in this article does not help you resolve the problem, you should remove the Windows Printing System, and then reinstall it. To do so, double-click the Printers folder in Control Panel, and then remove the Windows Printing System printer. After removing the printer from the Printers folder, rename the following files in the Windows\System folder:
After you rename or delete these files, reinstall the Windows Printing System from the Windows Printing System Setup disks. When you do, Windows 95 detects that the Windows Printing System has been installed, and prompt you for the Windows CD-ROM or disks to update the Windows Printing System files.

Windows Printing System-Compatible Printers

Windows detects third-party Windows Printing System software for the following printers:
The troubleshooting steps in the previous section also apply to these printers. Support for these printers is provided by the manufacturer of the printer.

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : kbprint kbtshoot win95 win98 
Version           : 95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: January 22, 1999