How to Print an MS DOS Screen WIN 98SE

[blue_shoe12]

Hey There Windows Tweak Freaks;

I've been doing an introductory course from Allenware to learn how to create Batch files.

I'm trying to find out why I can't use the function key "Print Screen"

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From the Qbasic help file:

{

PRINT

Prints a text file while you are using other MS-DOS commands.

This command can print in the background if you have an output device

connected to one of your system's serial or parallel ports.

Syntax

PRINT [/D:device] [/b:size] [/u:ticks1] [/M:ticks2] [/s:ticks3]

[/Q:qsize] [/T] [[drive:][path]filename[ ...]] [/C] [/P]

}

{ GRAPHICS--Notes

Printing the contents of the screen

To print the contents of the screen, press the SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN key

combination. If the computer is in 320 x 148 x 200 color graphics mode and

if the printer type is color1 or graphics, the GRAPHICS command prints the

screen contents with as many as four shades of gray. If the computer is in

640 x 148 x 200 color graphics mode, GRAPHICS prints the screen contents

sideways on the paper (landscape orientation). You cannot use the

SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN key combination to print the contents of a screen to a

PostScript printer.

Effect on memory

The GRAPHICS command decreases the amount of available conventional memory.

Loading a new profile

If you have already loaded a printer profile and you want to load another

one by using the GRAPHICS command, the new profile must be smaller than the

one already loaded.

To load a new profile that is larger than the one currently loaded, you must

restart your system and then use the GRAPHICS command to load the new

profile.

If you try to use only the GRAPHICS command to load a new profile that is

larger than the currently loaded profile, MS-DOS displays the following

message:

Unable to reload with profile supplied

}

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For example,

tried to print this help topic:

-PRINT-

Print the current topic to:

<@> Printer on LPT1

< > File

OK

Device fault

OK

I have REVOLUTIONS PACK 7 installed, I think this may be the cause/Solution thou it will not let me uninstall it. (it just reinstalls itself)

any ideas?

[Mijzelf]

It's a common problem that dos programs can't print to a printer which is not connected to a printerport. Maybe this can help you:

http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/winprint.html#usbprint

[bj-kaiser]

quick workaround IIRC:

share the printer and map it to LPTx: with net use.

[blue_shoe12]

Thankyou both, someday I'll get the information i need for all technicality's

[Sfor]

The Print Screen key support is done in the computer BIOS. So, it is not possible to take advantage of it in the QBasic.

Basicaly the Print Screen event is handled by the BIOS before the key press event is reported to the DOS. So, the QBasic is not able to capture the Print Screen key. In order to reroute the print screen key it is necesary to capture BIOS interrupt by own routine. QBasic can not do it.

In case if the Windows is working, BIOS does not handle the print screen, any more. As, Windows handles the keyboard events without the BIOS. So, you should not to look for the standard DOS like Print Screen effect in Windows.

Windows Print Screen sends the captured data to the system clipboard, instead of printing them. So, you will have to paste the data to a Notepad or Paint, then to print it by yourself.

[blue_shoe12]

Ok, thank's for the info, Window's won't let us do alot will it... so using the mouse and copying the text to notepad is the best option for 98 users who aren't at the GURU level.