extracting a printer driver from xp

[b-man]

hi,

im looking for the printer drivers that come included with win xp - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/293381/en-us

Sharp JX-9600Sharp JX-9600 PS

i currently dont have windows xp install so cant grab them that way. i have tried following a guide to expand the files off a disc but its not working.

it was telling me to expand the sysoc.in_ file in the folder i386 but all it does is produce a txt file.

can someone point me to the correct file or upload the drivers here thanks.

[jaclaz]

Who/what is "it"?
The one telling you to extract SYSOC.IN_, I mean.
SYSOC.IN_ expands to SYSOC.INF (which is a plain text file in the .INF format, not a .TXT file)
In any case SYSOC.INF is related to SYStem Optional Components (like WordPad, Fax services, COM+, etc.).

The file you are interested in is likely NTPRINT.IN_/NTPRINT.INF, which contains:

....
[sharp]
"Sharp AO-4100P" = SP4100P.GPD ,SharpSharp_AO-4100P0CDC,Sharp_AO-4100P
"Sharp AO-4100P PS" = SH4100P1.PPD ,SharpSharp_AO-4100P_D588,Sharp_AO-4100P_PS
"Sharp JX-9300" = SPJX9300.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9300975B,Sharp_JX-9300
"Sharp JX-9460" = SPJX9460.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9460F6E9,Sharp_JX-9460
"Sharp JX-9460 PS" = JX9460PS.PPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9460_P7BDA,Sharp_JX-9460_PS
"Sharp JX-9500" = SPJX9500.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-950096BB,Sharp_JX-9500
"Sharp JX-9500 PS" = JX9500PS.PPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9500_PAA53,Sharp_JX-9500_PS
"Sharp JX-9500E" = SPJ9500E.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9500E8217,Sharp_JX-9500E
"Sharp JX-9500H" = SPJ9500H.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9500H47D6,Sharp_JX-9500H
"Sharp JX-9600" = SPJX9600.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9600964B,Sharp_JX-9600
"Sharp JX-9600 PS" = JX9600PS.PPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9600_P9953,Sharp_JX-9600_PS
"Sharp JX-9660" = SPJX9660.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-96603648,Sharp_JX-9660
"Sharp JX-9660 PS" = JX9660PS.PPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9660_P99DB,Sharp_JX-9660_PS
"Sharp JX-9680" = SPJX9680.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9680564C,Sharp_JX-9680
"Sharp JX-9685" = SPJX9685.GPD ,SHARPJX96852A75,Sharp_JX-9685
"Sharp JX-9700" = SPJ9700.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9700561A,Sharp_JX-9700
"Sharp JX-9700E" = SP9700E.GPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9700E3816,Sharp_JX-9700E
"Sharp JX-9700E PS" = JX9700PS.PPD ,SharpSharp_JX-9700E_2BBE,Sharp_JX-9700E_PS
....

and - consequently - SPJX9600.GPD and JX9660PS.PPD.
But these are NOT only actual files , they are sections in the .inf:

[sPJX9600.GPD]
CopyFiles=@PCL5ERES.DLL,@TTFSUB.GPD,@SPJX9600.GPD,UNIDRV
DataSection=UNIDRV_DATA

[JX9600PS.PPD]
CopyFiles=@JX9600PS.PPD,PSCRIPT
DataSection=PSCRIPT_DATA

and the files are not in the \I386\ directory of the CD, but inside the \I386\Drivers.cab.

The files listed in the two data sections are also needed:

[uNIDRV_DATA]
DriverFile=UNIDRV.DLL
ConfigFile=UNIDRVUI.DLL
HelpFile=UNIDRV.HLP

[PSCRIPT_DATA]
DriverFile=PSCRIPT5.DLL
ConfigFile=PS5UI.DLL
HelpFile=PSCRIPT.HLP

But what is the "actual GOAL"?

I mean what do you need those drivers for?

jaclaz

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Well first, about the expansion. Thankfully in Windows XP they went with the normal MS Cabinet container format with LZX rather than one of the earlier compressions. If you have WinRar or 7zip ( but not WinZip ) just rename the Sysoc.in_ file to Sysoc.rar or Sysoc.7z and double-click open it up and it will appear as a container displaying the file inside: Sysoc.inf. Now you extract as normal or drag/drop it out of the container. In fact you can do this for any of the *.??_ compressed files in the Windows XP distribution.

However, the problem is there are a lot of those same name INF files on Windows XP SP3 ...

\I386\Sysoc.in_ ........ 782 2008-04-13 22:00
\I386\Ic\Sysoc.in_ ..... 782 2008-04-13 21:00
\I386\Ikc\Sysoc.in_ .... 782 2008-04-13 21:04
\I386\Iknc\Sysoc.in_ ... 744 2008-04-13 21:00
\I386\Iknp\Sysoc.in_ ... 828 2008-04-13 21:04
\I386\Ikp\Sysoc.in_ .... 856 2008-04-13 21:04
\I386\Inc\Sysoc.in_ .... 772 2008-04-13 21:04
\I386\Inp\Sysoc.in_ .... 846 2008-04-13 21:08
\I386\Ip\Sysoc.in_ ..... 856 2008-04-13 21:00
\I386\Istart\Sysoc.in_ . 740 2008-04-13 21:00

And I looked at that first one expanded and it has nothing to do with printers. Also, neither "Sharp" or "9600" or even "JS" turn up in a file search. Do you know the exact filenames for that Sharp printer?

It sounds like you said that you have a 'disc' with the drivers. Try to do the rename trick and extract them directly.

[jaclaz]

Charlotte, did you actually READ my reply?

For the record (and of course) there is no need (at least in 7-zip) to rename the file changing it's extension, you open 7-zip and from it you open a CAB .in_ file normally.

jaclaz

[b-man]

thanks ill try that when i get a chance.

the goal is to get the sharp drivers from the xp cd and see if i can install the printer on win7 using the xp drivers

[jaclaz]

thanks ill try that when i get a chance.

the goal is to get the sharp drivers from the xp cd and see if i can install the printer on win7 using the xp drivers

Good.

I am not familiar with the 7 printing subsystem, but then you need to take off the XP only the .GPD and .PPD files. (and use the 7 .DLL's)

The issue being that you will need to create a specific .INF file, which may be not trivial, in any case it is strongly suggested that you try things one at the time, separately (the "generic" vs. "postscript") as if they were two completely different printers.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff551683(v=vs.85).aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff560918(v=vs.85).aspx

I would suggest you to look for (and hopefully find) an already made .inf for a single printer that uses the "generic" UNIDRV.DLL and one using the PSCRIPT5.DLL to use as base.

Cannot say if you will need also a .cat catalog file.:

jaclaz

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Charlotte, did you actually READ my reply?

For the record (and of course) there is no need (at least in 7-zip) to rename the file changing it's extension, you open 7-zip and from it you open a CAB .in_ file normally.

jaclaz

It wasn't there, I swear!

P.S. I usually suggest to people that are not expert in compression/extraction programs to rename rather than play with the 7zip GUI on the original file directly. For this one it is safe, yes. But if it was an EXE, the difference between "Open Inside" and "Open Outside" is dangerous.

[bpalone]

Silly question, and a bit OT, but not badly.

Could a similar approach be used for making a driver for say 98SE or 2K?

Not that I need one, now anyway, but someone else might be facing an issue with a newer printer or something else. The thought came to mind when I first read this thread.

Thanks,

bpalone

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Silly question, and a bit OT, but not badly.

Could a similar approach be used for making a driver for say 98SE or 2K?

Not that I need one, now anyway, but someone else might be facing an issue with a newer printer or something else. The thought came to mind when I first read this thread.

By "making" do you mean extracting from the distribution disc? In that case, yes for Windows 2000 which is pretty much the same as XP in disc layout and file formats, but definitely not for Win98SE or Win98 whose *.xx_ drivers were using one of the COMPRESS variations, and you used EXPAND.

On Win95 and OSR the driver files were not compressed IIRC, just sitting there as normal. I can't remember WinME, or if it even had the full set of drivers like Win98, I think not, actually.

Naturally we're talking only about the driver files and not the Windows files which were always included in CAB containers for every version of Win9x. They were all in MSZIP format and mercifully can be opened by just about anything out there.

[jaclaz]

Could a similar approach be used for making a driver for say 98SE or 2K?

Yes and No.

It greatly depends on the specific printer.

Windows NT's (so as Charlotte stated applying to 2K but not necessarily to 9x/Me) provide two basic resources, UNIDRV.DLL (which stands for UNIversal) and PSCRIPT5.DLL (which stnds for PostSCRIPT) and a feww more, start exploring from here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff560843(v=vs.85).aspx

that are not entirely unlike a script processor/compiler that can parse respectively .GPD and .PPD files (which are in themselves scripts) and output (compiles) a specific binary file that constitutes the printer minidriver.

Not all printers are compatible with these "generic" resources (but rather use their own "proper" driver) so YMMV.

The good news are that most laserjets are HP Laserjet compatible and thus in the absence of a specific driver they tend to work fine with the standard PCL5 or PCL6 driver, example:

http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/BSC/public/us/us_ot/en/faq/faq/000000/000300/000024/faq000324_000.html?reg=us&c=us_ot〈=en∏=dcp7020_us

jaclaz

[cdob]

Sharp JX-9600

Sharp JX-9600 PS

install the printer on win7 using the xp drivers

Do you use Windows 7 x86 or x64?

The good news are that most laserjets are HP Laserjet compatible

Yes, the JX-9600 manufual refers HP PCL 5 (Laserjet III series)

@b-man

Does your printer support PostScript?

Then try the Windows 7 default Generic printer "MS Publisher Imagesetter" too.

[bpalone]

Silly question, and a bit OT, but not badly.

Could a similar approach be used for making a driver for say 98SE or 2K?

Not that I need one, now anyway, but someone else might be facing an issue with a newer printer or something else. The thought came to mind when I first read this thread.

By "making" do you mean extracting from the distribution disc? In that case, yes for Windows 2000 which is pretty much the same as XP in disc layout and file formats, but definitely not for Win98SE or Win98 whose *.xx_ drivers were using one of the COMPRESS variations, and you used EXPAND.

On Win95 and OSR the driver files were not compressed IIRC, just sitting there as normal. I can't remember WinME, or if it even had the full set of drivers like Win98, I think not, actually.

Naturally we're talking only about the driver files and not the Windows files which were always included in CAB containers for every version of Win9x. They were all in MSZIP format and mercifully can be opened by just about anything out there.

By making I was thinking more along the lines of going in reverse, from say XP to 98SE. Using the files for a starting base. But, what do I know? Except the alphabet groups are watching.

bpalone