Set Default Printer

[onefish]

My project was cruising along well until I just discovered a bug in the database software that automatically reverts to the default windows printer no matter what you tell it to do. The third party fix is $1000 for a redistribution lisence. Basically I am printing from the database to a virtual printer and Ghostscript which saves with a static directory/name. The database then initiates an AutoIT.exe that renames the PDF, moves & resizes the window. The PDF is used as a print preview with the option to save as if the file should be kept, print or just close. A script runs upon closing the database that deletes all *.pdf documents in the folder printed to. The distiller cannot be the default printer. A suitable workaround would be to script changing the default printer for the duration of the process. Can AutoIT do this?

Edited August 18, 2005 by onefish

[SumTingWong]

Can AutoIT do this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

RunWait(@SystemDir & '\RunDLL32.EXE printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n "[Printer Display Name]"')

or if you really want to show off:

DllCall("printui.dll", "none", "PrintUIEntryW", _ 
    "hwnd", 0, _ 
    "ptr", 0, _ 
    "wstr", '/y /n "' & $sPrinterName & '"', _ 
    "int", @SW_SHOWNORMAL)

Edited August 18, 2005 by SumTingWong

[ReFran]

If you print via Acrobat or Reader you can use the command-line option to specify a printer. That's much more easyer.

HTH, Reinhard

[onefish]

Wow, I have got alot to learn. As it turns out (I think from observing the behavior) the database application loads it's settings to the default printer when it is launched. I believe I need to write a script that will change the default printer to the distiller then launch the database application, wait for a few seconds for it to load, then change the default printer back to the original one. Launching the database.exe is the only part of this that I have a grasp of at the moment. I would like to understand these scripts a bit better so I can:

-declare a variable for the original default printer. I assume it would have to come from a DllCall but I do not understand the nature of the params and types. Do you know of a source for this information?

-declare a variable for the distiller (I can work this one out)

-use one of the scripts above to perform the first change

-then revert.

I am very keen to learn these things and I really appreciate your assistance. Thank you.

[ReFran]

-declare a variable for the original default printer.  I assume it would have to come from a DllCall but I do not understand the nature of the params and types.  Do you know of a source for this information?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can read the Default Printer from the registry.

sRegKey = "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\CurrentVersion\Windows\Device"

HTH, Reinhard

Edited August 18, 2005 by ReFran

[onefish]

Reinhard,

So is this bit of script correct? Will this actually change the default printer through the "RunWait" command?

$default = RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\CurrentVersion\Windows\Device" , "DefaultPrinter")

$distiller = "PDFCreator"

RunWait(@SystemDir & "\RunDLL32.EXE printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n " & $distiller )

;Script that will launch the database application and pause for 5 seconds or so.

RunWait(@SystemDir & "\RunDLL32.EXE printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n " & $default )

I am unsure about the value I should be reading from the registry (DefaultPrinter). Your code also used "sRegKey", I am unsure where to use this parameter. Thank you for your assistance.

[onefish]

Any more help?? This is temporarily driving me mad. Everything works in a 4 month long project except changing the default printer while the database application is executed.

[ReFran]

Any more help??  This is temporarily driving me mad.  Everything works in a 4 month long project except changing the default printer while the database application is executed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A little bit testing would help.

The RegKey is HKCU instead of HKLM (sorry). The Code snipet is from VBS. Here how to get it with Autoit - at least under Win2k.

$default = RegRead("HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\CurrentVersion\Windows", "Device")

MsgBox("","Test",$default)

I think to use $default with RunDll32, you have to shorten it to only the printer name.

HTH, Reinhard

Edited August 19, 2005 by ReFran

[onefish]

OK, I have mucked around and can change the default printer in the registry easy enough. This is the first time I have mucked around with registry settings and I was a bit hesitant. My script is working on 2k and XP. Any traps I should be aware of post 95 with HKCU printer settings? Test script:

$default = RegRead("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\CurrentVersion\Windows", "Device")

$new = "PDFCreator," & RegRead("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\CurrentVersion\Devices", "PDFCreator")

RegWrite( "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\CurrentVersion\Windows", "Device" , "REG_SZ" , $new )

MsgBox(0, "YES/N0", $default & @CR & $new & @CR & @error)

RegWrite( "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Nt\CurrentVersion\Windows", "Device" , "REG_SZ" , $default )

This changes the default printer and then reverts back after the MsgBox. I will put some error captures in before using in real world.

Edited August 19, 2005 by onefish

[fhanna]

The earlier post of RunWait(@SystemDir & '\RunDLL32.EXE printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /n "[Printer Display Name]"') is great. I had a need for this to change default printer during execution. Was using kixtart to add/delete default printer.

I can use the mentioned to add/change default but how do I check to see if it exist. I have a text file of printers and upon loading want to check to see if printer exist and if not add it. I cannot find appropriate code to determine if printer exist.

Secondly, if I attempt to add a printer and the printer name is invalid Autoit3 will not return an error code. I get a Printers dialog box stating Operation could not be completed. Either the printer name was typed incorrectly, or the specified printer has lost it's connection to the server.

Bottom line: Upon script startup want to check if printer exist, if not add printer but be able to check if successful. Printer name will be supplied via a file and thus check to insure valid name.

Thank you

[ReFran]

Just saw this and just worked with printers.

Took the following code and change it to your need.

HTH, Reinhard

;-----------------------------------------------------------
; Get specific information from all installed printers
; Refran based on a VBS from Christoph Basedau
;-----------------------------------------------------------


$oWMI = ObjGet("winmgmts:")
GetPrinter ("Win32_Printer")

Func GetPrinter($sID)
  $colWBEMSet = $oWMI.InstancesOf($sID)
  msgbox(0,"",$colWBEMSet.count)
  If $colWBEMSet.count = 0 Then
     MsgBox(0,"", "No elements in Win32_Printer found")
     exit
   Else
     For $oElem in $colWBEMSet
         $xFind = ""
         $xtxt = $oElem.GetObjectText_
                     ;msgbox(0,"",$xTxt);= show all information
          $aTxt = Stringsplit($xTxt,";")
          for $x in $atxt; Filter specific information
              if stringInstr(stringleft($x,9),"Name = ") then $xfind = $xfind &$x &"; "
              if stringInstr($x,"DriverName = ") then $xfind = $xFind &$x &"; "
              if stringInstr($x,"PortName = ") then $xfind = $xFind &$x &"; " 
              if stringInstr($xfind,"PortName") then exitLoop;=PortName = last to find
          next
          msgbox(0,"",$xFind)
      Next
   EndIf
EndFunc

Edited May 23, 2007 by ReFran