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Windows NT Users Should Take Care Not to Capture Printers

If you're one of the growing number of Lab users of Windows NT, be aware that the "capture printer" function is quite different from that of Windows. If you use NT to "capture printer," you essentially block all other people from using the same printer by causing the printer to stop announcing itself on the Apple Talk network. Instead, you should connect to a printer by using the Add Printer Wizard. To add a printer, you'll need to know your Apple Talk zone and printer name (if you don't know this, the Help Desk can help you -- call X4357.)

If you have inadvertently captured a printer, you can liberate it by taking the following steps:
  1. Open "My Computer" and "Printers"
  2. Right click on the target printer and select "Properties"
  3. Select "Port Settings"
  4. Select "Configure Port"
  5. Uncheck "Capture Printer"
  6. Close all windows and it's done!
If you find yourself blocked from using your usual printer and need help tracking down the problem, the Help Desk can help you solve the mystery. It may be that a printer problem is a result of an NT capture -- but not always. The capture problem is one of many possibilities (and a new one with the advent of NT at the Lab) as to why a computer user cannot print. The Help Desk regularly assists computer users with tracking down why their workstation cannot print. Call them at X4357.

Computer users can also access printing support documentation at http://www.lbl.gov/cs/help/printing.html

If you want to learn more about NT, visit the Berkeley Lab NT Users Group website at: http://lbnl-nt.lbl.gov/printing/index.htm

 
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