XL: "Cannot Print to LPT1" Running Lotus Print Macro

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, if you run a Lotus 1-2-3 macro that performs a print command across a Novell network, you receive the following error messages

   Macro error at cell: <cell address>

   Error printing to LPT1

CAUSE

In order to print to a Novell Netware print queue, the LPT port must be redirected (captured) to the appropriate server and print queue. Lotus 1-2- 3 requires the printer port be captured. Microsoft Windows, by default, does not capture LPT ports. This capture must be done either at the MS-DOS level or through your Novell login script.

For additional information on this error under Microsoft Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   Article-ID: Q152217
   TITLE     : XL: Error Printing to LPT1 with 1-2-3 Print Macro in Win95

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Use the Novell Capture command at the MS-DOS prompt before you

          enter Microsoft Windows to redirect or capture a printer port to
          a network server.

          For example, the following capture statement redirects LPT1 to
          the server named SERVER1 and the printer queue named QUEUE1. It
          also turns off form-feed, banners, and disables time-outs.

             capture L=1 s=SERVER1 q=QUEUE1 nff nt nb ti=0

          Once you have restarted Windows, go to the Printers dialog box in
          Control Panel and connect your default printer to the port used
          in the capture statement.

          Example
          -------

          The following Lotus macro prints the selected range:

             /ppr~agq

          Use the following in place of the above macro statement. The
          following runs a Microsoft Excel macro called Print_Macro to
          print the selected range.

             {XLCALL Print_Macro}

          Microsoft Excel Visual Basic macro example
          ------------------------------------------

          Sub Print_Macro
             Selection.PrintOut Copies:=1
          End Sub

MORE INFORMATION

The Novell Netware Capture command redirects workstation printer output to a network print queue or file. The Capture command uses the following syntax

   capture L=x s=sss q=qqq nff nt nb ti=tt

   L refers to the LPT port
   x = LPT port number (1, 2, or 3)
   s refers to the server
   sss = server name
   q refers to the server print queue
   qqq = printer queue name
   nff = no formfeed
   nt = no tab
   nb = no banner page
   ti refers to the retry Timeouts
   tt = time value (default is 10, 0 disables timeouts)