Windows Woes: Print question for an MCSE or uber guru

[Dryden]

Hmpf. I've run into a "feature" of Windows that I can't figure out a work-around to, so any AOers that have an idea, please help.

When installing a printer to a Windows box, it helpfully adds/displays all the logical paper types that the specified printer can handle. So, what can I do to force the PC, in this case a Windows 2003 Server (Standard Edition), to use a paper type that isn't in the list?

I've got three 2003 servers in a pool that handle nothing but printing tasks in my company. In this case, I'm trying to get a bank of Tallys converted from 14.5 x 11 Standard Fanfold to 14.5 x 12 Pressure Sensitive Fanfold, but this paper type is not listed as an option for this particular model printer under the Device Settings in the Printer Control Panel. In fact, Windows doesn't show support for any paper lengths of 12" for these particular models (Mannesmann Tally 691s), even though the printers themselves do recognize the Top of Form and Form Feed positions correctly for this continuous paper.

How do I 'add' non-standard paper types to a printer's Device Settings menu without changing the driver directly so that a different array of 691s still using 11" length aren't affected?

[Crighton]

Setup a secondary queue using a different driver that supports 12" paper. I'm not aware of a way to add paper types to a print driver.

[Bluestrike_2]

Honestly, when will Micro$oft Learn?

They will never figure out how to create a system that is simple. When Longhorn comes out, it will be close to OS X Panther. Thing is, OSX will have advanced in the mean time. So OS X/Linux/Unix will always be ahead of M$.

Now, for advice:

1) go to Microshi*'s website. http://www.microsoft.com

2) Contact the printer manufacturer's tech support

3) Switch OS's

[Dryden]

Heh heh, no kidding. I'd love to, but I don't have that luxury here. Honestly, I'm a BSDi and Linux zealot, so I would love to ditch what 2003 servers I do have and convert. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work that way. Actually, I'm pretty well off now ... when I started here last year, I inherited 15 NT 4.0SP6 servers and a broken domain running WINS. And wouldn't you know, of course the Windows' domain name wasn't the same name as the literal DNS domain space, which made moving to Active Directory sooooo much easier!

Honestly though, I've tried a couple of these suggestions. Linux doesn't work through CUPS, nor do alternative drivers written towards Windows. The bind is that these Tallys have to receive 1) PCL5e w/ extended margins, 2) Barcode fonts, 3) Dead Zone disabled, and 4) MT691 or MT661 emulation for CPI/LPI.

See, the driver is fine per se in that printing, formatting, etc... all work; the issue though is that Windows is sending the EOF character for the wrong paper length, so I've got no cut sheet between jobs, or a subsequent job will start half way down a form.

I can't exactly tell the data processing department to submit jobs one at a time and twiddle their thumbs until each job ends. Oh, and I would call Mannesmann Tally for assistance, but I don't speak German.

Square pegs. Round holes.

[Bluestrike_2]

[Bluestrike_2]

I think I might have screwed up while translating that. Just started to learn German.