Thanks!
The below works Great. Except:
COPY FILE Outputfile TO LPT1.DOS
I get "Can not create File" when usign a WIN95 Machine.
using NT4.0 Works great. Any other Ideas.

>The cause of your problems is indeed Windows' control of the printer.
>
>Generally, your best bet is to create a single file which you then dump to the appropriate printer. First, create a file containing your printer initialization codes. I haven't tested this, but you can probably SET ALTERNATE TO a file, then run your ??? commands, to place them in that file.
>
>****************************************
>SET ALTERNATE TO InitFile
>??? your printer init commands
>???
>???
>SET ALTERNATE TO &&closes the InitFile
>* If your Init commands are always the same, you could manually
>* create the Initfile and not bother with the above.
>
>*You then need to combine this init file with your text file. A single DOS *command can do this, so you could RUN it from within VFP e.g.
>RUN COPY InitFile+TextFile OutputFile
>
>*You then issue a native VFP COPY command to dump the result to the printer:
>COPY FILE OutputFile TO LPTx.DOS
>****************************************
>
>Since you've been printing using FPD, you probably already have DOS printer ports captured appropriately, so the above should work.
>
>>Hope someone can help with this. I have some txt files that get loaded onto my network from a main frame. These files are ment to be printed on 11x17 paper. In the past using 2.6 Dos I have used PCl Commands to set the printer up before issuing the Type myfile.txt to printer. The time finally came to port this App over to VFP6.0... well to make a long story end. Why does the following not work in VFP 6/5:
>>
>> ???
>> ???
>>ETC.
>>
>>I assume its because windows wants to control the printer.. Is there a way around it?
>>
>>As Always
>>Thanks in advance and
>>Thanks for everyone that has helped in the past.
>>
>>Bob Buske

I can't believe I get paid to write code..... Its like doing crossword puzzels