How to ? Print screen in DOS ?

[Parangles]

I was told that the "print Scrn" keyboard button should print what I am looking at in DOS, but nothing happens.
I am not in the DOS shell on top of Windows- I rebooted into DOS.
( I tried it in the 'shell' too but no go.)
Thanks !

[newme]

not sure but i think in dos it sends it to the printer,but could be wrong .there is also a program you can use for trial period called snagit

[reboot]

Google it, I found lots of links.
XP will allow it, just right click on the window bar (at the top) and select "Edit", then "Select All", and then hit CTRL+C, paste (CTRL+V) into any text editor (notepad).

[jmatt]

http://www.easydos.com/print.html

---------------------------------

http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/17725.html
WinAids .
DOS access and PRINTouts for Win95/98/2K. Free
PRINT program enabling a Printout to be made of any ASCII file.

-------------------------------

Dos print programs .
http://www.simtel.net/pub/msdos/printer/

-------------------------------------------

Print Question

1. Dozens of shareware to do this.
2. Go to a DOS prompt and type: DIR C:\foldername\*.* >LPT1

3. Print Folder Directories

Found this in PcWorld’s January issue:

"Here’s an easy way to print a list of the files contained in
a folder from inside Windows Explorer."

Launch Notepad, then type:

Dir %1> lpt1: and press Enter
Now type cls on the second line, BUT DO NOT PRESS Enter

There must not be anything, not even a blank line after ‘cls’.
Save the two line file in you C:\Windows\Send To folder as
printdir.BAT

Now when you want to a printout of the files in a folder, right
click on the folder in Windows Explorer, and select
Send TO->printdir.bat

---------------------------------------

Dir C:\foldername\*.* >filename.txt (this will create a text file
to do with as you please)

---------------------------------------

Folder Print: http://www.homestead.com/algor/

Print Folder: http://no-nonsense-software.com/freeware

---------------------------------------

Or, if you don't want another program, here's 2 batch files,
one for creating a .txt file, the other sends it straight to
the printer.

Open Notepad (only), type in **exactly** (or copy/paste from here)

For the .txt file:

dir %1 > C:\list.txt: cls

& save as: textdir.bat

For the printer:

dir %1 > lpt1: cls

& save as: printdir.bat

I save these two files in my "Send to" folder, that way I can just
right click on the folder to execute.

[Parangles]

Well.... I downloaded 6 of them- huge programs- bells and whistles galore, but none of them will print a DOS text screen.
You have to enter parameters/preferences, minimise and then open the DOS program, then reopen these WINDOWS print programs and execute them. Obviously they will not work in DOS, since when you reboot in DOS the Windows program closes.
In fact I don't think any of them are designed for DOS since "DOS"
is not in any of their Help sections.
Went into Microsoft site and did all sorts of their ' work arounds' but no go. What has happened ? all the old DOS manuals say you just press 'print scrn' button and it prints. Dear Lord I am truly exhausted after spending nearly 3 hours trying to achieve something that should be so simple. ARRRGH!!

[gbirke]

What type and model is your printer. It's my understanding some printers won't print in DOS.

[reboot]

Parangles. Getting the text out of a DOS screen is a pain, and I understand the frustration. XP made it easy, not so with other Windows.
If you're totally stuck, you can use the printscreen button, and then paste into any graphics editor. You don't get the text, but you get a picture containing the window with the text.
You can always upload the picture somewhere and then link to it here.
It's not a very elegant way around it, but it does work.
You could alternately try this: http://surf.to/provtech
It supposedly DOES allow a capture of a DOS window...but I'm not sure if it captures text, or the graphic...might be worth a try.
If all else fails, do a screen capture, save it as a picture, and email it to me. I'll stick it up on my server and link to it for you.

[Parangles]

Thanks to all . I downloaded and tried 2 more utilities including one from Russia but I still can't get a print. The answer I have decided, is to go to Goodwill, Salvation Army etc and find an old dot matrix printer and set that temporarily as default prior to opening the DOS page. qbirke- I think youre right- none of the printers I own, including an ancient Canon BJ200 have any mention of DOS in their manuals ie. they don't support DOS.
Boot- thanks as always man- all this is, as you realise, to try to show some stuff to someone here trying to help me on another post. I'll get back to it soon.

[reboot]

Just printscreen the thing, save it as jpg, and email it to me, including the link to the post you want it in. (I check email every 5 mins)
I'll put it up for you. Easier than buying a printer, or messing with more software.

[Parangles]

I rebooted into DOS and opened the program, hit 'printscn' button, typed 'Win' at prompt and then opened Irfanview, Paint,
PaintShop Pro, and Notepad. In all cases 'paste' was not available as an option ie greyed out/inactive, so presumably
the DOS screen never made it to the clipboard, or got deleted
with the move to windows.
Maybe this is because I am reading the file from a floppy- but no way am I going to load it on the C:\ drive- I've got enough problems already ! (The file will not open in DOS shell running on top of windows.)

I tried the 'printscn' button on a Eudora email and it pasted fine into various programs so the data seems to get lost in the DOS to Windows move.

It's probably time to retire this thread.
Cheers,
Chris.

[David_Jones]

Hi Parangles,

Firstly, if you PrntScrn in a pure DOS environment (with no windows running), then there is no way it will paste into Windows which wasn't running (clipboard) at the time.

If you press PrntScrn in pure DOS, it should try to print the screen to your default Lpt printer. Whether your printer will work in that environment I could not say, but it could require you load up DOS drivers to get it to work.

I know you said this may not be an option but....

A better alternative might be to run the program from a DOS prompt under Windows. You can then either Prnt-Scrn to get the entire screen (including task bar, sys tray etc) into clipboard from where you can paste to a graphics app (Paint will do it), or you can Alt-PrntScrn to get just the active window into clipboard.

Both of these will produce an image of the screen, not a text listing that is editable.

They would work well for producing a manual with screenshots (for example).

If you need the actual text from DOS box, then activate the DOS window, and press Alt-Space.

This will bring up the window control box, and one of the options will be EDIT.

Under EDIT you can choose MARK and use the mouse to highlight the text portion that you want to copy.

Once highlighted, go back to EDIT, and select COPY from the menu.

You can now paste that TEXT into any other appropriate app (notepad, Word etc).



Aside: Have you searched Canon's website for DOS drivers for your printer? You might have to load them via config.sys, but it should be possible.

I hope that something in there helps!

David.

[Parangles]

David, thanks, the program for some reason will not open except
in a pure DOS situation with no windows. Have saved your good info for the future.