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The "print to file" function in widows, how to really utilize it?

I

iamgenius

Senior member
Hi guys.

I'll try to make the story short. We have a program we use at work that automatically disables the print screen keyboard key when opened. It is programmed this way as a security measure. What I want to be able to do is to send some screenshots while in the program to some employees so that they can do some work with it. Since print screen can't be used, I thought of using the forgotten "print to file" function that you see in every print dialogue. From what I understand, you just check the mark and you will be prompted to save a file to a directory you choose. Assuming that you saved the file into another computer in the network, that computer user can just use the .prn file to generate a printed result that looks supposedly similar to what you originally wanted to print. This is of course assuming the printer used in the two cases is the same.

Can this be practically accomplished? Or better yet, can the .prn file be used to generate an image of what the print out is ganna look like?

Is there an alternative to this "print to file" function? (Asking this because print to file is of a limited use and can have many errors according to some articles I read).

Or maybe you can suggest me an entirely different way of doing this? The employees whom I want to work with the screenshots can't have access to this specific program at the moment.

Feel free to ask any questions,

Thanks in advance
 
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Try opening the On-Screen Keyboard (Accessories > Accessibility) and pressing the PrtScrn button there. Also, you might try running the program windowed (not maximized) and bring a different program to the foreground (like Calculator). See if the Print Screen key works when the program being captured does not have focus.
 
This is free and actually is added to Printers and Devices as a printer on Windows installation.

So any Windows program that can print would simply save a pdf file instead of printing on paper. The file can then be mail/Copy etc. through the Network.

It is compatible with Win 8 / Win 7 / Vista/ XP

http://www.dopdf.com/


😎
 
Does the computer give you the option to print to "xps document writer"? You can create xps files which are viewable on modern windows systems and open source alternatives can view as well.
 
Chapbass said:
What version of windows are you using? Any chance snipping tool is allowed?
Click to expand...

xSauronx said:
this. the snipping tool, or print to oneNote, or get a pdf printer.

but the snipping tool and a word doc would be easiest in lieu of onenote.
Click to expand...

nickbits said:
Does the snipping tool work? Or did they remove that? How about alt+print screen?
Click to expand...

I actually didn't check whether the snipping tool will work, but I doubt it will because the program designers don't want you to take screenshots. I'm not at work now, but will try it once in the office.

We don't have onenote installed. And I'll try print to pdf and see.
 
gsaldivar said:
Try opening the On-Screen Keyboard (Accessories > Accessibility) and pressing the PrtScrn button there. Also, you might try running the program windowed (not maximized) and bring a different program to the foreground (like Calculator). See if the Print Screen key works when the program being captured does not have focus.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this doesn't work, I tried it before. Thanks.
 
JackMDS said:
This is free and actually is added to Printers and Devices as a printer on Windows installation.

So any Windows program that can print would simply save a pdf file instead of printing on paper. The file can then be mail/Copy etc. through the Network.

It is compatible with Win 8 / Win 7 / Vista/ XP

http://www.dopdf.com/


😎
Click to expand...

WOW, this is great! I just tried it in my computer at home. It is a neat little program indeed. Will try it tomorrow at work.
 
serpretetsky said:
Does the computer give you the option to print to "xps document writer"? You can create xps files which are viewable on modern windows systems and open source alternatives can view as well.
Click to expand...

This works as well !!! And I always wandered what this XPS document writer is doing under devices and printers item in control panel.

You learn a thing each day.




Thanks to everybody who helped me here. I'm at your debt.
 
iamgenius said:
Certainly, this is a very nice workaround. I didn't try it yet, but I will do that the next time I use my work computer and will report back.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

It actually didn't work ! So the program designers put into their consideration the on-screen keyboard!

Better not tell them about the snipping tool working ^_^
 
JackMDS said:
This is free and actually is added to Printers and Devices as a printer on Windows installation.

So any Windows program that can print would simply save a pdf file instead of printing on paper. The file can then be mail/Copy etc. through the Network.

It is compatible with Win 8 / Win 7 / Vista/ XP

http://www.dopdf.com/


😎
Click to expand...

Thanks for this ! 😀
 
I thing I have a vague recollection of thanking the PRN file produced by the print-to-file function and doing something from the command line like: copy file.prn PRN

...or something like that. It would print the file through the system default printer.
 
Ichinisan said:
I thing I have a vague recollection of thanking the PRN file produced by the print-to-file function and doing something from the command line like: copy file.prn PRN

...or something like that. It would print the file through the system default printer.
Click to expand...

I think it was "TYPE FILENAME.PRN >> LPT1" or something like that, unless that was just how to print text files.
 
You could always install the program in a VM, then use the tools available to VMware Workstation to create a screenshot, which cannot be blocked by the program.
 
yinan said:
You could always install the program in a VM, then use the tools available to VMware Workstation to create a screenshot, which cannot be blocked by the program.
Click to expand...

That's over doing it I think. Yes it can be done, but I actually need to use the program while in the real machine.

Thanks for the tip though, it can become handy in some situations.
 
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