Need to install 32 bit printer driver

[mickth]

We upgraded to Windows 10 from WinXP. We have a very customized printing process, getting AutoCAD to print .plt files, then merging those drawings with our ERP software. I need to install a print driver we were using, on Win10. But, it doesn't belong to a printer. In other words, there is no physical printer we're printing to. We're only printing to a file using this driver. The print driver comes from ntprint.cat , which installs the ntprint.inf file. From what I can tell it uses these files:

hplj.gpd
pcl4res.dll
unidrv

How can I get these to work on Windows 10? Again, there is no real printer we're printing to. We're just creating a .plt file from AutoCAD using this. It shows up as a printer in Winxp as HP Laserjet, but instead of printing to lpt1 , it prints to file. The drivers above are actually Microsoft Drivers.

 

[jojesa]

We got it there is not physical printer, you are printing to a file (saving the file to a folder instead of physically printing it)
You could create a plot file from AutoCAD. Follow these steps.

 

[mickth]

Thank you. We have the plot file creation steps down. We've been doing it for 20 years. The problem is with the drivers available in windows 10. The internal format of the actual plot file is much different now. the pjl format is way different, and it conflicts with what we merge it with (The barcode information that comes out of our ERP system). So I'm trying to do in windows 10, what we did in windows xp, using the same hplj.gpd driver provided by microsoft. I just can't figure out how to install this driver on windows 10.

Example:
Header to the hpgl.gpd created file
E&l0L&l1H&l66P&l0o1E*t300R&l1X
&a4055V&a4237H*r1A*b29Wÿà


Header to one of the newer PJL created files
%-12345X@PJL SET STRINGCODESET=UTF8
@PJL JOB NAME="P:\Dwg\SOU2083A Layout1 (1)"
@PJL COMMENT "HP_Laserjet (0.3.1584.23029); Windows 10 Pro 10.0.17134.1; Unidrv 0.3.17134.137"
@PJL COMMENT "Username: mick; App Filename: P:\Dwg\SOU2083A Layout1 (1); 8-3-2018"
@PJL COMMENT "NUP = NUP_1"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="OS=Windows"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="OS Version=Windows 10 Pro 10.0.17134.1"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="Render Type=UPD"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="Render Name=HP Universal Printing PCL 6"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="Render Version=61.215.1.23029"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct1=mick"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct2=NW110"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct3=NEWOOD"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct4=20180803064319"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct5=7e8e66c9-bd26-4d59-bed1-445a3449ee6a"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct6=AutoCAD Application"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct7=acad.exe"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct8=mick"
@PJL SET JOBATTR="JobAcct9="
@PJL SET RET=OFF
@PJL DMINFO ASCIIHEX="0400040101020D101001153230313830383033313334333139"
@PJL SET PLANESINUSE=1
@PJL SET GRAYSCALE=BLACKONLY
@PJL SET USERNAME="mick"
@PJL SET JOBNAME="P:\Dwg\SOU2083A Layout1 (1)"
@PJL SET FOLD=""
@PJL SET PUNCH=OFF
@PJL SET PROCESSINGACTION=APPEND
@PJL SET PROCESSINGTYPE="PUNCH"
@PJL SET PROCESSINGOPTION="NONE"
@PJL SET PROCESSINGBOUNDARY=MOPY
@PJL SET OUTBIN=AUTO
@PJL SET EDGETOEDGE=NO
@PJL SET PROCESSINGACTION=APPEND
@PJL SET PROCESSINGTYPE="STAPLING"
@PJL SET PROCESSINGOPTION="NONE"
@PJL SET PROCESSINGBOUNDARY=MOPY
@PJL SET ECONOMODE=OFF
@PJL SET KEEPGLOSSMODE=UNDEFINED
@PJL SET RESOLUTION=600
@PJL SET BITSPERPIXEL=1
@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE=PCLXL
) HP-PCL XL;2;1;Comment Copyright(c) 1999 Microsoft Corporation
ÑXXø‰À

 

[jojesa]

Which AutoCAD version do you have?
Have you tried getting the old drivers from a Windows XP computer?
That's one of the reasons, at work, we have not moved to Windows 10 on 90% of offices computers. We have several software and settings that gets broken or does not work. We keep testing on a couple of computers and when everything works as we like it we will proceed.

 

[mickth]

We installed AutoCAD 2019 on the Windows 10 machines. We still have the WindowsXP machines hooked up and running. Some people have two computers on their desk, which is a mess. So, I can get the drivers from the old XP machines, I just can't figure out how to install them on the Windows 10 machines. When I try, it says I need to have the 64 Bit version of these drivers. We're so close, just not 100% compatible yet.

 

[jojesa]

Is the Windows XP a 64-bit version? Otherwise you can't use the drivers.

Try this instead
First open the DWG file in AutoCAD and tag “file” on Menu bar then select “Plotter Manager”.
Select “Add-A-Plotter wizard.
Click the next button, then select “My computer”
To create an HP GL/2 file
-Select HP from the manufacture column
-Chose “designJet 755CM C3198A” then hit the next, continue and next buttons.
-Select “plot to file” Then click “next”
-Leave the plotter driver name as is, click next to continue.
Done.
Now, when making PLT files, use the HP 755CM plotter.

 

[mickth]

Thank you. I'll try that, but I don't think the format we were plotting to in XP was HP GL/2 format. But I'll try it and see what it looks like. But, you did bring up a good though. It's true our Windows XP is 32 bit. But, what if I upgrade one of the machines to XP 64 bit? What drivers would it provide? Do you have Windows XP 64 bit? Can you search to see if you have a file called hplj.gpd ? If so, what is the date on it?

 

[mickth]

Shoot. Sorry, I meant hplj.gpd

 

[jojesa]

The issue could be that Global Printers Drivers (gpd) where available from pretty much any printer manufacturer (HP, Xerox, ), Microsoft and Software companies. There are so many versions available, and some were written for specific tasks.
I don't have any XP computers but the drivers are usually located in Windir\System32\drivers and the installation files (.inf) in the hidden Windir\inf folder.