Ed_P Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 I have an app who's report I need as a text file. It will not write to the Windows Generic / Text Only printer either under Windows XP or Win 98.Years, and years, ago, there was a DOS utility that we had that would use to take a user's .prn file and convert it to a plain text, .txt, file. The text document would loose it's special formatting but it would be readable. I've searched the web for it and Google has failed to find even one instance of it. And searches for "converting .prn files to .txt files" and "Post Script to ASCII" haven't helped much either.Does anyone here have a copy of that old DOS utility or know where I can find it? Or have any other ideas for converting my .prn file to .txt format?Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-ct- Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 How to print PRN filesIf you print from a Windows program and choose to save the print output as a file, most likely you'll end-up with a *.PRN (created using a PCL printer driver) or a *.PS file (created using a PostScript printer driver).Once you have this *.PRN (or *.PS) file, it's very easy to send them to the printer to finally get a print out:Go to the "DOS Prompt" or the "Command Prompt" Assuming that the file you're about to print is called my_chart.prn and your printer is connected to LPT1: (parallel port number one), type:COPY my_chart.prn LPT1 /Band press ENTER that help any?how about this: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;EN-US;Q158081 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichNRockville Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 I have an app who's report I need as a text file. It will not write to the Windows Generic / Text Only printer either under Windows XP or Win 98.ThanksMany os's allow you to create a text print to file.going to add new printer, the selection would be text onlyand select to a file.Then in your program, just select the text print to file and it will askyou to name the file. Name the file xxx.txt and you should get whatyou want.THis of course is predicated on the fact that your not trying to print from a graphic's editing program I have done this with excel, word and a few other programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted July 6, 2004 Author Share Posted July 6, 2004 (edited) Thanks for the suggestions. But I don't want to print the file, I want to convert the prn file to straight ASCII text so I can import it into Notepad to modify for importing into another program.I found a Text Print Driver from Miraplacid that works with the problem app. The XP version gives me the text file that I want. There is also a Win 98 version but the Win 98 version doesn't give Text, it creates images! The Win XP version doesn't support networking but that wasn't a problem for me. Edited July 6, 2004 by EdP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichNRockville Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 Thanks for the suggestions. But I don't want to print the file, I want to convert the prn file to straight ASCII text so I can import it into Notepad to modify for importing into another program.As I had suggested before, Once you have selected the print to the text file printer, name it xxx.txt and then you can read that file in most any program.The file is straight ascii text and can be opened and read with Notepad. Maybe I don't understand your problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted July 6, 2004 Author Share Posted July 6, 2004 The file is straight ascii text and can be opened and read with Notepad.No, it's not. I've opened it with Notepad and it looks like opening an exe. I've also opened it with a hex editor and there is nothing readable in it. The file was created when the printer selected is my inkjet printer with the output then directed to the Print to File option. The Windows Generic /Text printer would not work for this app. The output was always 4 bytes of hex zeros. Printing to the printer worked just couldn't write to disk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobra_869 Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 This is sort of a tough work around, but.....Make a ps file using a postscript printer driver with the print to file option.Use GSview to extract the text to a file.GSviewI use GhostScript and GhostView to make PDF files and extract text and have had very good luck.I tested the conversion you are trying to complete and had acceptable results with a text document.The command is under edit....text extract. The help file lists another method that I didn't explore.Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted July 7, 2004 Author Share Posted July 7, 2004 That GSview is an interesting utility cobra_869, thanks. But the Text Print Driver from Miraplacid solved my problem perfectly. BTW it comes with a 15 day free trial but I only needed it for about an hr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vichht Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Thanks for the suggestions. But I don't want to print the file, I want to convert the prn file to straight ASCII text so I can import it into Notepad to modify for importing into another program.I found a Text Print Driver from Miraplacid that works with the problem app. The XP version gives me the text file that I want. There is also a Win 98 version but the Win 98 version doesn't give Text, it creates images! The Win XP version doesn't support networking but that wasn't a problem for me.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> I hope this helps,I just added a generic printer Generic / Only Text PrinterI send my report to that printer after that,I'm asked where and what name I'm going to useThere, you can name your report as report.txt "After it's printed"You must had gotten a TXT fileThe only "strange" character that you've got it's a SQUARE characterAnd you can manipulate your file with NotePad or any other programBest RegardsVictor HernandezIntegracion de Sistemas - Mexico Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 I may be totally missing the boat here.I just created a document in Microsoft Word 2003. I then saved it as a .txt file (scrolling down the option of extensions) and told it MS-DOS for the style on the next screen.I then opened it up in Notepad without a problem. Would that not solve your problems without a lot of other programs needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 I have an app who's report I need as a text file. It will not write to the Windows Generic / Text Only printer either under Windows XP or Win 98.Wow, this old thread has taken on a new life!Thank you all for your recent comments but please note the opening premise of the problem. The stupid util wouldn't write to the generic printer. It was/is an old PC Mag utility that was designed for Windows 98 or possibly even Window 95.After fighting with it for a period of time and finding a resolution to the problem stated I also discovered that there was/is a newer version of the utility that simply imports the old data file. d'oh!! BTW, welcome to the forums vichht. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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